Star Wars: Dark Forces

 PC
User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 61 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 38 out of 61
  2. Mixed: 20 out of 61
  3. Negative: 3 out of 61
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  1. Signas501
    Mar 22, 2015
    10
    A very classic PC game, Dark forces takes control of Kyle Katarn, the same Kyle from Shadows of the Empire, & Jedi knight II. Kyle is hired as a mercenary to find the plans for the death star hidden within an imperial outpost. A year later after the first mission, Kyle is sent to investigate an attack, killing hundreds of innocents. The project came that obliterated the town was known asA very classic PC game, Dark forces takes control of Kyle Katarn, the same Kyle from Shadows of the Empire, & Jedi knight II. Kyle is hired as a mercenary to find the plans for the death star hidden within an imperial outpost. A year later after the first mission, Kyle is sent to investigate an attack, killing hundreds of innocents. The project came that obliterated the town was known as the "dark trooper" project, developed by the games antagonist Rom Mohc.… Expand
  2. Mrman7
    Nov 10, 2014
    7
    The graphics have not retained their charm as well as some of the other LucasArts titles of the era but the fun of mindlessly gunning down Stormtroopers in Dark Forces remains intact. Although the engine boasts greater functionality than that of Doom (room-over-room, true 3D objects, moving sectors, etc.) the level design itself isn't quite as good.The Doom designers used clever tricks toThe graphics have not retained their charm as well as some of the other LucasArts titles of the era but the fun of mindlessly gunning down Stormtroopers in Dark Forces remains intact. Although the engine boasts greater functionality than that of Doom (room-over-room, true 3D objects, moving sectors, etc.) the level design itself isn't quite as good.The Doom designers used clever tricks to make their environments seem more three-dimensional than they really were whereas the levels in Dark Forces seem less detailed and consist of blander, more repetitive textures. Additionally, the lack of a multiplayer mode keeps this game from being a true classic. However, if you're a fan of vintage FPS and/or Star Wars, Dark Forces is definitely worth a play-through.… Expand
  3. DeusXCom
    Oct 5, 2014
    8
    For it's time amazing and very different FPS from the Star Wars universe that wasn't just about shooting, but felt more like an adventure. It was a very nice refreshment from the pistol based FPS's here you could actually see the lasers coming your way, dodge them, but levels could get a bit chaotic at times and the true SW form should come a few years after this with Jedi Knight, this wasFor it's time amazing and very different FPS from the Star Wars universe that wasn't just about shooting, but felt more like an adventure. It was a very nice refreshment from the pistol based FPS's here you could actually see the lasers coming your way, dodge them, but levels could get a bit chaotic at times and the true SW form should come a few years after this with Jedi Knight, this was just a very good start. 8/10… Expand
  4. eskim01
    May 5, 2014
    7
    It is unfair for me to judge this game as a modern player. My computer is too fast and powerful for DOS Box to run properly, and I've been spoiled beyond reasoning with today's aesthetics and graphical capabilities. That being said, I was pretty excited to play this game. Also, if you don't like Star Wars, don't even bother, as you'll probably not enjoy it for what it is. It'sIt is unfair for me to judge this game as a modern player. My computer is too fast and powerful for DOS Box to run properly, and I've been spoiled beyond reasoning with today's aesthetics and graphical capabilities. That being said, I was pretty excited to play this game. Also, if you don't like Star Wars, don't even bother, as you'll probably not enjoy it for what it is. It's considered a cult classic, and I can see why. I'm a Star Wars fan, and was instantly smiling when the utterly recognizable midi tracks began to bleep and bloop over some fun 16-bit looking cut-scenes (and cgi which was probably real good for the time). Of course, it's going to be a Doom "clone" as my other contemporary has so bluntly stated, but realize, that's what the "shooter" genre was in '95! So bully to that, it's fun and fast paced. I only wish that I could have my point of reference lowered from such a lofty one as I have today, and enjoy it like so many did back in the day! Have a go, I'm sure you'd like to know how Kyle Katarn was an integral part of the Star Wars mythos!… Expand
  5. Badman123
    Jun 6, 2014
    10
    Doom clone? The engine was developed from scratch and it features significant improvements on Doom. Bad graphics? It's over 20 years old, what did you expect? At the time it recieved numerous awards and great reviews. Even in todays standards, where mediocre mainstream shooters flood the market, it still stands strong. Want to know where it all started? Play this game using the DarkXL-modDoom clone? The engine was developed from scratch and it features significant improvements on Doom. Bad graphics? It's over 20 years old, what did you expect? At the time it recieved numerous awards and great reviews. Even in todays standards, where mediocre mainstream shooters flood the market, it still stands strong. Want to know where it all started? Play this game using the DarkXL-mod and realize how good it really was and is.… Expand
  6. Drastre
    Apr 28, 2014
    0
    The worst game I've ever played. Sluggish, slippery and uncomfortable controls. Ugly graphics that make me sick. Just a pathetic Doom clone and nothing more. AWFUL!
  7. CodyZamboni
    Nov 21, 2015
    7
    Star Wars plus Doom style game play ?
    We have a winner
    back in 1995, this game is how Cody spelled crazy fun
    played this for years
    till Phantom Menace in 1999 kinda put a sour taste in the Star Wars universe
  8. FranekDolas
    Nov 4, 2020
    10
    Niesamowita gra o zabijaniu nocnikogłowych .
  9. BStheBOBI
    Jan 27, 2021
    8
    It was a big step up in terms of graphics comparing it to doom 2 and heretic of the previous year. Some consider it a doom clown but i would disagree. It has many improvements to make it distinct. The story is amazing if you are a star wars fan but also if you are not. You will enjoy it. It was one of the first FPS games in the 90s which had a story that was fun to complete. The gameplayIt was a big step up in terms of graphics comparing it to doom 2 and heretic of the previous year. Some consider it a doom clown but i would disagree. It has many improvements to make it distinct. The story is amazing if you are a star wars fan but also if you are not. You will enjoy it. It was one of the first FPS games in the 90s which had a story that was fun to complete. The gameplay is solid, the music and sound effects are as star wars as it gets. The only problem is that some of the puzzles are poorly implemented and you will probably need a guide. I would recommend you to play the game.… Expand
  10. Jackie_Jackson
    May 26, 2022
    7
    Неплохой мод для думца на самом деле и опять этот Кайл Катарн как же он достал вы бы знали
  11. LoneGhost
    Jan 5, 2023
    7
    Fun shooter gameplay, good graphics for it's day, a charming slice of the old EU, cute midi versions of Star Wars music. My biggest complaint is how bizarre a lot of the puzzles are. You'll never intuit most of the solutions. I got stuck in most levels, wandered around the same spots for hours until finally looking up a walkthrough and realizing I never would've figured it out withoutFun shooter gameplay, good graphics for it's day, a charming slice of the old EU, cute midi versions of Star Wars music. My biggest complaint is how bizarre a lot of the puzzles are. You'll never intuit most of the solutions. I got stuck in most levels, wandered around the same spots for hours until finally looking up a walkthrough and realizing I never would've figured it out without looking it up. Glad I live in the future.

    Fun for SW fans, not bad at all.    … Expand
  12. birdman3
    Mar 10, 2015
    8
    I played this game when it came out in 1995 and now I'm playing it 20 years later, and I can say that this game has aged fantastically. It presents a decent story along with challenging gameplay and solid shooter-mechanics. The mechanics aren't perfect, given that you have to rely on auto-aim (this was a time before crosshairs), but once you learn the technique, even auto-aim is a skillI played this game when it came out in 1995 and now I'm playing it 20 years later, and I can say that this game has aged fantastically. It presents a decent story along with challenging gameplay and solid shooter-mechanics. The mechanics aren't perfect, given that you have to rely on auto-aim (this was a time before crosshairs), but once you learn the technique, even auto-aim is a skill that you have to learn to manipulate.

    The levels in this game are fantastic- they can be sometimes frustrating in their lack of direction as you try to remember where you've gone and what switches you need to flip, but the game is far from a "Point A to Point B" shooter. You have to backtrack on a fairly consistent basis and you'll find yourself often going down different paths in order to find extra health or ammo.

    The part of this game that hasn't aged well are the graphics- and I don't just mean because they're not 3D. I mean that characters at a distance are pixelated and ugly, and the textures are pretty bad. This does nothing to impact the enjoyment of the game, however. I did run into the frequent situation of my colors shifting palettes dramatically everytime I paused the game, so that was an issue with running it on a modern system. What can you expect?

    All of this awesomeness takes place in the Star Wars universe- it's honestly a great, fun challenge even 20 years later. Markdowns for the graphical issues, but everything else is still as good as ever.    … Expand
  13. Indru_Mai
    Feb 25, 2022
    7
    I can definitely see how people would consider this a Doom clone, but I would rather say it is inspired by Doom. Basically what happened here is that they wanted to make a DOOM-like game (at that time, the term FPS wasn't as widespread), but in the Star Wars universe.

    This is how Dark Forces was born, and it follows the adventures of Kyle Katarn, the individual sent by Princess Leia and    I can definitely see how people would consider this a Doom clone, but I would rather say it is inspired by Doom. Basically what happened here is that they wanted to make a DOOM-like game (at that time, the term FPS wasn't as widespread), but in the Star Wars universe.

    This is how Dark Forces was born, and it follows the adventures of Kyle Katarn, the individual sent by Princess Leia and the Rebels to steal the plans for the Death Star. Yes, that was way before Rogue One was a thing and it is now considered to belong to the Star Wars Expanded Universe, meaning it is no longer considered canon, as Rogue One replaces that part of the story.

    Stealing the Death Star plans is only the beginning, as the adventures of Kyle Katarn in DF1 take you through various missions and levels, a couple of them heavily inspired by DOOM in terms of design.. I am looking especially at Mission 2 - Talay (Tak Base), as well as Mission 5 - Gromas Mines, which for me have the heaviest Doom vibe.

    There are 14 missions in total, and while the game is not necessarily hard, you can't save mid-level and you have a limited number of lives to use, meaning there are some checkpoints where you respawn if you die, but it's like 3 lives per level or so. You can find extra lives during the level, but the lives system is pretty much the worst thing you can implement in an FPS. Given those were the early days of the FPS genre, I would say there are some extenuating circumstances, as they were most likely experimenting with the system, but this, unfortunately, made the game very hard to play in this day. You die a lot not from difficulty, but from bad level design and falling to your death, which makes it annoying that there's no save system and you are often forced to restart the level if you encounter a more complicated platforming sequence that you can't handle well from the start.

    Because yes, it has a lot of platforming elements where you can easily die, and this combined with the lives system makes it a hard game.

    The game has aged, and unfortunately it hasn't aged as well as I would have wanted it. I love the cutscenes, I could watch them indefinitely, as some of my earliest PC gaming memories are of the first Dark Forces cutscene with Darth Vader, which was the thing that triggered my love for Star Wars, but the clunky gameplay doesn't warrant more than a single playthrough for old time's sake.

    I know there are fanmade remasters in the work, perhaps if something new and better polished, with the lives system removed (or at least a save system implemented on top) will appear, I would give it a chance at replaying, but in these conditions, and in the game's original form, I won't even go back to playing it on original hardware. It's not worth the stress and headaches you get when you have to restart the level.

    Note that this is the only game in the series that doesn't feature lightsaber combat, as Kyle Katarn becomes a Jedi later on, during the events of Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II. This is even more reason not to replay it, since lightsaber combat, albeit clunky in its direct sequel, is a vital element of this series.

    I will give it a 7 just because it's a classic, but you're better off playing Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II, or any subsequent title, for that matter, from the series that started out with Dark Forces.    … Expand
  14. Tomle1202
    Dec 3, 2022
    7
    Dark Forces is a noble attempt at improving Doom's base formula, albeit with varying degrees of success.
  15. Letiste-Gaming
    May 18, 2016
    8
    Aquí es donde empieza la saga "Jedi Knight" y creo que es un comienzo excelente. Es un shooter bien realizado y divertido, recomendable para cualquier fan de los FPS. Y si eres fan de Star Wars, tienes motivo doble para jugarlo.
  16. Broyax
    Apr 9, 2017
    2
    J'avais fait quelques niveaux à sa sortie il y a longtemps, fort longtemps et déjà l'ennui s'était rapidement installé. En le refaisant récemment, je ne puis que confirmer cet amer état de fait : Dark Forces est chiant à mourir. A mourir d'ennui. Oh mince, j'ai raté cet interrupteur qui active cette porte du troisième sous-sol ! Là, j'y trouverai la clé qui permet d'aller au cinquièmeJ'avais fait quelques niveaux à sa sortie il y a longtemps, fort longtemps et déjà l'ennui s'était rapidement installé. En le refaisant récemment, je ne puis que confirmer cet amer état de fait : Dark Forces est chiant à mourir. A mourir d'ennui. Oh mince, j'ai raté cet interrupteur qui active cette porte du troisième sous-sol ! Là, j'y trouverai la clé qui permet d'aller au cinquième étage. Enfin, peut-être.

    ça fait tout de même quelques heures que j'erre dans ce niveau avec cette carte 2D en surimpression, ça me flanque la migraine, vite un Doliprane. Il faut tenir, car il est impossible de sauvegarder dans les missions. Les sauvegardes c'est pour les lâches ! Mais peu importe, Dark Forces n'est qu'un gros mod foireux de Doom.

    La version Steam marche très correctement (via un DOS Box déjà paramétré évidemment), même sous Windows 7 mais pas avec la musique midi. Pour cela, il faut essayer un autre mod "Dark Forces XL" qui plante quand ça lui chante certes mais qui vous rend le midi et surtout transforme la vieillerie en vieillerie HD et permet de léviter où on veut avec la touche F : impressionnant. Il vous donne la vue souris (le +mlook) également, absente par défaut. Très impressionnant.

    Pour autant, ça ne régle pas le problème de sauvegarde, ni ce générateur Star Wars à ennui, hélas.    … Expand
  17. Dperks
    Mar 6, 2021
    6
    Star Wars Dark Forces for 1995 is pretty good. But playing it in 2021 is pretty underwhelming. Visually I will say it still looks nice for what it is but playing the base version leaves you with just terrible resolution that makes it so you can barley tell what your looking at a lot of the time. There is a mod to fix that and it adds other quality of life fixes but it also adds some bugsStar Wars Dark Forces for 1995 is pretty good. But playing it in 2021 is pretty underwhelming. Visually I will say it still looks nice for what it is but playing the base version leaves you with just terrible resolution that makes it so you can barley tell what your looking at a lot of the time. There is a mod to fix that and it adds other quality of life fixes but it also adds some bugs to the game as well so it's not perfect. The gun play is fun it feels like a in between of Doom and Duke Nukem 3D. But half the weapons feel practically useless. Once you get the blaster rifle in the first 10 seconds you'll be using that for the whole game. And some enemy's are just really annoying like the aliens that throw grenades at you. A big problem I have though is the level design which I find to be annoying, inconsistent and at times very cryptic with where your suppose to go. I found my self pretty frequently saying where do I go only to find a switch tucked away in a corner or some other unclear solution. I do enjoy the story though even if it is kinda simple but I'm not expecting a deep story from a game of this era. Overall I still enjoyed my time with the game but I wouldn't regard it as a classic nor a game that I really will return to anytime soon.… Expand
  18. Baltifru
    Apr 19, 2020
    5
    I am quite surprised by all the positive reviews on this game. I can understand that the art and the level design looked fancy 25 years ago... but today it has lost all its magic. The scenario is poor, but most importantly, the resolution of the levels is not coherent. Sometimes you just spend your time going around hitting every wall you can hoping that it opens a secret way, because youI am quite surprised by all the positive reviews on this game. I can understand that the art and the level design looked fancy 25 years ago... but today it has lost all its magic. The scenario is poor, but most importantly, the resolution of the levels is not coherent. Sometimes you just spend your time going around hitting every wall you can hoping that it opens a secret way, because you have no other way to guess where the following steps of the level are. I have endured hours of such frustration just to finish the game. And the fighting phases don't compensate for anything since they are super rigid.
    25 years later, I would still play Doom and Doom 2, but not STAR WARS™ - Dark Forces.    … Expand