Any fan of either dinosaurs or survival horror games, both old and new, must give this Capcom classic a try.
It's the year 2009. Dr. Edward Kirk, believed to have died in an accident three years prior, is discovered alive and continuing his research on a remote island called Ibis. S. O. R. T. Agent, Regina, and her teammates, Gail, Rick, and Cooper are sent in to apprehend the scientist, only to discover the facility is inexplicably overrun by vicious dinosaurs. Now Regina and her team must capture Kirk and escape, and discover just where the dinosaurs came from in first place...
You'll control the attractive red-headed agent Regina and guide her through a research facility with only three weapons, the handgun, shotgun, and grenade launcher. They can be upgraded, and you can mix stronger types of ammo, but combat usually isn't recommended, because the dinosaurs you encounter are tough, cunning, and so relentless, they sometimes follow you through doors. Velociraptors are the most common threat. Others include the swift flying Pteranodon, the small and annoying Compsognathus, and the unrealistic but lethal Therizinosaurus. Rounding them out is the mighty T-Rex as the main antagonist who stalks you throughout the game, is invulnerable to all of your weapons, and its attacks almost always result in instant death.
The game has more advanced features than Resident Evil titles released the same year, with a 100% 3D enviornment, the ability to move and aim at the same time, and a dynamic camera that followed you around.
The sound effects are great. The dinosaurs made lifelike and intimidating sounds, like the raptor's blood curdling shrieks and hisses to the T-Rex thunderous roar. The voice acting was good too; Stephanie Morgenstern did a nice job voicing Regina.
Like its sister franchise, Dino Crisis relies on solving puzzles and collecting key items to advance. The horror aspect is powerful. You'll discover the mutilated or half-eaten corpses of the facilities staff. The Velociraptors behave like the Xenomorphs from the alien franchise, popping out and ambushing you from windows and vent shafts. Plus, the scare cords and music are outright hair-raising during jump scare encounters.
The games main downside are the excessive puzzles, which are tougher and more frustrating than in Resident Evil. There's more emphasis on survival than combat, given the scarcity of ammo and relative weakness of your weapons. The dinosaurs can withstand a lot of damage, so you'll likely spend more time running away than fighting them. But thanks to the narrow corridors and hallways all over the facility and fair amount of backtracking, sometimes you have to fight them to proceed or avoid damage.
While it didn't reach the same level of success as the better-known Resident Evil, Dino Crisis was still a remarkable addition to the survival horror genre.
