The much-anticipated remaster of Star Wars: Dark Forces now has a release date. Back in September, Nightdive Studios announced that it would be remastering Dark Forces, which is the classic Star Wars first-person shooter that originally launched back in 1995. Now, after nearly 30 years, Star Wars: Dark Forces will be playable in a new manner when it arrives in the first months of 2024.
Shared by Nightdive today (via GameSpot), the developer announced that Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster will roll out on February 28, 2024. Although the original game was only available on PC and PlayStation, this remaster will instead come to all modern platforms which includes PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. As for this version’s improvements, the game will now feature 4K visuals and a framerate that will go to 120fps on all platforms other than Switch. Despite these big upgrades, though, Dark Forces will still play like the original did, keeping the experience intact for those that want it to still mirror its throwback format and mechanics.
What Is Star Wars: Dark Forces About?
Star Wars(TM): Dark Forces Remaster is coming soon to PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC. ? For news and updates on the game’s release, be sure to wishlist Star Wars(TM): Dark Forces Remaster on Steam! ?https://t.co/w2W4wNhwPa pic.twitter.com/Tem6Erywtx
— Nightdive Studios (@NightdiveStudio) September 11, 2023
Outside of being one of the first shooters ever set in the Star Wars universe, Dark Forces is also well-known for being the original game to introduce protagonist Kyle Katarn. Following his appearance in Dark Forces, Katarn went on to star in a number of sequels that included Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces 2, Star Wars Jedi Knight 2: Jedi Outcast, and Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy. Following Disney’s acquisition of the Star Wars IP, Katarn became non-canon and has since become part of “Star Wars Legends.” Still, this hasn’t prevented Katarn’s popularity from dwindling over the years, especially for those who grew up playing the Jedi Knight series.
To learn more about what this forthcoming remaster of Star Wars: Dark Forces has in store, you can find its official description below.
“Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster has been brought to life by the team at Nightdive Studios, fully remastered through its proprietary KEX engine, allowing the game to run on modern gaming devices at up to 4K resolution at 120 frames per second. New and returning players will enjoy Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster‘s upgraded gameplay, high-resolution textures, enhanced lighting and rendering, and support for gamepads.
The original 1995 Star Wars: Dark Forces raised the bar for first-person shooter games, offering players a significant degree of movement and interactivity, a large selection of items and power-ups, and engaging environments.
In the first Star Wars first-person shooter video game, players assume the role of Kyle Katarn, a defector of the Galactic Empire turned mercenary for hire. Katarn joins the Rebel Alliance’s covert operations division tasked with infiltrating the Galactic Empire, where he discovers the secret Dark Trooper Project. The development of this powerful new series of Imperial battle droids and power-armored stormtroopers stands to strengthen the Empire’s grip on the galaxy unless Katarn and the Rebel Alliance intervene.”
