The 1990s first-person shooter game Star Wars: Dark Forces is getting a remaster courtesy of developer Nightdive Studios.
Nightdive has released an official reveal trailer for Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster, which primarily highlights the visual differences between this new version and the mid-’90s original. In the description, the developer explains that is fully remastering Dark Forces through its KEX engine as part of a collaboration with Lucasfilm Games. The remaster will release for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC (via Steam). Nightdive will announced a launch date at a later time.
Check out the reveal trailer for Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster below:
Nightdive was founded in 2012. The developer has previously remastered such classic games as System Shock (1994), Turok: Dinosaur Hunter (1997), Doom 64 (1997), Quake (1996), and Blade Runner (1997). It also developed a full remake of System Shock, which released on PC earlier this year.
What to know about Star Wars: Dark Forces ahead of the remaster
Developed and published by LucasArts, Star Wars: Dark Forces originally released for MS-DOS and Macintosh in 1995. It subsequently released for the original PlayStation in 1996. The Star Wars game is largely reminiscent of id Software’s groundbreaking 1993 FPS title Doom, though does include features that game lacked (such as the ability to crouch, jump, and aim up and down).
Dark Forces takes place around the same time as the 1977 film Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, though is considered non-canon. The game is perhaps most notable for marking the first appearance of fan-favorite Star Wars character Kyle Katarn, who begins his journey as an ex-Imperial mercenary working on behalf of the Rebel Alliance. Kyle would return in Dark Forces’ 1997 sequel, Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II, and its expansion pack, Star Wars Jedi Knight: Mysteries of the Sith. He later appeared in 2002’s Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast and 2003’s Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy.
Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster does not have a release date.