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Review of Dino Crisis on PlayStation

by Chucky Chucky photo Jul 1999
Cover image of Dino Crisis on PlayStation
Gamefings Score: 8.5
Platform: PlayStation PlayStation logo
Released: 01 Jul 1999
Genre: Survival horror
Developer: Capcom Production Studio 4
Publisher: Capcom

Introduction

If you ever thought that dinosaurs should get into horror games, congratulations, you are the target audience for Dino Crisis. In a world where survival horror collided with Jurassic Park, we find ourselves throwing Regina, our protagonist, into a party filled with bloodthirsty dinosaurs and torturous puzzles. It's like being a snack to a T-Rex while attempting to solve your mom's Sudoku. Are you ready?

Gameplay

Dino Crisis follows Regina, a female special ops agent who is probably regretting her life choices after parachuting into a dino-infested research facility. The gameplay borrows heavily from Resident Evil, with added dinosaur drama. There's a map that shows Regina's location (always lost), her destination (always too far), and save points (always too scarce). The controls are a toss-up; you can walk, run, and backpedal like a champ because facing a velociraptor is obviously not perilous enough without looking silly doing it. If you're a fan of being startled half to death by sudden appearances of T-Rexes and Velociraptors, this is your jam. As for combat, you'll find guns and medical supplies in limited quantities. Yes, it's like a scavenger hunt, but with more bleeding. Regina's inventory will keep you on your toes-like a dinosaur on the lookout for snacks. You have to mix items to create better tools, all while the backdrop of growling teeth and claws lurks in the corners. Should you need a reminder of how fragile life is, there's a lovely bleeding mechanic. Don't worry; restoring health is just a Med Pack away (but good luck finding one). Find yourself short on supplies? Good luck with that, buddy.

Graphics

For a game released in 1999, Dino Crisis packed graphics that were ahead of its time, utilizing a then-novel real-time engine that allowed for 3D environments rather than pre-rendered backgrounds. They must have thought, 'Why not make the dinosaurs look as fierce as possible while also giving our players the creeps?' Critics appreciated its visual depth, noting how the environment and character model sharpness matched the horror's intensity. Unless you like a stark reminder of 90s graphics when it looked sharp yet sterile. And those lighting effects? Worthy of their own horror movie!

Conclusion

Dino Crisis is arguably one of the best examples of its era, marrying survival horror with dinosaurs in a way that has had gamers both trembling and grinning. It's exciting, calculator-sharp with room for improvement-like Regina trying to outrun a T-Rex while simultaneously solving riddles. Critics may have pointed out a lack of variety in your prehistoric foes, but hey, who needs options when there's a T-Rex ready to ruin your day? Get ready to dive into a wild ride filled with panic, drama, and exactly what the tagline promised: Dinosaurs, just as nature intended: terrifying. If you like adrenaline and primal terror served with a side of nostalgia and mid-90s corniness, claim your copy of Dino Crisis and brace yourself for a roller coaster of scares.

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