"One of the Last Classic Star Wars Games on Mac"

When the Macintosh was in its dark age -- when naysayers spelled Doom for the Apple company, before Steve Jobs took the helm again and single-handedly nursed Apple back to health -- LucasArts announced it would stop supporting the Mac Platform. This left Mac Gamers out on a lot of good games, not the least of which was Dark Forces 2; Jedi Knight. There were petitions, riots, outright flame mails towards LucasArts, but they didn't turn. Us Mac Users were instantly out on several Star Wars games. LucasArts has agreed to come back, now that the Mac is "hot" again. Sure, we're gonna get Racer. No, it doesn't look like we're gonna get Phantom Menace. So, the bottom line is that, at least until Episode 2 comes out, the original Dark Forces may be the only Star Wars pure action title we Mac Users can play.

Well, it could be worse.

Dark Forces is a Star Wars game.. if you haven't figured that out by now, you should probably just leave. It takes place in a span of time before the original Star Wars movie into sometime before the end of the original trilogy. You take the role of Kyle Katarn, a mercernary agent that is working with the rebel forces. You start off the game stealing the famous plans for the Death Star. Soon after, you take up more rebel work, and end up discovering a new empirial weapon.. the Dark Trooper.

The 3D Engine is probably the best one seen on the Mac until Duke Nukem 3D - Atomic Edition came out for the Mac. It includes slopes and 3D models that can be altered and effected. The fully polygonal ship is especially impressive. The graphics aren't much these days, but back when it first came out, it was rather impressive. The levels are large, dark, and constructed very much in the Star Wars fashion. Star Wars fans will feel right at home running through some of the levels, and the enemies are all, for the most part, classic Star Wars baddies. You get all the storm troopers and empirial generals you can shake a blaster at. The game provides a good variety of enemies, too, introducing you to new enemies all the way through the game, always managing to keep things fresh. The levels also have a lot of variety, ranging from empirial bases to dusk, deserted planets. And the weapons should make any Star Wars fan drool. You get your basic laser, laser rifles, thermal-like grenades, mines, cannons... all the weapons serve a function, and some you just won't see till the later levels, so there's always a surprise in store for you.

The sounds? Ahh, the sounds. the music is tinny MIDI, standard fare... but it IS Star Wars compositions, its only saving grace. However, considering we got this game on CD, a few red book tracks would have been preferable. The sounds are right on, though... perfect. Blasters make the standard Star Wars shooting sound, and storm troopers speak to you before they attack, using that same muffled filter that will just have you floating off into the nostalgia zone. The game also contains cinema scenes, which are decently acted.. but unfortunately, the game was produced before Lucas lifted its ban of full motion video in Star Wars games, so the cinemas are often depicted by three frame-animation stills that never quite capture the look of Star Wars. Kyle Katarn just looks.. disproportional.

The game only includes about a dozen levels. Although they're big, if you get into this game like I did, you're probably going to want more. And considering the rather strict limitations placed on the missions in the game, most people simply don't have the tools to make their own levels for the game, so you can't download a whole lot of new levels.

Another downfall of the game is the lack of multiplayer mode. I'm sorry, but I'd love to blast my friends into smithereens using classic Star Wars Weapons.

And perhaps the biggest hurt is the lack of lightsabers. Sure, Kyle is no jedi.. but, we get to play with lightsabers in the NON-MAC Dark Forces 2, don't we?

Aww, oh well. Dark Forces is still a helluva game, especially if you're a Star Wars fan. Just hope we get to see some more change in LucasArt's approach to the Mac Platform. I don't really want to miss out on anymore sweet games.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 11/01/99, Updated 11/01/99