Dino Crisis 2

"Everybody walk the Dinosaur"

I remember playing the original Dino Crisis, and what it did to make me a survival horror fan. That's why I was so thrown off when I played Dino Crisis 2. It was so different from the first one, that it turned me off for a while. Years later, I ducted off my copy, and finally gave the game due justice. And I gotta say, it has to be one of the best pure-action games I have played on the PS1. Capcom took aspects from their RE franchise, and used their positives, while straying away from most of the negatives.

First there's the graphics. While RE's pre-rendered backgrounds looked and felt dated by the time RE3 rolled out, the pre-rendered jungle backgrounds look beautiful, with a level of detail that polygons just couldn't get. Even the indoor levels (which are fewer than previous Capcom games) look great.

Next there's the sound. Capcom made a huge jump from the awful dialogue of RE3, to dialogue that sounds alot cleaner and better delivered. Aside from a few "Engrish" translations in the text, the game has better production value as far as sound than games past.

And then there's the crown jewel of the game: the gameplay. Capcom managed to actually create level designs that make the best out of the tank controls of RE3, and it works. Gone are the close-knit rooms and awful cameras of RE3, and in place are long stretches of straight path with few corners to have to tank around. instead of focusing on slow fetch quests and spooky jump moments, DC2 focuses on one thing: killing dinosaurs. Added to the DC control scheme are rolls/dodges and melee moves, making the cation stall as much. As far as the camera, gone are the corner shots that block your view. The cameras are set up so you can see both your enemies and the path. Also added are points that can be exchanged for weapons and health. These point are collected thanks to the new combo system, as well as bonuses for counters and going through areas unharmed. Rounding out the bunch is the variety in gameplay. You're not only fighting dinosaurs in the jungle, but shooting from the back of a boat, piloting an underwater sub-suit, a tank running from a T-Rex, and much more.

Simply put, this is as action-packed as any game on the PS1. IT manages to keep action high and constant, without seeming braindead.