Dino Crisis

"Jurassic Park + Survival horror = Fun!!!!!"

You are trapped. click, click. Ammo is gone.
What to do? A thought soon cut short, as the door you were hiding behind bursts open.

That thought scare you to death? Well you better pack some more underwear, since that is just the beginning of your nightmare. Enter Dino Crisis, a spin off of Capcom's highly successful survival horror series Resident Evil. Just don't say I didn't warn you.

The game drops you off on Ibis Island, a highly fortified military fortress. You are placed in the role of Trat member Regina, and your reason for coming to this island is to apprehend a once presumed dead scientist Dr. Edward Kirk, who has been reported of residing here. The '' good'' doctor has been known to put science ahead of peoples lives, so naturally he can't continue his work. Before long however, you realize you may of made the biggest mistake of your life coming to this island. For reasons beyond comprehension dinosaurs prowl this fortress, and they wouldn't mind making a meal of a certain Trat member. Scared already? Believe me that isn't the half of it.

Gameplay:
Of puzzles, and gunplay
Good news for all you puzzle fans out there, since a bulk of Dino Crisis's gameplay involves puzzle solving, and boy some are real brain benders.
Some of my favorites involve connecting a very twisted pipeline, and scanning a dead scientist hand to make a ID card. Oh and make sure you have a paper and pencil handy, since some real important information is found in files throughout the game. Sadly, unlike Dino Crisis 2 this information isn't added to a menu for future use. Trust me, there is nothing worse then having to backtrack and get a code you forgot. The second, and lesser fact to the gameplay involves gunning down those pesky dino's. Unfortunately, ammo is often sparse and even the weakest of enemies take a fair amount of ammo to take down. Oh, and make sure to keep your eyes peeled for the gun upgrades scattered throughout the facility. To say they help would be understating it.

Mixing up gameplay
One very special area of gameplay in DC is the ability to mix items. At first the whole experience was very daunting, but after I got a swing of things I was mixing more then a DJ. Thankfully, all my effort had a big payoff, since even the deadly poison tip dart can be acquired through mixing.
A very enjoyable gameplay element, that I can't praise enough!

Clever girl
The developers definitely didn't skimp when it came to the dino's AI. These critter usually lurk in the shadows, waiting for a chance to strike. They have scared on more then one occasion by doing that. I have even seen them jump over obstacles such as tables, rather then trying to run through objects. Trust me, I've seen it in other titles. Heck, much like Jurassic Park these critters won't let a door keep you two apart. When it comes to attacking, they always aim for the most fleshy areas of your body first, ensuring you walk away bleeding.(more on that later) Honestly, I find little fault with the AI.

Something is behind me! I know it!
Much like RE the game has a certain atmosphere to it, you know the kind that scares the heck out of you? First of all, the music is very moody and depressing, and much of the time the game is very quiet. I swear I scared myself more often worrying what might be around the next bend, then when something actually did happen. To scare you further Capcom inserted special sequences called a '' Dino Crisis''. These sequences occur every once of the while, and put you in a blind panic as you mash on your buttons to free yourself of your attacker. One of the most entertaining sequences involved a poison gas chamber. I was about to leave the chamber, when all of a sudden a raptor attacked me! I shook off the vicious beast, and left him locked inside. As soon as I turned on the gas, I watched the raptor go into muscle spasms, as he inhaled the deadly gas into his lunges. Die sucker! I swear the first time through this game freaked me out bad! The music, the silence, and the fact you often hear your enemy before you can see them due to scripted camera angles aid greatly.

My life is draining before my eyes!
Dino Crisis features one of the strangest life bars in a game I've seen. How so? Well, rather then feature the typical bar that decreases as you take damage, Capcom opted for something a bit more graphic. First you're character grips her shoulder and limps about, then she will begin to bleed.
If you don't get it into check soon you're a goner. The only way you can take care of the bleeding besides the strongest medkit is a special item called hemostat. Personally I always keep a few handy in my inventory.

Graphics:
Taking the good with the bad
Going against the grain DC features full 3d environments, opposed to the traditional Pre rendered backdrops of may survival horror titles. I'm really shocked that even today the areas still look quite nice. The dino's look good, even though the polygons get stretched a little on the T Rex. The character models need some serious work though, since they are awfully blocky, (even more so the the dinos) not to mention their texturing looks a little smeared on. The blood the real highlight of the graphics looks good, and the dripping of blood of Regina is almost too good to be true. I must say I was really disappointed with the FMV's. They are very grainy, and the characters are decent at best. Considering a scant year later Capcom improved the FMV's substantiality for the sequel, the lack of polish shows. Big time!

Sound:
Masterfully done
To take a quote from earlier in the review: Much like RE the game has a certain atmosphere to it, you know the kind that scares the heck out of you? First of all, the music is very moody and depressing, and much of the time the game is very quiet. I swear I scared myself more often worrying what might be around the next bend, then when something actually did happen. Sound honestly was a major asset in this games experience, since it constantly kept me on the edge of my seat. Few games can claim that.

Control:
Who want's to shoot with a broken finger?
Too true.^ Even with all the great things this game brings to the table, it would be for naught if the control was bad. Thankfully the control is well thought out and responsive, the only real trouble I had was the use of the d pad to navigate through the game. Otherwise I find no fault.

Goodies galore
Dino Crisis has some truly great unlockables to obtain if you're gamer enough. Not only is there several alternate outfits for Regina, but a very unique mode '' Operation Wipe out '' is available for you're shooting pleasure.

In closing, and I'll make it short. (unlike the rest of my review) Dino Crisis has proven to be one of the most rewarding experiences I've encountered. Not only does it feature dinosaurs,(I just love those critters)it also keeps you on the edge of your seat with a dose of suspense. Just wait until the story pans out! If you have either a PSX or PS2 you owe yourself to get this awesome title.
Period!

Score:9/10

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 07/30/02, Updated 07/30/02