The Dino Crisis series is one of the most interesting and cult survival horror franchises that the video game industry has ever seen, especially for 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 attracted players' attention as it brought a mix of survival horror, adventure, and science fiction storytelling. The plot takes place on the isolated Ibis Island, where a secret organization called SORT sends agent Regina with a team to investigate a mysterious research facility, only to discover that the place is overrun with 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 panic horror due to the intensity and dynamism of the dinosaur enemies, but outside Japan, it became established 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 retained protagonist Regina but introduced a new co-player, Dylan Morton, and significantly shifted the focus towards an action experience. While the first title was more focused on survival and puzzles, Dino Crisis 2 brought faster combat, more combat situations, and a scoring system that rewarded players.
After that, the series expanded through several spin-off releases. One such title is Dino Stalker from 2002, a light rail shooter that uses elements from the Gun Survivor series, where players shoot at waves of dinosaurs in an arcade form. Also, in 2003, Dino Crisis: Dungeon in Chaos appeared, a mobile version that brought a simplified adventure into the series' environment.
The main series comes to an end with Dino Crisis 3 in 2003, which is significantly different from its predecessors. Instead of classic settings on an island or in the mazes 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 the 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 remain popular among fans.
The first two games from the Dino Crisis series are available legally on GOG.
