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DINO CRISIS 3
review | XBOX
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Publisher: Capcom.
Developer: Capcom Production Studio 4. Released: November 2003 (Europe). Genre: Survival Horror. Posted 16th August 2025. By Shane Battams © 2025 |
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For long-lost series, there’s usually a key point when they ceased to be relevant in the gaming mainstream. Sometimes it’s declining sales that lead to the end, or the changing times see these properties left behind. On rare occasions, an entry is deemed so bad that it kills a series on the spot. This fate unfortunately befell Dino Crisis. Despite two critically acclaimed entries that sold like hotcakes, Capcom would struggle with the third entry due to a project restart that was beyond their control. Instead of remaining on Earth, Dino Crisis 3 would jettison into space with a new cast of characters. Over two decades later, the series remains in limbo, and unfortunately, its ending remains a low note.
The story begins in uneasy fashion, opting to move away from the scenario teased at the end of the second game. Instead, a ship lost for three centuries resurfaces in 2548 and sees the S.O.A.R. team responding. However, when their ship is attacked by the Ozymandias, only a few survive to infiltrate the ship. Worse still, the place seems to be overrun by dinosaurs, leaving Patrick Tyler and Sonya Hart to fend them off while exploring the ship. Facing terrifying creatures in space could have been interesting in the mould of Alien, but it ends up closer to Jason X thanks to a bland story that’s mired with uninteresting characters. Patrick’s occasional attempts at cheesy one-liners drop like lead, Sonya and the Commander fail to make an impact and Caren, a lone survivor, is ethereally boring. Needless to say, the absence of Regina is sorely felt here.
DC3's bland, featureless environments represent a big step backwards from the previous entries
Things only get worse once you start playing. As something of a continuation of the action focus of Dino Crisis 2, Patrick comes armed with an infinite ammo weapon, though you can collect special ammo for a shotgun as well as sniper shot. The other key offensive item comes from WASP, a pack that allows you to shoot targeted projectiles and unlock certain doors. You also come equipped with a jetpack, which lets you ascend and perform a speed dash, which is handy for dodging. Despite leaning more towards action, there is an element of classic survival horror too, in the form of the Ozymandias. At several points, you’ll need to change the formation of the ship to progress, which means returning to previously visited areas with a new twist, and it’s kind of satisfying to see the two ethos of prior games melded together.
Unfortunately, several major issues hurt the experience. The most notable is the camera system, which opts for static shots like prior games, switching to a different angle as you move to another part of the room. Unfortunately, fast movement sees you moving rapidly between screens, resulting in a few headaches. Sometimes, you’ll be sent back and forth as the control struggles to readjust to the changing perspective, which isn’t helped by the move to fully digital controls. Platforming is a struggle as distant views and changing shots make it harder to line up jumps. Enemies also have a habit of hovering off-screen, which can be countered with your gun’s strong auto aim, but it doesn’t make for much fun. With no way to alter your perspective, you’ll find it’s a constant fight even to see where you are.
Unfortunately, several major issues hurt the experience. The most notable is the camera system, which opts for static shots like prior games, switching to a different angle as you move to another part of the room. Unfortunately, fast movement sees you moving rapidly between screens, resulting in a few headaches. Sometimes, you’ll be sent back and forth as the control struggles to readjust to the changing perspective, which isn’t helped by the move to fully digital controls. Platforming is a struggle as distant views and changing shots make it harder to line up jumps. Enemies also have a habit of hovering off-screen, which can be countered with your gun’s strong auto aim, but it doesn’t make for much fun. With no way to alter your perspective, you’ll find it’s a constant fight even to see where you are.
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It's a shame that Dino Crisis 3 feels so much less accomplished than its predecessors. The Ozymandias certainly has novelty from its changing shape, but exploring it is an incredibly cold experience. Every room is smothered in featureless steel, making you wonder how anyone could have lived on this ship without facilities like a canteen. The enemy types also prove disappointing. Their designs are certainly unnerving, comprising of mutated monsters, but most of the game is spent fighting three types of dino. The only bright spot is the bigger boss fights, including encounters with a T-Rex, and these offer something different from the bland norm. The last bungled element is the game’s difficulty. DC3 is challenging: foes deal significant damage, saves are spaced quite far apart, and pick-ups are relatively scarce, to offset being able to purchase ammo with combat points. There’s also a limited lives system on Normal and Hard, which means losing them all sees you sent back to a save. It doesn’t feel satisfying, and even on Easy, the game can be a slog.
Capcom’s penchant for quality presentation holds true, leveraging the Xbox to deliver strong visuals. The texture work is fantastic, while the characters look and animate well. The few dinosaur models are well-crafted and superb CG scenes punctuate key moments or ship changes. Performance can suffer a few hitches during busy boss fights, but this is quite rare. The sound isn’t quite as consistent, but it does offer plenty of high points. The music is often strong, from the tense safe room theme to bombastic battle tracks. The voicework is quite spotty, ranging from cheesy to bland, and doesn’t help an already underwhelming roster of characters. The effects are decent enough, though gunfire sounds a touch weak, which undermines combat.
Capcom’s penchant for quality presentation holds true, leveraging the Xbox to deliver strong visuals. The texture work is fantastic, while the characters look and animate well. The few dinosaur models are well-crafted and superb CG scenes punctuate key moments or ship changes. Performance can suffer a few hitches during busy boss fights, but this is quite rare. The sound isn’t quite as consistent, but it does offer plenty of high points. The music is often strong, from the tense safe room theme to bombastic battle tracks. The voicework is quite spotty, ranging from cheesy to bland, and doesn’t help an already underwhelming roster of characters. The effects are decent enough, though gunfire sounds a touch weak, which undermines combat.
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An initial run of DC3 takes around seven hours, depending on your chosen difficulty and how much you struggle. There are a few extras to unlock upon completion of the higher settings, adding a couple of unique quirks to a new playthrough. There’s also a ranking system based on the points you earn, how often you save, and the chosen difficulty. You can cut the completion time down with repeat runs, though it’s admittedly not as enticing as with the previous games.
Dino Crisis 3 proved the death knell for its series, a blow it wouldn’t recover from as it fell far behind for the likes of Resident Evil and Devil May Cry. Despite cries from fans for its revival, it’s remained in stasis for two decades. Unfortunately, the third entry proves a real low note for the iconic company: a weak adventure that stumbles in key areas. With an infuriating camera system, bland gameplay and an underwhelming story, it pales next to the previous entries in terms of memorable moments and fun. While survival purists with plenty of patience may scrape some enjoyment from this game, most would do well to steer clear. In space, no one can hear you sigh.
Dino Crisis 3 proved the death knell for its series, a blow it wouldn’t recover from as it fell far behind for the likes of Resident Evil and Devil May Cry. Despite cries from fans for its revival, it’s remained in stasis for two decades. Unfortunately, the third entry proves a real low note for the iconic company: a weak adventure that stumbles in key areas. With an infuriating camera system, bland gameplay and an underwhelming story, it pales next to the previous entries in terms of memorable moments and fun. While survival purists with plenty of patience may scrape some enjoyment from this game, most would do well to steer clear. In space, no one can hear you sigh.
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VERDICT"With an infuriating camera system, bland gameplay and an underwhelming story, Dino Crisis 3 pales next to previous entries, and is short of fun or memorable moments.” OVERALL: 4/10 |
OTHER GAMES FEATURING DINOSAURS REVIEWED
Dino Crisis (2000, PlayStation)
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Dinotopia: The Sunshine Odyssey (2004, Xbox)
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