Star Wars: Dark Forces Overview
Star Wars: Dark Forces is a single player first person shooter developed by LucasArts. The studio built its own Jedi engine for the title, which allowed for gameplay mechanics such as jumping, crouching, and vertical looking that were not standard in all contemporaries. The campaign follows mercenary Kyle Katarn, a defector from the Empire, as he works for the Rebel Alliance to investigate a destroyed base and ultimately confront General Rom Mohc and his Dark Trooper cyborg soldiers.
The fourteen mission structure is objective based, requiring tasks like retrieving items or destroying facilities, which was a contrast to many shooters of its era. Levels are often complex and maze like, incorporating switches that alter the environment and platforming elements where jumping is necessary to progress. Player progression is managed through a lives system per level, with permanent death occurring if all are lost, and saving is only possible between missions.
Its setting is a direct prequel to the original Star Wars film trilogy, featuring locations such as Coruscant, Jabba the Hutt's palace, and a Star Destroyer interior. Enemy designs and weapons, including stormtroopers, blaster rifles, and thermal detonators, are drawn from the licensed property. The iMuse engine dynamically shifts the musical score during action, which is frequently adapted from John Williams' film compositions.
Kyle's equipment extends beyond weapons to include defensive shields, a head lamp for dark areas, and items to mitigate environmental hazards. The Jedi engine also provided limited support for multi story level design and used 3D models for certain elements like turrets and spacecraft in brief sequences. The narrative advances through cutscenes shown after key missions.
