Dino Crisis has been on my backlog since I was a teenager. Before I even kept track of such things. I'm a lifelong Resident Evil fan. With a preference for the PSX titles. So, going over to friends and seeing the game in action was always a treat. I knew I would best the game one day. Just a matter of time... cut to 20+ years later. How does that happen?
Starting the game I found myself grinning ear to ear. The survival horror aspects are chefs kiss perfection. The dinosaurs are a threat brother. They don't play around. Unless flanked by two, I found it best to run when given the chance. But they didn't just beef up the enemies and call it a day. No, the raptors are intelligent. They will chase your ass into a hallway/room just when you think you can take a breather.
The game compensates for the increased threat with improved controls(Quick Turn!) and better gear/ammo. As a seasoned RE vet I never felt myself needing of ammo. I played smart. Not engaging with the combat system unless needed. And while I guess they can be seen as a flaw I quite enjoyed the arcade style DANGER! moments in cut scenes. Being capable of dying in cutscenes add to the pulse pounding nature of an intense game.
But here is where my complaints start to come in. I say intense game but I really only mean that for the first half. Maybe even third. The game eventually gives way to questionable design choices. Take all of the things people poke fun at Resident Evil and crank them up for the worse. The backtracking, inventory management, and puzzles I found tedious at a certain point. The inventory management not being relegated to a single magical chest is a downgrade for me. Harking back to RE Zero in this way.
And the puzzles. The word puzzles :l I get what they were going for. I thought they were fun at first. But, in my personal opinion, these word puzzles hang around for too long. Overstaying their welcome and begging for variety.
I don't have a lot to say about the story. It does the best it can with its over the top Dino subject matter. The main character is a badass. Something the adjacent RE series did well was cool women characters. Dino Crisis is no exception here. At the same time the story feels like it just sort of ends. Not a bad ending or anything. Just there.
Overall I still enjoyed my time with Dino Crisis. At the same time the parts I didn't enjoy are going to hold me back from replays. I think objectively speaking it's probably a better game than RE3. Though my nostalgia wont allow me to accept that in my heart, haha. Still, I'd be interested in know what you all have to say about the game.
Starting the game I found myself grinning ear to ear. The survival horror aspects are chefs kiss perfection. The dinosaurs are a threat brother. They don't play around. Unless flanked by two, I found it best to run when given the chance. But they didn't just beef up the enemies and call it a day. No, the raptors are intelligent. They will chase your ass into a hallway/room just when you think you can take a breather.
The game compensates for the increased threat with improved controls(Quick Turn!) and better gear/ammo. As a seasoned RE vet I never felt myself needing of ammo. I played smart. Not engaging with the combat system unless needed. And while I guess they can be seen as a flaw I quite enjoyed the arcade style DANGER! moments in cut scenes. Being capable of dying in cutscenes add to the pulse pounding nature of an intense game.
But here is where my complaints start to come in. I say intense game but I really only mean that for the first half. Maybe even third. The game eventually gives way to questionable design choices. Take all of the things people poke fun at Resident Evil and crank them up for the worse. The backtracking, inventory management, and puzzles I found tedious at a certain point. The inventory management not being relegated to a single magical chest is a downgrade for me. Harking back to RE Zero in this way.
And the puzzles. The word puzzles :l I get what they were going for. I thought they were fun at first. But, in my personal opinion, these word puzzles hang around for too long. Overstaying their welcome and begging for variety.
I don't have a lot to say about the story. It does the best it can with its over the top Dino subject matter. The main character is a badass. Something the adjacent RE series did well was cool women characters. Dino Crisis is no exception here. At the same time the story feels like it just sort of ends. Not a bad ending or anything. Just there.
Overall I still enjoyed my time with Dino Crisis. At the same time the parts I didn't enjoy are going to hold me back from replays. I think objectively speaking it's probably a better game than RE3. Though my nostalgia wont allow me to accept that in my heart, haha. Still, I'd be interested in know what you all have to say about the game.