Star Wars: Dark Forces (CD) Overview
The game is a single player first person shooter set in the Star Wars universe, following the mercenary Kyle Katarn as he works for the Rebel Alliance. His mission to investigate a destroyed base evolves into a campaign to stop Imperial General Rom Mohc and his Dark Trooper project. The story serves as a direct prequel to the original film trilogy.
LucasArts developed its own Jedi engine for this title, which introduced technical features like the ability to look vertically, jump, and crouch. The engine also allowed for a limited form of level architecture with rooms placed over other rooms. Environments are often complex and maze like, requiring the activation of switches to alter layouts and the use of jumping to reach certain areas.
Progress is structured around fourteen substantial missions, each with specific objectives such as retrieving items or destroying facilities. The player has a finite number of lives per level, and saving is only possible between missions, making the overall experience challenging. Kyle utilizes various weapons and equipment, including blasters, shields, and a head lamp, to navigate hazards and combat enemies drawn from the films, like stormtroopers and various aliens.
Atmospheric elements heavily utilize the license, with locations and characters from the movies appearing throughout. The iMuse system dynamically adjusts the musical score during gameplay, which is largely based on John Williams' compositions. Brief narrative cutscenes connect the key missions, and the game occasionally uses 3D models for elements like turrets and spacecraft.
