Jedi Knight Dark Forces II – cinematic action and creepy aliens
What I'm writing about actually happened to me. It was like a dream. Like a horror movie. Like an action movie. Like Star Wars. I was on a space station. And the atmosphere there, I tell you, was pretty bad. And that cinematic cutscene in the shadows really shook me.
And the game wouldn't start. Or rather, the game was playing and there was only a black screen. The blackness of the black hole itself. Nothing less. That's what it was. But I fixed it. And some other little things.
So many emotions from literally ten minutes of introductory play. The game, just like a movie, is beautifully crafted, scene by scene. It's gripping and frightening, and doesn't let up at all. This is another game in the Star Wars series, apparently from the era of 3D accelerators. Like Monster 3D Diamond, Voodoo 1,2, and Banshee. I didn't even know about that game back then.
I only remember a third-person or first-person shooter called Dark Forces 2. But that's a different game. I'm kind of confused with the names.
First of all, it's Star Wars. And all the trappings of that universe are here. The cinematography, the production design, the atmosphere. Everything that's memorable. It's good. The title screen with those letters in a galaxy far, far away.
Then there's the menu. Graphics settings. 8-bit textures are offered. 16-bit if you check the 3D graphics accelerator box. But then I get a black screen instead of the gameplay itself. I thought it was dark. But nothing shows up there at all. Problem!
Some people online recommend downloading OpenJKDF2 win64 from GitHub. And updating the game files. The problem is the old graphics shell doesn't work on Windows 11 anymore. This one replaces it with something new. And everything works. There are settings there. You can customize it too. Now the game works!
You can set a low resolution – the graphics will be creepy. Like 320 by 240. And such creepy graphics. Like it's a creepy shooter. There's something to it. But I set the resolution to normal for now. I'll leave such entertainment for later.
Then I started playing. Right after the intro, there's a scene. In a bar. These are the corridors of a space station. This rusty metal structure. Lying in the middle of space. Impressive. Everything feels so old-fashioned. So trashy. Somewhere on the edge of the galaxy, it seems.
That's the problem. The mouse controls are inverted here. That means the directions are oddly positioned. That must be cool to play. Like in some flight simulators. Like, up and down mouse movements mean exactly the opposite. Up is down. You can set it up in the settings to be more like you're used to. So it's like a regular shooter with controls. That's another minor detail. It's also a kind of cosmic horror effect. After the black screen.
Now the game begins. We walk along narrow, greenish iron corridors. Not the most comfortable place. We go to a bar. We go a little further. And then, lo and behold, someone's attacking us. Half the station wants to kill the hero. The shooter begins. You can choose a first-person view, or a third-person one.
All the enemies appear so cinematic. From above, from around the corner. Like an action thriller. A shooting gallery for the main character. And it works. It makes an impression. Some kind of shady space environment and a bunch of enemies appearing from around the corner. That's the main impression of the game. Like a horror movie. A space thriller. And elements of an action thriller. A great combination.
The enemies appear very cinematic. Different. Some blended green ones with an anteater-like nose. That's a creep. Or some kind of kangaroo fighting. In space. On a space station. And then you step out and there's just—open, black space. You could easily fall! I fell! Falling into space.
It's not just an action game. But also like a horror movie. Some creepy, barely-flying space station. Some strange aliens jumping out from around the corner. Pale green. With a long nose. Some kind of kangaroo. And well-done shooting. It really works here. But I fell straight into the abyss of space. Fell off a ledge. It's a bit like arcade elements here. There's a cutscene, and you're falling somewhere down. Into the darkness. Game over.
The game leaves a very strong impression. The first introductory one. The first launch. To make sure it works. This is an action movie with creepy aliens, space horror on a barely flying station.
Playing little games. From time to time i like to play videogames. And write about it.
Dima Link is making retro videogames, apps, a little of music, write stories, and some retro more.
