In many ways Capcom defined the survival horror genre with their flagship series Resident Evil. The story and gameplay style was unique and refreshing in a time when 3d platformers where the order of the day. After Resident Evil 6 was released last year many of us cried survival horror is dead and after spending more than 30 hours plus with Resi 6 it’s safe to say we may have been right. Rather than spew a hate speech for killing the instantly recognisable survival horror elements Capcom created, I still have to admit there were some of the series strongest aspects in Resident Evil’s latest outing despite an overall disappointing experience. Many of the series hardcore fans praised Capcom for innovating and changing with the times to avoid the dreaded Call of Duty syndrome but in many ways Resi fell victim to the process they so desperately tried to avoid. While I’m all for objectivity I just can’t buy into this innovation claim as they’ve already done it with huge success in the form of 1999’s Dino Crisis.
1999 saw the release of Sega’s new powerhouse console the Dreamcast and Sony’s Playstation was already in millions of homes across the globe. The console gaming industry was in a transition period where the image of the console gamer was not that of adolescents traversing green pipes with an Italian plumber, but 18 plus gamers exploring ever more creative content that was both satisfying entertainingly through the use of cut scenes, advances in technology and mature content that was both challenging, horror filled and diverse. Capcom played a major role in pioneering this new generation of gamer. In 1996 Resident Evil first poked its brain devouring head out of the gutter and we couldn’t get enough. The series is still spawning sequels today but has lost what made it such a treasure to gamers the world over. Followed by two sequels in two years Capcom’s success was meteoric but lead developer of the Resi series Shinji Mikami decided to work on a new project using the core formula of Resident Evil and thus Dino Crisis was born. Perhaps following the success Resident Evil received in its origins Dino Crisis was really gameplay wise the unofficial sequel to Resident Evil and its natural evolution. By releasing a new title Mikami could experiment and test the waters to Resi’s evolution without risking the backlash Capcom face today.
Dino Crisis was repackaged as a survival-panic rather than a survival horror and in this case the game did exactly what it said it would. You play as Regina a member of a Special Forces team sent to investigate an isolated military facility headed by a mysterious Dr. Kirk. After a new weapons experiment led by Kirk goes wrong Dinosaurs have been transported to the facility and now run riot over the land. Kirk who is officially listed as deceased due to an explosion in his lab has a dark secret the government know he is still alive and on the facility and now it’s your job to bring him back and discover what went wrong. The plot is hardly believable but is that what we play games for? It is a little convoluted but is more coherent than what Resi throws at us today and as the game progresses it’s more than easy to become invested in. The game also has multiple endings and paths in which to take a commodity applauded even today in such games like Telltales’ The Walking Dead.
Visually Dino Crisis used full polygonal graphics rather than the 3d character models rendered on 2d textures that many Japanese titles favoured at the time. It kept Resident Evil’s camera though making it both fresh yet recognisable, the best looking version was the Dreamcasts rendition which made good use of its 128-bit processing power compared to the PS1’s 34-bit GPU. Much like Resi you fought and solved your way through the eerily quiet facility knowing that a Raptor could be right round the corner. It’s intense. Combat itself was much the same as Resi Evil with some key additions such as aiming and firing whilst moving a feature Capcom fans were crying out for and were only rewarded with in Resi 6. Although this opened up the opportunity for a more action based game the fragility of weapons and the sheer ferocity and power of the Dino enemies kept all the survival elements in check. Just like Resi running away is often the best policy. Another innovation that has gone over looked was the healing mechanic. When Regina is injured she must use the haemostats system to stop her bleeding and leaving a trail of blood which dinosaurs can follow. It really gives a sense of the hunter becoming the hunted and just another aspect that needs managed in order to ensure you’re survival. The survival elements are all strong in Dino Crisis puzzles play a major role and require players to do anything from crack codes using discs in the D.D.K system in order to unlock new areas to connecting pipes together transfer dangerous gases out of an area that needs explored. Puzzles can be lengthy but are enjoyable and most importantly for the genre challenging. Back tracking also becomes a necessity in Dino Crisis and although many games have forced us to take on this tedious task here it is managed very well. Regina can use the ventilation system to move around more freely in the facilities key areas making environment revisits less of a pain. Added with a smart auto save system that saves in between each major area makes a usually dull game play element a lot more playable, and when combined with the fact that you might have locked a hungry dinosaur in a previous room presents the player with options and a game plan is definitely recommended. A debuting panic system also plays a key role in keeping combat fresh and exciting in certain areas dinosaurs can grab Regina which initiates a panic state where you must key in the appropriate button presses in order to survive. If you do survive you are often rewarded with a satisfying kill scene like escaping a pterodactyls’ grasp only to make it soar into a giant fan which serves as a fantastic dinosaur blender.
There are so many elements that make Dino Crisis more than worthy of its 3 sequels and of cult status. It is only now that we have witnessed a decline in the survival horror genre have we truly appreciated this title. Creepy sound design, limited room for supplies, powerful enemies, mind boggling puzzles, horror themed story and longevity are all the staples familiar with the survival horror genre and Dino Crisis delivers on every one plus adding more. You can download Dino Crisis now from the PSN and while you do write Capcom an email asking them to make more Dino Crisis games! It could be the reboot us horror nuts having been waiting for. So does Jurassic Park meets Resident Evil sound good to you?
