The predecessor to the “Jedi Knight” series, “Star Wars: Dark Forces,” recently got a remaster from modders. Independent software developers – LuciusDXL, Gilorem560, and Winterheart – just released the first complete build of their Force Engine, which is an open-source version of “Dark Forces.” It features high-resolution graphics and support for current-generation hardware.
Known as LucasArts’ first-person shooter game, “Dark Forces” was launched back in 1995, immediately drawing comparisons to the genre-defining game “Doom.”
“Star Wars: Dark Forces” follows the game’s protagonist and playable character, Kyle Katarn, a mercenary working on behalf of the Rebel Alliance. Katarn discovers the secret Dark Trooper Project of the Galactic Empire, which involves developing a series of powerful new battle droids and power-armored stormtroopers.
This game received a lot of positive reviews after its release, going on to sell more than a million copies by 1999. Its triumph helped launch the “Jedi Knight” series that started with a 1997 sequel, “Jedi Knight: Dark Forces 2.”
The Forge Engine blog announced, “After three years of development, I am ready to announce the Version 1.0 release of the Force Engine. “The Force Engine is a project with the goal to reverse engineer and rebuild the Jedi Engine for modern systems and the games that used that engine, Dark Forces and Outlaws. For Version 1.0, Dark Forces support is complete, but Outlaws is not yet playable. Full Outlaws support is planned in the future for Version 2.0.”
Similar to “Star Wars: Dark Forces,” “Outlaws” was a first-person shooter LucasArts launched in 1997. Set in the Wild West, the game follows retired U.S. Marshal James Anderson, who seeks to bring justice to a gang of criminals who murdered his wife and kidnapped his daughter. This game uses an enhanced version of the Jedi game engine, which was first seen in “Star Wars: Dark Forces.”
“For Dark Forces, the goal is for the Force Engine to act as a viable replacement for DosBox and the original executable for most players,” the development blog added. “The Force Engine provides modern conveniences and control methods and removes the need to set up DosBox and deal with cycles-based bugs such as getting stuck on ice or having the missiles that the final boss fires move too fast or not move at all.”
Moreover, the blog also said the Force Engine “supports modern graphics processing units and high-resolution software rendering” but also features “the original 320 x 200 fixed-point renderer” to keep the “DOS experience for those who want it.”
Regarding the installation, the Force Engine blog said gamers need the original game to be able to play, similar to a traditional source port.
“The Force Engine replaces the executable, not the game,” the blog further noted.
First-person shooter video game “Star Wars: Dark Forces” by LucasArts was released in 1995 for MS-DOS and Macintosh, and for the PlayStation in 1996.
