Dinos in space? What's next, zombies in space?
Overview
Capcom started this whole survival horror thing back in 96 w/ the original Resident Evil. This paved the way for a legion of copy cats that will either suceed (Silent Hill) or fail. In 99, Capcom unleashed another offering in the genre. A question was asked, was dinos scarier than zombies? The original Dino Crisis was very successful. Players ran through 3D enviroments while being chanced by hungry dinos. It had the same shock value as RE, but more survival than horror. Capcom then took DC a different way for the sequel, it was now more action oriented, which met mixed reviews. Capcom now decided to take their franchise to Xbox w/ some fresh ideas and one bad concept, dinos in space. Capcom shows off new tricks, but always seem to throw in that one ugly one that leads to booing
Graphics 9/10
Dino Crisis shows off some of the best visuals for the system. The character models are animated very well and look damn good. The dinos are no slouches either. Capcom went w/ original dinosaur ideas, like the T-Rex w/ no skin, very cool. The enviroments are very nice, even though it all takes place on a ship. Slowdown doesn't rear it's ugly head at all, even when your facing 4 to 5 Algos. CG movies are amazing, Capcom really knows how to get the most out of a system. Now only if you can see it all.
Gameplay/Controls 6/10
It plays more like Dino Crisis 2, with a twist. DC3 relies more on action than survival horror. Lots of killing. Players earn points for killing dinos, and by collecting them, to upgrade health, weapons, and get those much needed continues. the game doesn't lack puzzles, it's actually one big one. The ship is changes. You leave a room, change, press a switch, change. It's a fresh idea, much needed for a game like this. Dinos are placed differently everytime you play, but some are always at the same spot. It keeps the action intense and it keeps you guessing, which I like. The story is decent, even though a bad concept. I wasn't too thrilled by the whole dinosaurs in space idea, but they carry the story off well. It's a great action game, however, everything comes to a screeching hault when you realize you can't see what you're shooting. Capcom decided to stick with the fixed camera, which is fine for a game like RE when closed areas, However, DC3 enviroments are huge and you can easily miss out important items or get cheap hits from baddies. You are constantly shooting at enemies off screen, then all the sudden an Algo jumps at you from no where. It's annoying, especially when you get into platform jumping. I wish Capocm gave you more control over it then just adding a first person view. It's almost unplayable.
X fires your gun (holding gives you a more powerful attack). A opens doors and such, B jumps, Y shoots off your WASPS (attacks everything in sight). R activates your jet pack for dashing, hovering, or floating. Push in the right analog stick for first person view. It's all basic and sounds really easy, but the camera will make you confused. There isn't any control over the camera, which is needed for a game like this. The controls are fine, very responsive, but it doesn't help you fight monsters you can't see. I dashed into a lot of dinos by accident since I couldn't see them. I had a lot of cheap, cheap deaths.
Sound/Music 6/10
Not too bad. The VA is actually good, can't believe it for a B movie like game. Weapons are spot on. The walking sound you make is a little wierd, like there's sounds for steps he didn't take. The dinos sound decent, but not terrifying like I hoped. Nothing annoying, which is great since you will be relying on your ears mostly.
Replay Value 3/10
Why would you want to replay this game? Do you like an unforgiving camera? There’s really nothing else after you beat this game. The game takes as long as any other Dino Crisis game, but add in camera frustration, and you may be playing this game a while. It’s a shame really.
Overall 4/10
Why would you want to replay this game? Do you like an unforgiving camera? There’s really nothing else after you beat this game. The game takes as long as any other Dino Crisis game, but add in camera frustration, and you may be playing this game a while. It’s a shame really.
- By Cold Man X
