Like any self-respecting 40 year-old I’m a huge fan of Star Wars. George Lucas’s space opera had a huge effect on me when I saw it as a seven-year old and I’ve been fortunate enough to grow up with it.

I’ve also been unfortunate enough to witness the many bad games that the Star Wars name has been attached to, so when a game like Dark Forces comes along I get as excited as an excited person who has a special reason to be excited.

Dark Forces was a Doom clone. Let’s make no mistake about that. It ripped off every aspect of id Software’s magnificent game, leaving people in no doubt where its inspiration had come from.

And yet, for all its borrowing, from Id’s classic blaster, it also introduced plenty of new things to the genre, things like proper cutscenes and plot, the ability to jump, as well as the ability to look up and down. It was basically a watershed moment, not just for first-person shooters, but also Star Wars fans.

Star Wars in the arcade allowed me to play as Luke Skywalker, but Dark Forces let me explore George’s universe in a way that hadn’t previously been possible. It’s massively thrilling as a Star Wars fan to run around the Death Star, or face off against Boba Fett, and kudos to LucasArts, for making it all so memorable.

It’s certainly aged nowadays more so than Doom I think, but the waves of nostalgia that wash over me when I do return to it reminds me of just how great it was. Treat yourself to a copy via Steam. You won’t be disappointed.

Retro Gamer magazine and bookazines are available in print from ImagineShop

Tags: 90s, dark forces, darth vader, death star, george lucas, pc, star wars