Choose STAR WARS™ Dark Forces (Classic, 1995)
Choose STAR WARS™ Dark Forces (Classic, 1995) if it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 89% positive across 1,787 reviews.
STAR WARS™ Dark Forces (Classic, 1995) vs STAR WARS™ SHADOWS OF THE EMPIRE™
STAR WARS™ Dark Forces (Classic, 1995) and STAR WARS™ SHADOWS OF THE EMPIRE™ both land in Action on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both are Action games on Steam. STAR WARS™ Dark Forces (Classic, 1995) (2009) is 8 years older than STAR WARS™ SHADOWS OF THE EMPIRE™ (2017). STAR WARS™ Dark Forces (Classic, 1995) scores higher on Steam reviews (89% positive) than STAR WARS™ SHADOWS OF THE EMPIRE™ (72.2% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose STAR WARS™ SHADOWS OF THE EMPIRE™
Choose STAR WARS™ SHADOWS OF THE EMPIRE™ if you want an Adventure experience. On Steam, it's the newer release (2017) and ships with the modern feature baseline. STAR WARS™ SHADOWS OF THE EMPIRE™ launched in 2017.
Both STAR WARS™ Dark Forces (Classic, 1995) and STAR WARS™ SHADOWS OF THE EMPIRE™ sit in Action on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 STAR WARS™ Dark Forces (Classic, 1995) |  STAR WARS™ SHADOWS OF THE EMPIRE™ | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2009 | 2017 |
| Genres | Action | Action, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Playable |
| Price | Price unknown | 1.49 USD |
| Steam reviews | 89% positive (1,787 reviews) | 72.2% positive (557 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | LucasArts | LucasArts |
Side by side
- Both are Action games on Steam.
- STAR WARS™ Dark Forces (Classic, 1995) (2009) is 8 years older than STAR WARS™ SHADOWS OF THE EMPIRE™ (2017).
- STAR WARS™ Dark Forces (Classic, 1995) scores higher on Steam reviews (89% positive) than STAR WARS™ SHADOWS OF THE EMPIRE™ (72.2% positive).
- Both are Deck Playable.
STAR WARS™ Dark Forces (Classic, 1995) vs STAR WARS™ SHADOWS OF THE EMPIRE™ — FAQ
- Which is better, STAR WARS™ Dark Forces (Classic, 1995) or STAR WARS™ SHADOWS OF THE EMPIRE™?
- On Steam reviews STAR WARS™ Dark Forces (Classic, 1995) scores higher (89% positive) than STAR WARS™ SHADOWS OF THE EMPIRE™ (72.2% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, STAR WARS™ Dark Forces (Classic, 1995) is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play STAR WARS™ Dark Forces (Classic, 1995) or STAR WARS™ SHADOWS OF THE EMPIRE™ first?
- If you want chronology, STAR WARS™ Dark Forces (Classic, 1995) (2009) came out before STAR WARS™ SHADOWS OF THE EMPIRE™ (2017). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are STAR WARS™ Dark Forces (Classic, 1995) and STAR WARS™ SHADOWS OF THE EMPIRE™ similar?
- They overlap on Action on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.