Dino Crisis after 27 years: horror where dinosaurs are scarier than zombies

Dino Crisis is easy to describe as Resident Evil with dinosaurs.The comparison is fair: the game was made by Capcom, directed by Shinji Mikami, and the basis was built on the exploration of a closed complex, scarcity of resources and puzzles.

But simply changing opponents changed the pace more than it seems.Zombies slowly took over the space.The velociraptors closed the distance, walked around Regina and could burst in from the next room.The player was no longer in control of the situation with one step back.

A routine operation quickly turns into a hunt

The party arrives on Ibis Island to find Dr. Kirk.The scientist was considered dead, but continued to work on an energy source in a secret complex.After landing, it becomes clear that the military has disappeared, and the corridors have been occupied by dinosaurs.

The plot doesn't try to be complicated science fiction.Its job is to constantly give a reason to open the next door and go deeper.Choices between Gale's and Rick's decisions change individual episodes and lead to different endings, so there is a small element of variability in the playthrough.

Dinosaurs don't wait around

The main difference from early Resident Evil is the behavior of enemies.The raptor quickly changes direction, survives several hits and continues pursuit.Some predators pass through doors and prevent the next room from being considered safe.

Guns don't solve every problem here.There is little ammunition, and the opponents are tough.It is more useful to block the laser partition, take a different route, or use a dart with sleeping pills.Dino Crisis makes you think more about escape than victory.

Fully three-dimensional rooms changed the atmosphere

Resident Evil used pre-drawn backgrounds.Dino Crisis has moved to real-time polygonal environments.The camera still chooses fixed angles, but can move with the heroine and change angles without rigid editing.

In 1999, the technology looked like a significant step forward.Today, empty walls and simple geometry are striking.But the complex remains readable, and the cold laboratories well support the feeling of a place where everything was created for the sake of function and has long ago gotten out of control.

Puzzles require paper or a good memory

The complex is designed as a large system of keys, codes and closed areas.You have to read documents, match symbols and return to the old premises.Some tasks build nicely on the clues you find, while others keep the player busy for too long.

A modern game would probably note the required term and store the code in a log.Dino Crisis expects the person to remember the information or write it down themselves.This creates the feeling of a real investigation, but easily breaks the pace after a break of a few days.

What has aged the most?

Tank controls take some getting used to, especially when facing fast opponents.Changing the perspective sometimes changes the direction of movement, and the need to open the menu for items slows down simple actions.Returns through familiar corridors are also tiring.

There are also problems with balance.The game can punish you for shooting too hard in the first half, without warning you how useful the ammo will be later.Some codes look more complicated than they should, and the story is based on genre conventions.

The modern version eliminates technical problems

The GOG version runs on Windows 10 and 11, supports modern controllers, windowed mode, vertical sync, anti-aliasing and higher resolution.It includes Original, Arrange and Operation Wipe Out.Fixed video playback, saving and some old rendering errors.

This is not a remake.Models, animations and structure remain the same.But the game can be launched without setting up an old version of Windows or searching for a disk.On GOG, the user rating remains at 4.7 out of 5, which for such an old survival horror indicates a well-preserved foundation.

Is it worth going back

Yes, if you're ready to take control from the original PlayStation era.Dino Crisis is short, intense and not overloaded with unnecessary systems.She quickly explains the rules and almost immediately begins using the dinosaurs not as targets, but as threats.

A remake could improve the combat, navigation, and story flow.But the main idea does not need to be changed.A dinosaur is scary not because it has a lot of health.He is scary because he moves faster than expected and does not recognize the room as safe.

Did you play Dino Crisis on the first PlayStation or did you discover it later?