OpenBioForge
Image: TimComport

30 years on from its original release on PC, a fan developer, named Tim Comport, is currently in the process of recreating the engine of Origin Systems' 1995 sci-fi action adventure game BioForge, in the hopes of offering players a better way to experience the cult classic title.

BioForge, we have to admit, isn't a title that typically comes up all that much in conversation today, with most people instead choosing to bring up other more successful Origin titles like Wing Commander and the Ultima games when the studio is mentioned. Nevertheless, that hasn't stopped it from garnering something of a following online, with the developer Comport being among those who have an affinity for the unusual title about an amnesiac cyborg who has been captured and must escape a strange alien research facility.

In the past, the game has occasionally been compared to Infogrames' 1992 survival horror title Alone in the Dark, with the source of these comparisons typically coming down to its keyboard-based tank controls, and its combat system that involved awkwardly kicking and punching the other robots and creatures you encounter.

According to the information featured in a showcase for the project, OpenBioForge (as this exciting new engine is called) will introduce "enhanced graphics and physics" to the pioneering sci-fi adventure, as well as more "responsive controls", and other "new possibilities" — all of which are features not currently offered in the standard edition on GOG.

However, as it is a fan project, it will require players to own a copy of the game to supply their own files, with OpenBioForge not providing any of the original copyrighted assets.

Here is a description from the developer, taken from the showcase video:

"After 30 years, OpenBioForge aims to bring the cult classic DOS game BioForge (1995) into the modern era. This passion project faithfully recreates the original game engine with enhanced graphics, responsive controls, improved physics, and more while requiring only the original game files. This work preserves a pioneering sci-fi adventure that pushed technical boundaries in its time, making it accessible for future generations while maintaining the distinctive atmosphere and gameplay of the original experience.

OpenBioForge is a work-in-progress. While significant progress has been made, development is ongoing. The source code will be made available under GPL v3 in the future but is not yet publicly accessible. This showcase represents the current state of development as of the 30th anniversary."

If you want to keep up to date with the project, we recommend following the OpenBioForge project on either BlueSky or Twitter/X. We'll also be keeping an eye on the project and will update you as more information is made available.

[source openbioforge.com, via youtu.be]