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Some of the Best ‘Resident Evil’ Games Were the Ones With Dinosaurs

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We dig deep into Capcom’s ‘Dino Crisis’ and explore where the series could next find success

We’ve spent a lot of time on Resident Evil this week—and rightfully so—but one of the more interesting developments to arise from the games’ success was another series entirely. In 199X, Resident Evil’s director, Shinji Mikami decided to extend his good will at Capcom by creating another survival horror series for the PlayStation, Dino Crisis. The title would mimic much of Resident Evil’s trademark aesthetic while swapping out the series’ iconic zombies with ravenous dinosaurs. It was a shift for survival horror that honestly made a lot of sense. Resident Evil was just about to see the release of Nemesis at this point, and even then fatigue towards zombies was beginning to be felt. Dinosaurs are arguably more frightening and calculated than zombies, making them a wonderful enemy. Yet in spite of these things, Dino Crisis would go on to be the Futurama to Resident Evil’s The Simpsons, living a brief, uneven console life.

Shinji Mikami, the integral voice in shaping the genre of survival horror, became inspired with the idea for Dino Crisis by The Lost World: Jurassic Park and Aliens. It’s easy to see these influences in the material, with the title having more of an onslaught feeling evocative of Cameron’s film than the original Resident Evil does. Due to the constant, quicker, more intelligent threat that dinosaurs provided, the game was even billed as “panic horror” as opposed to “survival horror.” Mikami even wanted to go further with the AI of his dinosaurs, resembling something closer to the Xenomorph in Alien: Isolation, appropriately enough, but the goal fell short due to hardware limitations.

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Mikami described both of his series and how they differ in a pretty astute way. If Resident Evil is “horror in a funhouse” then he compared Dino Crisis to the “horror on a rollercoaster,” and that’s a perfect way of putting it. The title still carries a lot of Resident Evil staples, like your limited inventory and ammo, unlocking and backtracking through rooms, the classic transitory loading screens between areas, or Resident Evil’s B-movie script work, like a run in with a Tyrannosaurus where you utter, “Oh man, this is just what I don’t need!” In spite of dinosaurs sometimes lending themselves to a large open world, Dino Crisis retained Resident Evil’s claustrophobic, indoor setup. Interestingly enough, Dino Crisis did really well! This doesn’t start off as some story of it being a neglected, misunderstood gem. Critics and audiences alike loved Dino Crisis’ insanity with the game garnering a 9.2 from IGN and it selling over 2.4 million copies (it’s also the 18th best selling game in Capcom’s library). Not only that, but a lot of people were praising the game for revamping the survival horror genre in a genuinely exciting way.

Another thing that the Dino Crisis games do really well in a way that feels different than Resident Evil is the scope of these boss fights. No question, Resident Evil has some very grandiose battles, but these games (particularly Dino Crisis 2) have you taking things on like a Tyrannosaurus Rex, a Triceratops, an inspired underwater battle with a Plesiosaurus, or the humongous “Gigantosaurus” that caps off the sequel (and involves the help of a freaking satellite to help take down). The games excel at making you genuinely worried when you face up against these guys, bewildered at how you’re supposed to win.

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This universal acclaim unsurprising led to the title seeing a sequel in 2000 with Dino Crisis 2, with Shu Takumi, Dino Crisis’ main planner picking up the directing torch from Mikami.. But before looking at the series’ sequel, Capcom embraced Mikami’s new world in a number of ways. For instance, their light gun side series, Gun Survivor has focused on Resident Evil for its first two entries, but the third one was an encouraging Dino Crisis spinoff that would pull from its first two titles. Dinosaurs are a natural fit for light gun craziness and Dino Stalker was a gesture of good faith towards the series at least, even if it largely might go unrecognized. Beyond that, with the release of Sega Dreamcast’s, it was big news that the next Resident Evil title, Code: Veronica would be exclusively appearing on the console. To prepare for this Capcom ported all of the Resident Evil titles over to the system, but they also ported Dino Crisis along with it. While the Dreamcast version might be a hard relic to track down, it potentially could have helped the franchise if the title had been a best seller. And seriously, can you imagine some Code: Veronica-esque Dino Crisis game on the Dreamcast? I’d have lost my mind.

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Dino Crisis 2 also went on to impress critics and audiences alike, being cited as an even more innovative title to the genre than its predecessor. Dino Crisis 2 does take things outside, but also injects a heavy dose of adrenaline into the series by heavily amping up the action-adventure factor (which honestly makes sense with dinosaurs). There’s even a point system in place for flashy kills. This too would be a move that Resident Evil would resort to, but it’d take them until Resident Evil 4 to realize the transition. Dino Crisis was mixing things up right out of the gate. The game went on to sell 1.19 million copies and receive a 9.3 from IGN, and while it didn’t see the rampant success of the first game, it was still undeniably a triumph. That’s why it’s so puzzling that after the release of Dino Stalker, the series largely lied as dead as the dinosaurs themselves. Resident Evil games kept happening and yet there was no Dino Crisis 3 when there was every reason to be.

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In a supremely puzzling move, Dino Crisis did end up seeing its third game, albeit three years later and on the XBOX. Disappointingly, Dino Crisis 3 was rebooted as a third-person shooter, and one that is set in space, no less (a decision that the XBOX would also do with Turok, strangely enough). The title was unsurprisingly without any of the original creative teams, and largely removed what people loved about the games in the first place (although I can dig the two-headed Gigantosaurus). This was just loudly killing dinosaurs without any of the charm and depth of the previous titles. People didn’t just want to kill dinosaurs, they wanted another Dino Crisis. It’s a shame that this pale imitation ended up landing on a lot of “Worst Sequel” lists of the year, too. The XBOX was relatively barren in the area of survival horror at the time, and this could have been a great opportunity in the area rather than just adding to the wealth of shooters that cluttered the system.

Even in other areas Dino Crisis has remained suspiciously absent. Crossover fighting games like the Marvel Vs Capcom and Project X Zone have made some reasonably deep cut inclusions, yet there have been barely any reminders of Regina, Dylan, or anyone from the Dino Crisis world. The only outside inclusion is when Regina appeared in the RPG, Namco X Capcom, but so do the protagonists from Resident Evil: Dead Aim, which hardly makes it feel as special. Something like this could at least get the games back on people’s radars before trying to initiate a bigger move, or maybe they’d learn that these characters thrive in a fighting game environment.

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It’s easy to chalk up Dino Crisis disappearing from Capcom’s slate due to the failure that Dino Crisis 3 saw, but that doesn’t mean that people are through with the series or that they’ve found the right vehicle for the franchise. The original Dino Crisis games have sold well on the PlayStation Store, which certainly attests to interest being out there, too. Perhaps taking the series online like Resident Evil did with Outbreak and is soon to do with Umbrella Corps would be a better fit for the franchise. At least give it a shot. Capcom seems to be all about putting out interest polls and weighing support from the crowd, so why not test the waters again?

Along those lines, why not even follow up with an HD re-release of the original. Such an approach could kill, and it was such a huge success when Resident Evil re-released their original title on the Gamecube. At this point Capcom is running out of RE games to give an HD makeover, so why not shift their focus towards Dino Crisis? This could do even better than REmake did, and picture some crimson head equivalent to a raptor chasing you down!

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Dino Crisis might have lost its place in the survival horror pantheon, but if given the opportunity, who knows what they could achieve in the current gaming climate. The series claw was forced in a direction that it really didn’t want to go in, and if they let the series really embrace its roots they would no doubt have a hit on their hands. If Jurassic World can come out over fifteen years after Jurassic Park 3 and set box office world records in the process, then there’s still plenty of hope for the crazy folks within Dino Crisis.

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Daniel Kurland is a freelance writer, comedian, and critic, whose work can be read on Splitsider, Bloody Disgusting, Den of Geek, ScreenRant, and across the Internet. Daniel knows that "Psycho II" is better than the original and that the last season of "The X-Files" doesn't deserve the bile that it conjures. If you want a drink thrown in your face, talk to him about "Silent Night, Deadly Night Part II," but he'll always happily talk about the "Puppet Master" franchise. The owls are not what they seem.

Editorials

The 10 Scariest Moments in the ‘Ghostbusters’ Movie Franchise

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scariest Ghostbusters

WARNING: The following contains mild spoilers for the Ghostbusters franchise. 

Yes, Ghostbusters is a horror movie – gateway horror to be exact. Setting aside the fact that the title literally contains the word “ghost,” a foundational element of the scariest genre, the franchise follows a group of paranormal researchers who battle entities attacking from beyond the grave. After countless rewatches, the classic films and newer sequels may not scare us much anymore, but how many times have we as genre fans asserted that a film does not have to be “scary” to be considered horror?

Genre classification is nebulous and any film that centers on ghosts has a place in the sprawling house of horror. Yes, it’s true that most viewers over the age of thirteen will find more to laugh about than scream while watching a Ghostbusters film, but each entry contains a handful of terrifying moments. With Gil Kenan’s Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire uniting three generations of the parascientific warriors, perhaps it’s time to highlight the most frightening moments from each phase of this legendary franchise. 


Ghostbusters (1984)

A Haunted Library

scariest Ghostbusters movie

Ivan Reitman’s original film begins with a campfire tale come to life. We follow an unsuspecting librarian as she ventures deep into the stacks to reshelve a book. With her hair blowing from a spectral breeze, we watch a hardcover float across the aisle to the opposite shelf. A second book follows, but the librarian remains unaware. She finally notices the disturbance when card catalog drawers open on their own spewing cards into the air like literary geysers. She flees through the maze of narrow stacks only to come face to face with a mysterious force who blows her back with a powerful roar. We won’t see the Library Ghost (Ruth Oliver) until a later scene, but this introduction firmly positions the film that follows in the world of horror. On first watch, we can only speculate as to the ghost’s malevolence and whether or not the librarian has survived the encounter. It’s the perfect introduction to a world in which ghosts are not only real, they will pounce on unsuspecting humans at the drop of a … book. 

Shaky Ground

The original finale may not be the film’s most terrifying moment, but it has become the franchise’s most iconic image. When faced with choosing a form for Gozer (Slavitza Jovan), Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd) inadvertently conjures up an image from his childhood. Moments later, a set of once-cheery eyes peer through the skyscrapers. The Stay Puft Marshmallow Man towers over the city, stomping and destroying everything in its path. While there’s definitely something terrifying about a jovial mascot turned deadly killer, what happens moments before is arguably scarier. 

The Ghostbusters arrive at the luxury apartment building to throngs of adoring fans. Peter Venkman (Bill Murray) plays into this hero-worship and promises an easy solution to a supernatural problem. But before they can enter the building, lightning strikes the upper floors sending massive chunks of brick and cement raining down on the barricaded street. The ground begins to shake and a giant fissure swallows the entire team. It’s a destabilizing moment made all the more terrifying by its shocking reality. Speculation about the existence of ghosts may vary from person to person, but there’s no doubt that sinkholes are very real. It’s entirely possible that the ground we’re standing on right now could spontaneously begin to crumble, sucking us down into a seemingly bottomless void beneath the earth. 


Ghostbusters II (1989)

Runaway Baby

Ivan Reitman’s sequel begins with a sly update on the life of a beloved character as Dana Barrett (Sigourney Weaver) pushes a baby carriage containing her infant son Oscar (Henry and William Deutschendorf). When last we saw the attractive cellist, she was kissing Venkman in the wreckage of Gozer’s demise and the thought of this loveable lady’s man becoming a father may be more nerve-wracking than anything contained in the first film. We never learn much about Oscar’s real father, but we do discover that fate has a sinister plan for the adorable child. While Dana chats with her landlord, Oscar’s carriage rolls a few feet away. Dana reaches for the handle, but the buggy begins speeding down the sidewalk careening through the busy crowds. As if guided by unseen hands, the carriage twists and turns, then abruptly swerves into oncoming traffic. Cars honk and veer out of the way, but the racing carriage marks a collision course with an approaching bus. The wheels screech to a halt moments before what would surely be a deadly crash and Dana rushes to embrace her vulnerable child. This harrowing scene is likely to terrorize any parent who’s experienced the fear of trying to protect a baby in an unpredictable world.  

Sewer Screams

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While investigating the second film’s primary villain, Vigo the Carpathian (Wilhelm von Homburg), three of the Ghostbusters venture into the sewers hoping to find a growing river of slime. Ray, Winston (Ernie Hudson), and Egon (Harold Ramis) trek down an abandoned subway line while speculating about the hordes of cockroaches and rats they hear scurrying behind the walls. These vermin may be scary, but there are more malevolent monsters lurking in the dark. Ray and Egon both amuse themselves with the tunnel’s echo but Winston’s “hello” goes unanswered. Moments later, a demonic voice bellows his name from the dark end of the corridor. Waiting behind him is a severed head floating in the empty tunnel. As he tries to retreat, the team finds themselves surrounded by dozens of ghoulish heads that disappear faster than they materialized. Moments later, a ghostly train hurtles towards them, swallowing Winston in its spectral glow. Egon theorizes that something is trying to keep them from reaching their destination with effective scares designed to frighten the Ghostbusters and audience alike.  


Ghostbusters (2016)

Haunted Basement

Like its predecessor, Paul Feig’s remake opens with a spooky vignette. Garrett (Zach Woods) gives a tour of the Aldridge Mansion, a 19th century manor preserved in the middle of the busy city, and walks visitors through a troubling history of excess and cruelty. Hoping to inject a bit of excitement, he pauses near the basement door and tells the horrifying story of Gertrude Aldridge (Bess Rous), a wealthy heiress who murdered the house’s many servants. Hoping to avoid a public scandal, her family locked her in the basement and her restless spirit can still be heard trying to escape. Garrett triggers a trick candlestick to fly off the shelf, hinting at the spirit’s presence, but a late night incident shows that the deceased murderess may actually be lurking in her ancestral home. While closing up for the night, Garrett hears ominous noises from behind the barricaded door and watches the knob rattle against the heavy locks. An unseen attacker hurls him through the house and eventually drives him down the basement stairs to a sea of green slime pooling on the floor. The stairs crumble leaving the tour guide hanging on to the door frame for dear life as a spectral figure glides toward him with menacing hands outstretched. Once again, we won’t see the fully revealed ghost of Gertrude Aldridge until later in the film, but this terrifying opening sets the stage for a dangerous showdown with an army of the dead.

Mannequin On the Move

The scariest moment of the 2016 remake is arguably the vicious online hatred sparked well before the film’s release. In response to brutal comments posted to the first official trailer, the cast returned to film an additional scene in which they react to dehumanizing negativity. But another sequence may cut closer to the heart of this upsetting experience. The Ghostbusters respond to a call at a concert venue and split up to cover more ground. Patty (Leslie Jones) enters what she calls a “room full of nightmares” and immediately reverses course to avoid a multitude of mannequins stacked haphazardly in the dark. As she walks out the door, one of the faceless creatures turns its head her way. Walking on its own, this sentient prop follows her down the hall, pausing the moment she turns around. Eventually breaking cover, the mannequin chases Patty down the hall to the rest of the team. They unleash their proton packs and make quick work of the gargoyle-like ghost. Though this connection is surely unintentional, it’s a terrifying parallel to a faceless monster sneaking up to attack a woman simply trying to do her job. 


Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)

Smoke and Monsters

While Ghostbusters: Afterlife is nowhere near as scary as the horror films playing in the local summer school science class, Jason Reitman’s legacyquel does contain its share of frights. The film opens with a harrowing scene as we join Egon (Oliver Cooper) in the last moments of his life. Racing away from a sinister mountain, Egon’s truck collides with an unseen force and flips upside down in a field of corn. The elderly scientist races back to his crumbling farmhouse with a trap in hand, intent on ensnaring this invisible being. Unfortunately, the power fails and Egon has no choice but to hide the trap under the floorboards and wait. He sits in a comfortable old chair as a horrifying cloud of smoke drifts in behind him, momentarily forming the shape of a fanged beast. Demonic hands grab him from within the chair, likely causing the heart attack that will be listed on his death certificate. But his abandoned PKE meter below the chair activates, reminding us that Egon may be deceased, but he is far from gone.  

The Terror Returns

scariest Ghostbusters moments

Ghostbusters: Afterlife turns out to be a touching tribute to Harold Ramis as his friends and family unite to complete the beloved scientist’s heroic mission. In addition to a tearjerker ending, Reitman also includes a bevy of callbacks to the original film. Not only do the Spenglers square off against the team’s first enemy, Gozer (Emma Portner), the nonbinary entity brings back the Terror Dogs that once possessed Dana Barret and Louis Tully (Rick Moranis). These demonic beasts first rear their ugly heads while Gary Grooberson (Paul Rudd) stops by Walmart to buy a midnight snack. While the horde of mini marshmallow men are eerie in their gleeful self-destruction, the ghostly canine that chases him through the store is the stuff of nightmares. Early iterations of this fearsome creature are hindered by ’80s-era special effects, but Reitman’s version feels frighteningly real. While Gary frantically tries to find his keys, this Terror Dog snarls at him from atop his car dashboard, leaving the endearing science teacher with no way to escape. 


Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024)

Frozen Dinner 

After a film set in a small mountain town, the opening of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire takes us back to New York circa 1904. We see the fire station in its early years as a horse-drawn carriage responds to a call. Arriving at the scene, a fireman tests the door for heat and watches in horror as his hand instantly freezes. Inside, they find jagged shards of ice surrounding and piercing a frozen dinner party. Guests are posed in various states of ice-covered surprise while an eerie record skips in the corner. A figure covered in brass armor we will come to know as a Fire Master is crouched in the corner clutching a mysterious orb. When the fireman touches this rippling sphere, the frozen diners’ heads begin to explode, an ominous precursor to the chilling threat awaiting the newest Ghostbusting team. 

Lights Out

If Ghostbusters: Afterlife featured the lo-fi gear of the 80s, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire hurls us into the future. Wealthy financier Winston Zeddemore has been surreptitiously building a new containment unit to relieve pressure on the original model along with a secret lab designed to study ghosts and haunted objects. In addition to fancy new gadgets and gear, this facility contains several captured spirits like a fanged Wraith and a speedy Possessor. Lab techs assure the astonished Spengler team that they are perfectly safe, but it seems they’ve overestimated the facility’s security. Lucky (Celeste O’Connor) and Lars (James Acaster) are studying the aforementioned orb when the power goes out, leaving them stranded in the dark with a cache of haunted objects. Not only does the ancient sphere hold a deadly spirit, the proton fields containing the captured ghosts have just been disabled. These terrifying creatures begin to drift through the walls toward the defenseless lab techs, perhaps at the bidding of an evil commander. Thankfully the generator kicks on in the nick of time, drawing the ghosts back into their cells. It’s a tense moment reminding us that no matter how charming the Ghostbusters may be, they still spend their days with evil spirits just waiting for an opportunity to wreak havoc.  


The Ghostbusters franchise excels at mixing humor and fear, practically setting the blueprint for the modern horror comedy. Moments from the original two films terrified a generation of gen-xers and elder millennials and newer iterations are currently scaring their kids. The fifth franchise installment effectively passes the proton pack torch to a new generation of Ghostbusters and we can only hope additional films will continue to induct future generations of Ghostbusters fans into the horror family as well. 

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is now playing in theaters. Read our review.

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