Dino Stalker

"At last, a non linear, 'off rails' light gun game!"

Dino Stalker is a light gun game, although it is perfectly compatible with a normal PS2 controller, which is what I use. It is much like resident Evil Survivor, but set in the Dino Crisis theme, and is by the same developers. As of late many light gun game have come out on PS2, so what does it have to offer, that beats any other light gun game.

Well, the dinosaur theme fits in well with the game, and it just isn’t linear or ‘on rails’ like Vampire Hunter or Time Crisis, and frankly, they only have one thing over Dino Stalker, which is the fact that there is a 2-player mode. But in Dino Stalker, you can collect pick-ups, like health, ammo, and even better guns. There are also 3 types of shot, which are normal, sniper shot (where you zoom in on your prey), and special shot, which can be any special gun you’ve picked up.

The gameplay can be fixed like other light gun games, rotational fixed where you can’t move yourself but can rotate, like when your in a boat, or free like in RE Survivor, where you walk about freely, like an adventure. It’s these three gameplay differences which make it so unique, it’s different and not repetitive.

There is also a strong story, and plenty of movies to take a break form the action, (which can be skipped). The game as I mentioned is reminiscent of the Dino Crisis series (even includes some of the same characters) and set in a RE Survivor style at times, which is very entertaining.

After each stage, you can save and you see how many dinos you shot down, and a rankings screen, you get a ranking: S,A,B,C,D (S being the best).

Graphics 8 – A good job, dinosaurs look good, as do characters. Nice landscapes, which can be broken up, e.g. you can shoot down trees etc.

Gameplay 7 – Unique gameplay adds to the experience, which can be enjoyed by everyone. The dinos used are not fictional, and do exist and there is a nice info section in the manual.

Sound 7 – Good voice acting and dino sounds. Nice gun and explosion sounds.

Life Span 7 – Has re-play value, as you can unlock stuff. Good fun which is quite ‘pick up and play’, due to non prolonged stages, which can be saved after.

Overall 8 – Unique game, with all the trimmings. It can be found cheap, and I recommend your purchase!

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 10/26/02, Updated 10/26/02