A review of

DINO CRISIS

Trapped on an island, in the middle of a sprawling complex, dealing with hungry lizards of prehistoric origin... no, this isn't the pitch for Jurassic Park or The Lost World, but it's pretty clear as to where CAPCOM drew their influence for this game.

More known for their arcade fighters, Capcom has recently been trying to get into the adventure gaming market, building on the surprising success of their "Resident Evil" line of games. Their latest turn, "Resident Evil 3: Nemesis" offered an interesting twist with a game that plays more like a movie than a regular game. Deciding to use this formula again, the company developed their newest game, built on the same engine as "RE:2".

The plot is somewhat parallel to the aforementioned JP movies, but the execution is far different: a world renown scientist, thought dead after a tragic accident, has been found alive and well on a hidden island compound, supposedly working on a new type of energy source. As part of a specialist team, with orders to infiltrate the compound and find the scientist, you and your teammates find yourself in a situation that's well over your heads: the compound appears to be abandoned, and there's gruesome signs of something not, quite human...

For the most part, you play the role of Regina - a red-head in a slinky, government issue cat suit - who has to work with Gaile (a blond headed male with more ego than brains), and Rick (a youngish, wise-cracking dude who is good with computers) to find the scientist. But things aren't all what they seem, especially when Regina discovers that the island is inhabited by real live dinosaurs! Raptors are the most common, but the game does sport a rather impressive T-Rex.

The game is played in real-time, and the action is much improved over the work in RE:2. Regina can walk with her weapon drawn and at the ready (a good thing, considering the speed of which a lot of the Dinos attack), and can also dash for safety if ammo is short. And conserving ammo is a key element to this game.

Also included are the puzzles and tricks needed to advance, which will make most people pull their teeth out in frustration. In most cases, Regina has to accomplish a specific task before the game advances, but to do so, she has to gather pass cards, Data Disk Keys (both Code disk and Key disk), and components and tools.

For the most part, this game works on a different level of fear: the "game-over" mentality of the Aliens movie, where you don't know where the next attack is going to come from, and you might not be ready to handle it when it comes. Plus, the sheer size of the dinos - especially the T-Rex - and the speed of which they attack will make even the most dedicated gamer wet themselves at times. With other touches such as dramatic cut-scenes, multiple endings, incredible effects (such as leaving blood trails when seriously wounded), and chilling scene setting and music, this is as about as close to "living" a movie you will get these days.

Ratings:

• BACKGROUND - 3 of 5
• GAME PLAY - 5 of 5
• GRAPHICS - 5 of 5
• REPLAY VALUE - 4 of 5

• TOTAL RATING - 4.25

by Stephen R. Sobotka, Jr.