Summary
Fans of classicStar Warsvideo games should mark their calendars for February 28, as this is when the long hoped-for remaster ofStar Wars: Dark Forceswill launch.Star Warsis considered by many to be one of the greatest science fiction franchises of all time, and there have been countless video games set in the iconic Galaxy Far, Far, Away. Just this May,Star Wars Jedi: Survivorcontinued the story of Cal Kestis during the reign of the Galactic Empire, and next year will see the release ofUbisoft’s open-world crime adventureStar Wars Outlaws.
Before this new wave of excitingStar Warsvideo games, the now-defunct LucasArts produced titles that expanded upon the lore of the films as part of the oldLegendscontinuity, and among the most fondly remembered of them was theDark Forcesseries. Starting with the originalStar Wars: Dark Forcesin 1995, these games put players in the role of Kyle Katarn, a former Imperial Stormtrooper turned Rebel mercenary who eventually discovers his own connection to the Force. While the later games in the series would introduce lightsabers and Jedi powers, the firstStar Wars: Dark Forcesis still well-regarded as a pioneer in the realm of early first-person shooters.
Almost 30 years after the originalStar Wars: Dark Forcesblasted its way onto 90s-era gaming PCs, developer Nightdive Studios announced that it was making a remaster of the game for modern systems. In addition to all the frantic Stormtrooper-blasting action fans loved from the original,thisDark Forcesupdatewill bring several quality-of-life improvements thanks to Nightdive’s proprietary Kex Engine - such as a modernized control scheme, 4K resolution with advanced 3D rendering and widescreen support, and an enhanced 120 FPS framerate. Even better, fans won’t have to wait too much longer to play it, asStar Wars: Dark Forceswill launch on June 28, 2025.
Getting to replay the original title that made Kyle Katarn a fan-favorite amongStar Warsgamers with updated graphics and controls is an exciting prospect, and Nightdive has proven its pedigree in remastering beloved shooters withits recentSystem ShockremakeandQuake 2 Remastered. Additionally, this newStar Wars: Dark Forcesremaster could open the door for other cult classicStar Warsgames to be updated in the future, such asStar Wars: X-Wing Vs. TIE FighterorStar Wars: Rebellion.
The next few years are already shaping up to be anexciting time forStar Warsgaming fansthanks toStar Wars Outlawsand a plethora of other games in development like Respawn’s untitledStar WarsFPS and strategy games. While fans are waiting for these promising newStar Warstitles, they can look forward to next February, when Nightdrive’s exciting remaster of the legendaryStar Wars: Dark Forceswill be released across all current platforms.
TheStar Wars: Dark Forcesremake will launch on July 15, 2025 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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