Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire debuts on GOG

Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire was originally released in 1996 for the Nintendo 64, followed by a Windows version a year later. It didn't make a huge splash, critically or commercially, but Samuel liked it enough to include it in his list from last month of old Star Wars games that need to be on modern PCs. And it looks like maybe somebody was listening.

Shadows of the Empire is now available on GOG, one day before Star Wars Day, with a “launch discount” of 20 percent off the regular $6 price. “The fight will take Rendar, his co-pilot droid Leebo, and his trusty spaceship The Outrider through iconic locations where Star Wars history was made,” GOG wrote. “Whether he is taking down AT-ATs on Hoth, fighting off assassins sent after Luke Skywalker, or dueling Boba Fett, the adventures of Dash evoke that unmistakable Star Wars vibe that quickly turned him into a fan favorite.”

That sounds like it jibes with Sam's comment that Shadows of the Empire is “an average game but a great Star Wars experience,” which itself seems to fit with user reviews: An imperfect game that nonetheless manages to nail the best of the “galaxy far, far away” stuff. And really, isn't that what we're after?

Speaking of Star Wars Day, GOG has a pair of Star Wars game bundles, the Blaster and the Saber, on sale for up to 77 percent off until May 9. If you don't already own the games in the Saber bundle, which includes the Jedi Knight series, both KotORs and Republic Commando, what are you doing with yourself?

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.