Under normal circumstances, I might say that the first – or hell, even the second – Knights of the Old Republic game is my favorite, because yeah, normally it would be the correct statement. I’ve played that game so many times that I’ve lost count, and it’s even something I returned to recently when I needed a bit of a nostalgia-based serotonin kick.

But is it my favorite game in the Star Wars universe? No, it is not. Because that award goes to Star Wars: Dark Forces.

So that’s the player character, Kyle Katarn, throwing a grenade at a stormtrooper. In case you were wondering what’s going on.

But why is it my favorite? It was the first game that introduced me to the extended universe continuity, with a whole set of characters that I’d never seen before. General Crix Madine makes an appearance in the game at the beginning, tying it into the larger story via a side character with some not-so-great hair (on his head or otherwise – did they like paint that beard on??).

Basic plot: Kyle Katarn is recruited by the Alliance and ultimately destroys the Dark Trooper Project. It’s awesome and way more complicated than that, but I don’t have the energy to go too deeply into it. I played it on my dad’s PC way back in … middle school? Maybe earlier? I’m not entirely sure, but it brought me into fandom, which may or may not have been a good thing. Maybe both.

Apparently, there are some fans of the game modding it with the Unreal engine, and I’m definitely going to have to do some more research on that. I don’t mind the Doom-esque graphics (I mean, I love that look – Celeste is one of my favorite games at the moment), but it might be really cool to see the game updated.

Although this does have me wondering whether or not we would still be able to play this game via disc. Was it on a disc or a floppy?? I cannot remember. Dammit.

Runners Up: Knights of the Old Republic, Knights of the Old Republic II, Rebel Assault

Art Credit: 99 Designs, Steam Community, Wookieepedia