I'll openly admit that I did not grow up with this game, so understand if any of my complaints come from playing different PC games in the 90's like Myst and Freddie Fish does taxes. I got lost playing through this A LOT. Like almost every level I was getting frustrated because so much of the map looked similar to me. But what kept me going was how short each level ultimately was and the variety of spaces I wandered through. It's essentially Doom: Star Wars edition so the actual shooting was fun enough. 3/5
Now for the actual remaster side of things, have to give props for the excellent job on the new graphic rendering, the vault filled with behind the scenes art and cutscene preparation, and being able to play this at 120 frames was really nice.
Sometimes enough perks can rise a game out of an average slot, and this is one of those cases.
Now for the actual remaster side of things, have to give props for the excellent job on the new graphic rendering, the vault filled with behind the scenes art and cutscene preparation, and being able to play this at 120 frames was really nice.
Sometimes enough perks can rise a game out of an average slot, and this is one of those cases.
I have a history with this game. Back when I was around 13, and just starting to learn English at school, we had a special class that let us use the PC Lab. On there, we took some tests during the last hour class and if we completed the test quickly, we were allowed to play the games that came pre-installed on the PC.
One of those games, was the Demo version of Dark Forces that included only the first level. I must have played that demo hundred of times. I must have explored ever nook and cranny of that level and found every secret. Up to this day I know that level like the palm of my hand.
Now, almost 24 years I was finally able to buy and complete the full game. And it was a fun and amazing as my younger self imagined it to be.
The game is not without its quirks, and the level design is totally 90's style of design (meaning, sometimes is incredible obtuse and completing a puzzle is something a matter of luck), but the pace, the action and everything else is still fantastic. I can only assume it was even more amazing back then.
Many years later, I finally beat this game, and the wait was worth it.
One of those games, was the Demo version of Dark Forces that included only the first level. I must have played that demo hundred of times. I must have explored ever nook and cranny of that level and found every secret. Up to this day I know that level like the palm of my hand.
Now, almost 24 years I was finally able to buy and complete the full game. And it was a fun and amazing as my younger self imagined it to be.
The game is not without its quirks, and the level design is totally 90's style of design (meaning, sometimes is incredible obtuse and completing a puzzle is something a matter of luck), but the pace, the action and everything else is still fantastic. I can only assume it was even more amazing back then.
Many years later, I finally beat this game, and the wait was worth it.
I should say that in terms of Remaster quality, this is pretty up there.
It attempts to make it so that the game is compatible with modern devices, without shaking up its identity. This means you get enhanced graphics (or a means to disable all enhancements so you can play it in all of its antiquated glory back in 1995!) and features a lot of bonus in-the-making material, including a special level that was used as a demo back in the day.
This is basically a Nostalgia Nerd's wet dream, because you can pick and choose which and when you want enhancements to play with the game.
However, the game itself is starting to show its rough edges if you're spoiled with the conveniences of the modern era.
The level design is questionable; rooms existing for the sake of having rooms, weapon balance being very easy to deal with since most enemies can be dealt with the basic Bryar pistol or the blaster. Jumping puzzles exist, and are a novel invention of the game, since they never existed for games like these until Quake started turning it into a rocket jump artform.
Later stages don't provide you much to go with, as some rooms are ostensibly locked and it's not until you bother to check your items in your inventory that you realize the keycode is there instead of Doom's intuitive keycard system.
In fact, some stages have walls and pathways that tend not to make sense in terms of progression, leaving you groping around walls to find where you need to go.
The latter point is what made me unfortunately shelve the game.
If you can stomach the arcane limitations of its time and age, then by all means, please go ahead and play this wonderful remaster. If you need something more intuitive, I think you're better off playing Doom 2, Quake or Half Life.
It attempts to make it so that the game is compatible with modern devices, without shaking up its identity. This means you get enhanced graphics (or a means to disable all enhancements so you can play it in all of its antiquated glory back in 1995!) and features a lot of bonus in-the-making material, including a special level that was used as a demo back in the day.
This is basically a Nostalgia Nerd's wet dream, because you can pick and choose which and when you want enhancements to play with the game.
However, the game itself is starting to show its rough edges if you're spoiled with the conveniences of the modern era.
The level design is questionable; rooms existing for the sake of having rooms, weapon balance being very easy to deal with since most enemies can be dealt with the basic Bryar pistol or the blaster. Jumping puzzles exist, and are a novel invention of the game, since they never existed for games like these until Quake started turning it into a rocket jump artform.
Later stages don't provide you much to go with, as some rooms are ostensibly locked and it's not until you bother to check your items in your inventory that you realize the keycode is there instead of Doom's intuitive keycard system.
In fact, some stages have walls and pathways that tend not to make sense in terms of progression, leaving you groping around walls to find where you need to go.
The latter point is what made me unfortunately shelve the game.
If you can stomach the arcane limitations of its time and age, then by all means, please go ahead and play this wonderful remaster. If you need something more intuitive, I think you're better off playing Doom 2, Quake or Half Life.
Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster é uma remasterização que não sabíamos que precisávamos. O game preserva toda a essência do original, enquanto traz melhorias visuais e uma série de extras. Sua história é interessante, contando com a presença de alguns personagens já conhecidos e uma gameplay que é naturalmente uma evolução de Doom. Um trabalho primoroso da Nightdive Studios contribuindo para a preservação e acessibilidade de um game que foi um marco na época e nos deixando ansiosos para um possível remaster da sequência.
Review completa em: https://psxbrasil.com.br/analise/star-wars-dark-forces-remaster-review/
Review completa em: https://psxbrasil.com.br/analise/star-wars-dark-forces-remaster-review/
I adore Nightdive Studios. They are absolutely the best at doing remasters, the games are excellent in the state they are delivered. SW:DF is still the same, with the astonishing and confusing level design and old school shooting. Wish bosses were harder, but anyway: it's a wonderful remaster, that's what matters.
in terms of the remaster itself it's excellent. it's definitely the best way to experience this awesome classic doom clone. in terms of the game the only real issue I had was the lack of enemies thought-out the game. but the atmosphere and music are pure classic star wars. if you'd like a great iteration to the classic doom formula that's not to long then I'd recommend this one. (but watch out for all the landmines, they'll get you)
When an actually good remaster is done. Also a good non-disney star wars game!!!!
They should have called it a remake instead of a remaster. With solid gameplay mechanics, impressive graphics, and an engaging storyline, it's a must-play for fans of the franchise and boomer shooter enthusiasts.
Hats of to Nightdive for bringing back an absolute classic!
Playing this brought an immesnse wave of nostalgia as I played this as a kid.
Good things first, FPS is great, had no stutters, gameplay as per usual with games like this is fluid! Story easy to understand, remastered cutscenes look great! and hello STAR WARS!
This also being the first instance of the Dark Trooper / Shock Trooper is awesome as well, especially the different MKs.
The Difficulty of this game towards the end is in my opinion a big difficulty difference, one minute I was mowing through enemies, next minute I was getting destroyed.
Some bad things, the puzzles have aged terribly! I found myself getting stuck at nearly everyone minus the last puzzle.
Level 14 is a bitch btw ;) Especially on Medium and Hard <3 Have fun!
Nightdive please remaster the sequels and Turok Evolution Thank you <3 ;)
Playing this brought an immesnse wave of nostalgia as I played this as a kid.
Good things first, FPS is great, had no stutters, gameplay as per usual with games like this is fluid! Story easy to understand, remastered cutscenes look great! and hello STAR WARS!
This also being the first instance of the Dark Trooper / Shock Trooper is awesome as well, especially the different MKs.
The Difficulty of this game towards the end is in my opinion a big difficulty difference, one minute I was mowing through enemies, next minute I was getting destroyed.
Some bad things, the puzzles have aged terribly! I found myself getting stuck at nearly everyone minus the last puzzle.
Level 14 is a bitch btw ;) Especially on Medium and Hard <3 Have fun!
Nightdive please remaster the sequels and Turok Evolution Thank you <3 ;)
Nightdive hits it out of the park once again! The last time I beat this game, I had just come home from getting my wisdom teeth pulled and I was all doped up with a mouthful of bloody cotton. It was nice to get the chance to beat it again in full command of my faculties.
I was pretty impressed this time around at how well the game holds up. It's impossible not to compare it to Doom, and in that regard I think it makes an admirable showing. The enemy and weapon variety and design are pretty weak. Bad guys are basically all hitscanners with various levels of health, and several of the weapons don't really have a very well defined role. The thermal detonators and land mines in particular seem undercooked to the point of being missed opportunities.
Where the game really shines is in the level design. Here it is enormously helped by the setting and lore. The levels aren't naturalistic, but Star Wars movie sets themselves are rarely naturalistic, opting instead for a strong, unifying aesthetic that's instantly recognizable. It's that aesthetic that the game nails so well and made it feel like a genuinely authentic Star Wars experience.
Dark Forces came out at a really awkward time in the franchise's history. The Extended Universe existed, and there was a fanbase, but LucasArts wasn't really putting the series to work in any meaningful way. I liked the movies and had a bunch of the guys, but I was the only one I knew who was into it at all; the kids at my school thought of it as "old." It was far from a given that a AAA Doom clone in the Star Wars universe would sell, much less start a whole spin-off franchise. My memory is that this was the first 3-D Star Wars experience, and it delivered on that in spades. The authentic sound effects, extremely detailed sprites and beautiful interiors made it more immersive than anything I had seen from this franchise before.
The technical improvements over Doom are very impressive and do a lot to really open up the maps. Moving walls, conveyer belts, rooms over rooms and a handful of true 3-D objects really expand the desingers' toolsets and make for a lot of really great little surprises and help keep things fresh. This time around I did notice a bit more jank than I remember the first time; in particular a few instances of really badly misaligned textures that I thought were pretty disappointing in what was otherwise such a polished experience.
I'm mostly reviewing the original game here because as always Nightdive just nailed the remaster. The uprezzed (?) textures look great, controller play feels fantastic, the new look for the cutscenes is spot on, and the extras are all really interesting. Geezers like myself (and anyone interested in games preservation really) truly are blessed to have these guys doing such diligent, skillful work keeping these old classics alive, and I can't wait to see what they have coming next.
I was pretty impressed this time around at how well the game holds up. It's impossible not to compare it to Doom, and in that regard I think it makes an admirable showing. The enemy and weapon variety and design are pretty weak. Bad guys are basically all hitscanners with various levels of health, and several of the weapons don't really have a very well defined role. The thermal detonators and land mines in particular seem undercooked to the point of being missed opportunities.
Where the game really shines is in the level design. Here it is enormously helped by the setting and lore. The levels aren't naturalistic, but Star Wars movie sets themselves are rarely naturalistic, opting instead for a strong, unifying aesthetic that's instantly recognizable. It's that aesthetic that the game nails so well and made it feel like a genuinely authentic Star Wars experience.
Dark Forces came out at a really awkward time in the franchise's history. The Extended Universe existed, and there was a fanbase, but LucasArts wasn't really putting the series to work in any meaningful way. I liked the movies and had a bunch of the guys, but I was the only one I knew who was into it at all; the kids at my school thought of it as "old." It was far from a given that a AAA Doom clone in the Star Wars universe would sell, much less start a whole spin-off franchise. My memory is that this was the first 3-D Star Wars experience, and it delivered on that in spades. The authentic sound effects, extremely detailed sprites and beautiful interiors made it more immersive than anything I had seen from this franchise before.
The technical improvements over Doom are very impressive and do a lot to really open up the maps. Moving walls, conveyer belts, rooms over rooms and a handful of true 3-D objects really expand the desingers' toolsets and make for a lot of really great little surprises and help keep things fresh. This time around I did notice a bit more jank than I remember the first time; in particular a few instances of really badly misaligned textures that I thought were pretty disappointing in what was otherwise such a polished experience.
I'm mostly reviewing the original game here because as always Nightdive just nailed the remaster. The uprezzed (?) textures look great, controller play feels fantastic, the new look for the cutscenes is spot on, and the extras are all really interesting. Geezers like myself (and anyone interested in games preservation really) truly are blessed to have these guys doing such diligent, skillful work keeping these old classics alive, and I can't wait to see what they have coming next.
7/10
Хороший шутан для своего времени. Немного душит лабиринтами и головоломками. Больше даже сказать нечего. Ремастер по кайфу
Хороший шутан для своего времени. Немного душит лабиринтами и головоломками. Больше даже сказать нечего. Ремастер по кайфу
Buen remaster y ya, es entretenido.
Años convencido de que había jugado este juego y en realidad nunca había pasado del primer nivel. Supongo que demo, shareware o algo así. Como todos los FPS viejos me marea un poco jugarlo, pero es muy divertido.
A fantastic remaster of a game I really love. Pure old school Star Wars fun.
Loved it, some levels were a bit confusing but it meant I had to explore more. Dark Troopers were a pain to fight.
queria pessoalmente dar um beijo em cada trabalhador da Nightdive
A great remaster from Nightdive as always. Maybe a bit short for its price, considering I beat it in 4 1/2 hours though. But more importantly, this unlike Tomb Raider 1-3 remasters, are as playable now as they were on release. Maybe more so with improved mouse controls. The technical advantages over doom are quite impressive for the time. Though I wish they'd do a bit more with it and maybe make the map layout make a bit more sense. Both as fun and confusing as I remember it from when I first played it.
Hoje à tarde foi dia de folga e resolvi dar uma brincada em STAR WARS™: Dark Forces Remaster, um jogo que, no passado, admito que joguei bem pouco, mas não é de se admirar... No passado, muitos jogos de Star Wars surgiram e certamente eu, naquela época, não conseguia acompanhar todos. Quando joguei Dark Forces pela primeira vez, foi no ano de 2004, se não me engano, em um PC bem velho que eu tinha na época. Foi uma experiência incrível na época, principalmente pelo fato do jogo me lembrar muito um jogo que curtia muito na época, que foi o Doom.
A história do game é bem simples, assim como todo o jogo. Nele, você controla Kyle Katarn, um ex-oficial Imperial que desertou para a Rebelião como mercenário. Após uma missão bem-sucedida onde os planos da Estrela da Morte foram roubados, Kyle e sua parceira Jan são novamente contratados para investigar um rumor sobre uma nova arma Imperial. A história, como dito antes, é muito simples e segue os moldes de história de videogame que a gente tinha antigamente, que basicamente só servia como um pretexto para nosso herói/protagonista ter um motivo para fazer tudo aquilo que estava fazendo no game. Apesar disso tudo ser simples, o jogo traz muita personalidade com ele, inclusive por conta do nosso protagonista Kyle, que basicamente é meio que um Han Solo em personalidade e todos os diálogos são maravilhosos.
Na jogabilidade, Dark Forces segue o modelo que Doom, como dito antes. No início de cada fase, você tem uma lista de informações e objetivos e após isso você é imediatamente enviado à sua missão. Isso basicamente acontece em todas as fases do jogo e cada arma nova que você conseguiu em fases anteriores vai junto para o próximo, assim como a quantidade de munição e etc. Um diferencial aqui no game é que como a gente usa armas a lasers a gente não precisa recarregar nossas armas, então o jogo segue um ritmo bem frenético de tiroteio. Apesar de não precisar recarregar, sua munição ainda acaba, por isso saber quando usar cada arma é bem necessário dependendo da fase e da dificuldade. Resumidamente falando, galera, ele é um DOOM Star Wars.
Com base apenas nisso, tudo aqui segue a fórmula clássica do DOOM. Você busca por chaves, faz uns quebra-cabeças de interruptores que obrigam você a explorar minuciosamente o ambiente apenas para conseguir passar de fase e junto disso o tiroteio frenético bem básico. Por falar em DOOM, a essência aqui basicamente vem dele, porém em todo o resto ele é um game muito mais estruturado e complexo do que DOOM. Hoje em dia, olhando por cima, é muito fácil julgar e colocar eles basicamente no mesmo patamar, porém só quem jogou na época sabe como era insano a gameplay disso aqui, principalmente a capacidade de mirar manualmente nos inimigos acima, abaixo ou onde eles estivessem. Isso foi um avanço muito louco na época, somente lembrando que em DOOM não importava onde o inimigo estava, você atirava reto e pegava o tiro onde ele estivesse, fosse por cima ou por baixo.
No geral, o remaster me agradou muito. Ele é um jogo que tem uma boa duração. Levei cerca de 7 horas para poder fechá-lo. Uma coisa que gostei muito nesse remaster foi em relação aos controles, até porque antigamente quando a gente jogava esse game, ele basicamente era praticamente somente no teclado então os controles eram bem mais lentos se comparados aos FPS de hoje em dia, por exemplo. Quando eu peguei esse game remaster no lançamento e joguei, meus olhos saltaram com a velocidade do mouse e teclado e precisão do trabalho dos caras nesse remaster. Foi uma sensação diferente e muito divertida.
Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster é um baita remaster. Não é um jogo que eu sinceramente recomendaria para todo mundo. Ele é um jogo simples, porém muito agradável, principalmente se você jogou ele no passado e quiserem retornar ao jogo para conferir essa nova versão, certamente vale muito a pena.
Pontos Positivos:
- História Divertida
- Boa Rejogabilidade
Pontos Negativos:
- NA
Versão utilizada para análise: Xbox Series S
A história do game é bem simples, assim como todo o jogo. Nele, você controla Kyle Katarn, um ex-oficial Imperial que desertou para a Rebelião como mercenário. Após uma missão bem-sucedida onde os planos da Estrela da Morte foram roubados, Kyle e sua parceira Jan são novamente contratados para investigar um rumor sobre uma nova arma Imperial. A história, como dito antes, é muito simples e segue os moldes de história de videogame que a gente tinha antigamente, que basicamente só servia como um pretexto para nosso herói/protagonista ter um motivo para fazer tudo aquilo que estava fazendo no game. Apesar disso tudo ser simples, o jogo traz muita personalidade com ele, inclusive por conta do nosso protagonista Kyle, que basicamente é meio que um Han Solo em personalidade e todos os diálogos são maravilhosos.
Na jogabilidade, Dark Forces segue o modelo que Doom, como dito antes. No início de cada fase, você tem uma lista de informações e objetivos e após isso você é imediatamente enviado à sua missão. Isso basicamente acontece em todas as fases do jogo e cada arma nova que você conseguiu em fases anteriores vai junto para o próximo, assim como a quantidade de munição e etc. Um diferencial aqui no game é que como a gente usa armas a lasers a gente não precisa recarregar nossas armas, então o jogo segue um ritmo bem frenético de tiroteio. Apesar de não precisar recarregar, sua munição ainda acaba, por isso saber quando usar cada arma é bem necessário dependendo da fase e da dificuldade. Resumidamente falando, galera, ele é um DOOM Star Wars.
Com base apenas nisso, tudo aqui segue a fórmula clássica do DOOM. Você busca por chaves, faz uns quebra-cabeças de interruptores que obrigam você a explorar minuciosamente o ambiente apenas para conseguir passar de fase e junto disso o tiroteio frenético bem básico. Por falar em DOOM, a essência aqui basicamente vem dele, porém em todo o resto ele é um game muito mais estruturado e complexo do que DOOM. Hoje em dia, olhando por cima, é muito fácil julgar e colocar eles basicamente no mesmo patamar, porém só quem jogou na época sabe como era insano a gameplay disso aqui, principalmente a capacidade de mirar manualmente nos inimigos acima, abaixo ou onde eles estivessem. Isso foi um avanço muito louco na época, somente lembrando que em DOOM não importava onde o inimigo estava, você atirava reto e pegava o tiro onde ele estivesse, fosse por cima ou por baixo.
No geral, o remaster me agradou muito. Ele é um jogo que tem uma boa duração. Levei cerca de 7 horas para poder fechá-lo. Uma coisa que gostei muito nesse remaster foi em relação aos controles, até porque antigamente quando a gente jogava esse game, ele basicamente era praticamente somente no teclado então os controles eram bem mais lentos se comparados aos FPS de hoje em dia, por exemplo. Quando eu peguei esse game remaster no lançamento e joguei, meus olhos saltaram com a velocidade do mouse e teclado e precisão do trabalho dos caras nesse remaster. Foi uma sensação diferente e muito divertida.
Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster é um baita remaster. Não é um jogo que eu sinceramente recomendaria para todo mundo. Ele é um jogo simples, porém muito agradável, principalmente se você jogou ele no passado e quiserem retornar ao jogo para conferir essa nova versão, certamente vale muito a pena.
Pontos Positivos:
- História Divertida
- Boa Rejogabilidade
Pontos Negativos:
- NA
Versão utilizada para análise: Xbox Series S