The Dino Crisis series is one of the most interesting and iconic survival horror franchises that the video game industry has ever seen, especially for all fans of the combination of tense survival and dinosaurs. The concept was created by Capcom, known for hits like Resident Evil, and the series debuted in the late 1990s as a unique and tense franchise where dinosaurs become the main antagonists instead of the usual zombies or monsters.
The first Dino Crisis was released on July 1, 1999 on the PlayStation console and immediately caught the attention of players as it brought a mix of survival horror, adventure and sci-fi story. Set on the isolated Ibis Island, the secret organization SORT sends Agent Regina to investigate a mysterious research station with a team, only to discover that the place has been overrun by deadly dinosaurs due to experiments with a mysterious energy known as Third Energy. The game uses real-time 3D graphics instead of pre-rendered backgrounds, which was a technologically bold step for the genre at the time.
The first title was originally marketed in Japan as a panic horror due to the intensity and dynamism of the dinosaur enemies, but outside of Japan it settled under the term survival horror, gaining cult status and praise for its tense gameplay, intelligent enemies and atmosphere of constant threat.
Shortly after the success of the original, Capcom released Dino Crisis 2 in 2000, which kept the protagonist Regina, but introduced new teammate Dylan Morton and shifted the focus significantly towards the action experience. While the first title focused more on survival and puzzles, Dino Crisis 2 brought faster combat, more combat situations, and a scoring system that rewarded players.
After that, the series expands through several spin-off issues. One such is Dino Stalker from 2002, a lightweight first-person shooter on rails that uses elements from the Gun Survivor series, where players shoot waves of dinosaurs in arcade form. Also in 2003, Dino Crisis: Dungeon in Chaos appeared, a mobile version that brought a simplified adventure in a serial setting.
The main series comes to an end with Dino Crisis 3 in 2003, which differs significantly from its predecessors. Instead of the classic settings on an island or in the labyrinths of research bases, this sequel is set in the distant future on the spaceship 'Ozymandias', where players explore a mysterious ship and fight against mutated dinosaurs. This departure from traditional survival horror elements and futuristic plot did not impress all fans, and the game received mixed reviews.
After Dino Crisis 3, the series practically "died" for more than two decades. Capcom has not released any new major titles in the franchise, although the original games have remained popular with fans.
The first two games from the Dino Crisis series are available legally on GOG.
Virus.hr portal mascot
