This game rated a solid 10/10 in its heyday, and is still a 7/10 by today's standards.
One of Lucasart's best games during the 90's, when they did their best work. Dark Forces, Jedi Knight, Jedi Outcast, X-Wing, TIE Fighter, X-Wing Alliance...Star Wars gaming still doesn't get any better than that and these games are living again on Steam and GOG, reconfigured for modern PC gaming systems.
Dark Forces was the first pure FPS set in the SW Universe, and it was a doozy. The Game designers at LA took DOOM, made an upgraded SW version of it, and took it to a whole new level with both gameplay and storyline. More than just about any other SW game I have played (and believe me, I am a SW NUT who is totally immersed in that 'verse), Dark Forces captured the look, feel, and total motif of Star Wars. Kyle Katarn was the hero Luke wanted to be before he got to be an even bigger hero.
There are a lot of people who will righteously argue that DFII Jedi Knight is the best FPS/Action game of all time, and they aren't necessarily wrong. But that game would never have been without the original Dark Forces, and the original has an addictive charm all its own. For modern-day players who feel like they might have missed the boat, fear not. There is an upgraded version of DF released in a new engine (A DOSBOX replacer) called XL, with higher-res graphics and the modern/classic mouse-look WASD control system that has become the norm for games of this type. Google DarkXL and go from there, but you'll still need a copy of the original game to play.
Rogue One may be the new canon version of how the Death Star plans were stolen, but for the classic version, nothing beats the first level of Dark Forces when Kyle and Jan pulled off the heist. Live it, love it. May the Force be with you.
