Dino Crisis

"Survival horror goes back in time!"

I'm sure when we first heard the information about Dino Crisis, some of us were wowed, while others wrote it off as a Resident Evil clone with dinosaurs. For those who wrote it off, NEVER underestimate the power of Shinji Mikami! If he can make a Resident Evil game, then he can definitely do one that deals with dinosaurs!


Graphics: 10/10
Although the backgrounds aren't as detailed as Resident Evil's, the upside is the fact that they're all rendered in real time! That means when something happens to a window, or a wall gets smashed, you'll actually see it happen with full animation instead of just static images! The character designs are great too, with excellent acting. Squeamish players beware: There's a lot of blood in this game!


Sounds: 10/10
The music is well composed and orchestrated, setting a tense mood wherever you are. The tempo even increases when you are attacked unexpectedly, giving it a suspenseful feel! The dinosaurs have unique groans and yells when they spot their prey or are wounded. Wait untill you hear the roar of the T. Rex! To top that all off, every character is voiced very well, with almost no laughable bits.


Controls: 10/10
Controls are standard for a survival horror game. That is, up moves you in the direction you're facing, down moves backwards, and left and right turns. OK, it's kinda akward at first, but practice makes perfect. You can also walk with your weapon drawn, and even perform a 180 spin at the touch of a button! Remember those areas in Resident Evil where you could hear something but couldn't see it due to fixed camera angles? In this one, there are many scenes where the camera will actually follow you and rotate, giving it a movie-like feel, and adding a suspenseful feel to the game!


Story: 10/10
It's kind of unusual, but also kind of unique as well. Dr. Edward Kirk is a scientist on a remote island known as Ibis Island. He was doing work on a new kind of energy, when he was supposedly killed in an accident. A government agent known only as Tom infiltrated and reported that Kirk was still alive. It was time for Gail, to assemble his (Yes, HIS!) best agents under his wing and fly to Ibis Island to investigate what was going on. They included Rick, Cooper, and Regina (you.) After landing, they discover the island is infested with dinosaurs! How is it possible? I'm not telling!


Replay: 10/10
There are random events which occur at different times. Most notably are the 'DANGER' sequences. In this, the cinematic scene becomes slightly more than cinematic, as you must press the buttons repeatedly to avoid being wounded (or possibly killed!) There are branching plot points throughout the game, and there are several endings as well.


Overall: 10/10
Shinji Mikami does the time warp with Dino Crisis, and proves that survival horror doesn't always have to use the undead! Now go out and play it before we all become extinct!

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 08/10/00, Updated 07/16/01