More Night Dive Remasters Announced: Turok 3 and Dark Forces

[Kinsie]

 

 

Turok 3 is November 14. Dark Forces is "Soon". Sleep is presumably tens of pages down the schedule.

[Agent Slacker]

Christ, Nightdive are KILLING it with these remasters. This year alone we saw a remake of System Shock and remasters of Rise of the Triad and Quake II, and now they're working with the Star Wars franchise. I sure hope they don't fumble it like Aspyr did with the Switch/PS4 ports of the Jedi Knights games, or KOTORII on the Switch.

[lucius]

In case anyone is interested in how the Dark Forces Remaster affects TFE, I am double-posting this here:

 

As many of you have seen, Nightdive has announced their Dark Forces Remaster. They have partnered with me to help them in a technical advisory role to help with the project, which includes exchanging information and providing some TFE code. So I have written a FAQ to answer likely questions.

 

https://theforceengine.github.io/2023/08/22/Nightdive-Remaster-FAQ.html

Edited August 23, 2023 by lucius

[Redneckerz]

5 minutes ago, lucius said:

In case anyone is interested in how the Dark Forces Remaster affects TFE, I am double-posting this here:

 

As many of you have seen, Nightdive has announced their Dark Forces Remaster. They have partnered with me to help them in a technical advisory role to help with the project, which includes exchanging information and providing some TFE code. So I have written a FAQ to answer likely questions.

 

https://theforceengine.github.io/2023/08/22/Nightdive-Remaster-FAQ.html

The fact that Nightdive approached you is a testament to who they are. Fantastic news all around.

[taufan99]

As I already have Dark Forces on my Steam account, I wonder if we'll get the remaster for free like the previous cases for other games as well. :P

[Mr Masker]

1 hour ago, lucius said:

In case anyone is interested in how the Dark Forces Remaster affects TFE, I am double-posting this here:

 

As many of you have seen, Nightdive has announced their Dark Forces Remaster. They have partnered with me to help them in a technical advisory role to help with the project, which includes exchanging information and providing some TFE code. So I have written a FAQ to answer likely questions.

 

https://theforceengine.github.io/2023/08/22/Nightdive-Remaster-FAQ.html

Respect to Nightdive for this, always love when fan developers get to help out with a proper release.

[Devalaous]

Was hoping for Heretic/Heretic II/Hexen/Hexen II but these are neat too. Never played a Turok game in my life though, nor Dark Forces.

[Lila Feuer]

It'd be interesting to see if the gore is upped as the reason for it being lackluster compared to T2 is due to the game being rushed.

[Azuris]

Oh yeah, played Turok 3 a bit via Everdrive and it seems very decent, will throw my Money on it, since i am too lazy to set up my N64.

[Biodegradable]

The clever sods at Nightdive sure have been busy, huh? You love to see it!

Edited August 23, 2023 by Biodegradable

[MS-06FZ Zaku II Kai]

Ehh I wish they could somehow remaster Dark Forces II, that one runs the worst from the series on modern hardwares. But hopefully if the remaster is good (as it should be :cough: Blader Runner:special edition) then it might lead to further remasters down the line.

 

Edit: Also, forgive me for saying that like this, but those "remastered" cutscenes in the Dark Forces trailer look kinda ugly. I vastly preffer the chunky look of the original pixelated cutscenes.

Edited August 23, 2023 by MS-06FZ Zaku II Kai

[Panzermann11]

I hope F.E.A.R. and Return to Castle Wolfenstein are next on their to-remaster list aswell. Bring all of the content and improvements exclusive to the console releases of these games, much like what they did with Quake 2.

Edited August 23, 2023 by Panzermann11

[Lila Feuer]

DF2 is in dire need of remastering, it's not a bad game but it could be made nicer with some QoL additions.

[INfront95]

Turok 3? Maaan where is super duper remaster of Turok one? The only game i got my hands on was Turok one demo on pc and it was very enjoyable to play..... come to think of it i only played Turok demos. Second game of the franchise i tried was Turok 2008 which demo disk i got when i bought Xbox 360. (I hastely changed it for Full Fable 2 game as start game fo the console)

Edited August 23, 2023 by INfront95

[Shepardus]

9 minutes ago, INfront95 said:

Turok 3? Maaan where is super duper remaster of Turok one?

Didn't Nightdive remaster the first Turok years ago?

[INfront95]

Wasnt it just turok for modern devices? Not like quake with better models etc.  (Don't get me wrong, as i always say Nightdive doing god's work with old games so no dissrespect for them)

Edited August 23, 2023 by INfront95

[The_SloVinator]

If NightDive remasters Thief 1 & 2, I'll be a happy boi.

[Shepardus]

I can't help but read that Dark Forces logo as "Dark Forces: Remaster Wars."

[Noiser]

Awesome! I'm liking all these remasters so far, however the levels in Dark Forces looks too plain in high resolution imo (due to the simple geometry of these maps). I would likely prefer to run it on 320x200 or 640x400, so I will leave this here as a suggestion 8D

Edited August 23, 2023 by Noiser

[Arno]

5 hours ago, lucius said:

In case anyone is interested in how the Dark Forces Remaster affects TFE, I am double-posting this here:

 

As many of you have seen, Nightdive has announced their Dark Forces Remaster. They have partnered with me to help them in a technical advisory role to help with the project, which includes exchanging information and providing some TFE code. So I have written a FAQ to answer likely questions.

 

https://theforceengine.github.io/2023/08/22/Nightdive-Remaster-FAQ.html

This is pretty awesome, as more people will benefit from the good work you've put in TFE. Plus, you'll have your name in the credits of a commercial release. Congratulations!

[Azuris]

3 hours ago, Devalaous said:

. Never played a Turok game in my life though, nor Dark Forces.

 

The first one is more similiar to Doom, but with a more "open worldish".
Imo it is a bit annoying to find those Stones to open new Levels and the Movement feels a bit to slopery for my Taste.
I never had a Problem with the N64 Controller and the mappen Controls, but for more precice Stuff as the Jumping, it it is really really better with Mouse and Keyboard.

The Flaw of the second one is that you can lose yourself in the veeery long Levels and they can exhaust you.
Also beware, if you play the Original or put Options with Head Bobbing on in the new Release, it is one of THE Games that caused me Motion Sickness.

Weapons, Music, Sound and Enemy Design are great and i liked the Scenery overall.

 

Haven't played much of Turok 3, but from what i have seen it lacks Dinosaurs and is more stream lined (a good Thing, as the Levels were too exhausting).
It has two Protagonists that vary the Levels you play (at least from what i have read).
Had fun with the Shooting.

See it as my personal Opinion, some of the Stuff mentioned can be really viewed from different Angles.

[Kinsie]

Turok 3 is an interesting attempt to try and do a Half-Life style game on the aging N64 hardware. How successful it is at that is up for debate, but it's nothing if not ambitious and I'm eager to see what kind of glow-up Night Dive gives it.

[Async Unicorn]

I just recently wrote about remaster of Dark Forces in some thread and it happens, :D
Сoincidence or thoughts are material? Hmm...

Edited August 23, 2023 by Vanilla+Unicorn

[Rudolph]

I got to play Dark Forces with the Force Engine already, so I am much more interested in Turok 3.

 

Turok 1 and 2 Remasters were good, even though the original games have their issues, so I am looking forward to this one as well.

 

5 hours ago, Devalaous said:

Never played a Turok game in my life though, nor Dark Forces.

Turok 1 and 2 are in many ways collect-a-thon first-person shooters in the sense that you have to explore fairly large levels to collect objects and upgrades while fighting your way through infinitely-respawning enemies - although items and ammo also do respawn.

 

Dark Forces, I did not really like it. It is more or less a Star Wars-themed Duke Nukem 3D clone, for better or worse. Unfortunately, enemies being mostly Imperial soldiers, the gameplay feels very samey and the story and set pieces are nowhere near as memorable as Shadows of the Empire, but on the plus side, the game is nowhere near as clunky as the latter. I guess you just cannot always get what you want...

 

Edited August 23, 2023 by Rudolph

[aloysiusfreeman]

Ohhhhhhh boy I am excited about the Dark Forces remaster

[Rudolph]

More details about the Turok 3 Remaster:

 

Quote

Elsewhere, the characters in the opening cinematic now have facial expressions that make them look more lively. The character cinematics in the original were stiff and uncanny, with some characters not even blinking, or talking just with their lips moving as their body sits completely still. Nightdive’s artists touched up these animations to make the remaster’s cinematics look better.

 

https://www.ign.com/articles/turok-3-shadow-of-oblivion-remaster-confirmed-from-nightdive

 

I knew those facial animations looked too advanced for the Nintendo 64...

Edited August 23, 2023 by Rudolph

[Professor Hastig]

40 minutes ago, Rudolph said:

Dark Forces, I did not really like it. It is more or less a Star Wars-themed Duke Nukem 3D clone, for better or worse. Unfortunately, enemies being mostly Imperial soldiers, the gameplay feels very samey and the story and set pieces are nowhere near as memorable as Shadows of the Empire, but on the plus side, the game is nowhere near as clunky as the latter. I guess you just cannot always get what you want...

 

 

So I am not alone. I was quite underwhelmed when digging out my old CD and replaying the game with the Force Engine. I found the levels quite dull with very boring texturing and not much of appealing visuals. Combat was fine but the level design in general really cannot compare with Doom, Duke or Blood.

 

I faintly remember Shadows of the Empire. To me it felt like a typical PC port of a console game, i.e. sub-par controls ruined it to a significant part.

 

[Rudolph]

17 minutes ago, Professor Hastig said:

I faintly remember Shadows of the Empire. To me it felt like a typical PC port of a console game, i.e. sub-par controls ruined it to a significant part.

Oh no, I was not referring to Shadows of the Empire's PC port. In fact, I kind of hate how it replaced the badass cutscenes with worse-looking CG ones. And yes, even the console controls were kind of clunky, but still, the story and set pieces more than made up for them.

 

As a kid, taking part in the Battle of Hoth and its aftermath, facing IG-88 after a hectic train ride and battling a giant Dianoga was so thrilling. Even the extremely frustrating swooper bike race on Tatooine felt more epic and cinematic than anything in Dark Forces.

 

Also, the game managed to make Dash Rendar actually likeable, unlike its novel counterpart.

Edited August 23, 2023 by Rudolph

[Firedust]

nightdive why are you so based

 

we don't deserve you

[LadyMistDragon]

I think we saw at least the former coming from a long way off. How could there not possibly be a Turok 3 remaster when the other two are already done? The main issue was it never having come out on PC but that just means it'll take a little longer. Never played it, so it'll be something to look forward to.

 

Frankly, seeing Dark Forces escape the remaster treatment forever just wasn't likely with its fanbase.

Edited August 23, 2023 by LadyMistDragon