The survival horror genre is notoriously pegged into one of two types based on its content. Tactical use of what can be referred to as “the jump scare” pencils most action centric survival horror games into a fast paced style of gameplay that offers variety in its quick thrills. The alternative category in this particular regard being a game with a “rising tension” feeling to it. A game where the goal of the developer is to unnerve the player with calculated moments of disturbing imagery building up to a wider unsettling plot to be revealed.
Whilst these two types can sum up the majority of survival horror games. We can’t forget that there is alternatives out there. Today we have a fine example of a focus more on the “survival” aspect, as opposed to the “horror”, without missing a single beat of the essential featured element of fear required. Boss Rush dutifully digs its claws into Dino Crisis for PS1 from Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami.
The Tyrannosaurus Rex
If you asked a child of the nineties what they believe to be the most iconic on-screen “edge-of-your-seat” moment in a movie is — You may very well hear the answer to be a certain well-known chase scene from Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park. The historic, visually impactful sight of a Tyrannosaurus Rex ramming against a truck as the helpless humans inside desperately try to escape is perhaps the most fondly remembered part of the film. During the mid-nineties, The creative boffins over at Capcom saw an easy formula to capitalize on with the success of this blockbuster film. Therefore Dino Crisis was born. The essence of Dino Crisis gameplay was made to create a constant panic in the player as you are always trying to outrun an enemy typically larger than you. This is by no means a new dynamic, but it is certainly explored best in the heralded age of Capcom’s glory days on the Playstation One. They had conquered the market for zombies. Why not try dinosaurs?
Naturally with the T-Rex being the biggest and baddest of all the dinosaurs — This put him into the prime slot of the main villain for Dino Crisis. The plot we are given surrounding the state of affairs is that dinosaurs of the Jurassic period have become displaced from their correct time to the distant future of 2009. Yes, Really. Their position has been tracked down by an elite special forces unit to an abandoned military facility inconveniently located on an island in the middle of nowhere. We are brought onto the island to investigate how they managed to get there and find out exactly what happened to the people running the facility.
Our lead character Regina is the sole female member of the team. Regina is a capable intelligence and weapons expert. In typical horror game fashion you find yourself fending off dinosaurs of the island alone as the special forces team separates in the opening of the game. When I say “separates” I mean in the sense that the other members either wander off or are literally separated in two as the Tyrannosaurus grabs himself a quick meal in the games introduction.
The initial sight of the T-rex is to set the tone of the rest of the game. The cutscene is to illustrate that this is a fearsome beast that you cannot simply contend with. A feat which is upheld throughout the length of the game. The melee and automatic weapons you have at your disposal help you survive the dinosaurs of the island. It’s just a shame for you that none of them will work on the T-rex. The fear of Dino Crisis stems from the helpless nature of your character. When you have multiple encounters with a final boss in a game it is often an exercise in battling the same foe in various degrees of difficulty. This is to create a sense of rivalry.
The intention here is that none of your weapons will ever work on The T-Rex. You are the prey and he is the predator. Therefore the players incentive to keep going lies in the need to defeat a seemingly un-killable villain. Until that point, it is time to run.
This is a notion that borrows heavily from the aforementioned Jurassic Park movie. It was in a move that for the time set Dino Crisis apart from others of its genre. There is this overwhelming presence stalking you at every turn and you cannot harm it. A formula that was used by Capcom again in Resident Evil 3 Nemesis to a lesser extent. Truthfully, There is nothing overly special about the villainous T-rex from Dino Crisis. It’s the implications of his immortality until the final conclusion — that make him a scary prospect to encounter in the deep jungle of the unknown. That being said, it is incredibly satisfying if you do reach beyond your fears and make it to the battle where the devious dino will draw his last breath.
