Categories
Games

Path of the Jedi: Sound In Dark Forces II

I spoke with former LucasArts sound designer David Levison about how he used sound in Dark Forces II to pay tribute to Doom, Quake, and the existing Star Wars universe, and create one of gaming’s first immersive worlds. Read more

When it was first released in 1997, LucasArts’ masterpiece Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II was hailed as “the best first-person shooter since Doom.” Its large-scale world design and seamless blend of puzzles and combat pushed the genre in bold new directions, moving players from narrow corridors to a wide open, interactive world and setting the stage for games like Half-Life and Thief: The Dark Project. While more visible gameplay elements grabbed players’ attention more readily, the sounds of Dark Forces II were what truly enabled LucasArts to create a fully immersive experience unlike anything gamers had seen to date. In this essay, I explore the use of sound in Dark Forces II: how it established the atmosphere; how it paid tribute to DoomQuake, and the existing Star Wars universe; and how it distinguished itself from anything that had come before. 

Read the full article on Deep Hell.

By Porter Simmons

Just some guy who likes culture & all things clothes. You can find my latest at 11pm.blog or on Instagram @portsimm.