Dino Crisis

"Hey that's no Barney, that's a T-Rex!"

My brother brought home this one. It was the first survival horror game I had ever played. So naturally I was excited. Compared to Resident Evil, the horror is only so-so. But if it's your first survival horror (like it was mine) it will scare very much. Capcom did well on Designing this game, in my opinion.

Graphics- For Dreamcast, these are great graphics. The Dinosaurs look better than anything else. The environments look good yet spooky. The effects of the glass breaking, walls breaking, and such all loom great. They all add a sense of realism to the picture. The characters look pretty good. But I think they spent more time on the dinosaurs because they look a lot better. To say the least, the graphics are pretty darn good.

Sound- the sound is very beautiful. The way they apply it is awesome. The music is bone-chilling. It constantly makes you feel like something is just going to lunge out at you. The effects of the objects sound nice. Like the glass shattering as the T-Rex sticks his head in. The dinosaurs also sound great. It's almost like they are actually in the room you're in. Also, the voices are very good. They sound very realistic. They have emotion and flow nicely. Also you're fine guns sound great, especially when they kill a dinosaur.

Gameplay- The gameplay is smooth. Ever play Resident Evil? If so then you know what the game will be like. Same basic concept. You go around killing things (in this case dinosaurs) while solving puzzles in the ultimate goal of escaping and survival. The game is in a 3rd person view. You play as Regina, a girl who's been sent with a team to investigate this compound on an island. You arrive to find the guards have all been eaten by something. One of your members die before anything. The other two are with you until the end (Rick and Gail). The game gets more complicated as you go. One thing is make sure to play the game often. If you forget Vital information like where to go. Then it takes a while to remember and you endanger yourself of being eaten. The coolest thing is your ammo and your health is displayed on your VMU. That way nothing but you is displayed on the TV screen. The puzzles will greatly vary, and other times there are times where you must run for dear life (like when being chased by a T-Rex).
There are these doors with DDK locks. These require two pieces to unlock and you still have to figure them out. The gameplay just goes on and on and on and on. But it's a good thing.

In conclusion, Dino Crisis for Dreamcast is a must have for any die-hard survival horror fans. The game costs about $10-$20 these days so go pick it up for a few bucks.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 12/24/03