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Dino Crisis 3
Developed by Capcom and
September of 2003, Dino Crisis 3 is the 3rd installment in a series of Dino
Crisis (DC for short) games originally developed for the Playstation
Platform. To say that DC3 has come a long way since it's days of
Playstation playing is an understatement. The levels are expansive,
the graphics... given that Xbox polish are greatly improved, new controls
and weapons have been added, and the dinosaurs are more ferocious than
ever!
DC3 begins 300 years into the future where your crew has been sent to
investigate the mysterious spaceship called the "Ozymandias"
which has re-emerged after a 300 year disappearance and is suddenly on a
course destined for Earth. Upon initial inspection, this ship is
HUGE! With so many rooms and corridors to explore, puzzles to solve,
and a mystery to unravel, playing this game can take many hours to
complete.
After your ship is attacked by the Ozymandias, only Patrick, Sonya, and
Captain Jacob are left to survive and try and find a way off this
dinosaur-infested ghost ship. Players assume either the role of
Patrick or Sonya (depending on the situation), attempting to investigate
and acquire any survivors...as IF!
Equipped with a new variety of futuristic artillery including three
different types of guns: Vulcan - your machine-gun type base weapon
that has unlimited ammunition; the Wide-Shot - a close range weapon that
shoots gravitation projectiles over a wide area (best used for what it
says...close range as it's effectiveness is significantly reduced by
distance); and the Laser - a long range weapon that fires high-density
laser particles. The best thing about this weapon is that it can be
"charged" to fire a power laser shot causing huge damage to
those pesky mutated beasts! One thing you will notice immediately is
the nice little extra called an "auto-targeting" feature!
Not having to manually target your enemies is definitely a bonus and makes
game-playing a bit easier...a bit.
In addition to the guns you acquire, there are also several other weapons
you will use to not only knock the dinosaurs off their asses, but also
double as "keys" to unlock doors that would otherwise be
inaccessible. Included are the "Wasp" units: The
Tempest; Juggernaut; and Inferno units that also "home-in" on
the targets and fire a barrage of energy blasts. As you advance
through the game, the more powerful weapons will become available.
You are also equipped with a hyper-speed booster unit (jet-pack) allowing
you to reach areas that a regular jump would just not reach. As you
progress through the game, this booster definitely comes in handy as you
will be required to use it often. Mastering the controls for the
anti-gravity rooms can be a challenge at first but once you've done it a
few times you'll get the hang of it. You will soon discover your
jet-pack is a blessing allowing you the ability to get airborne and out of
the way of the attacking mutant dinosaurs! However, don't count on
the jet-pack to save your life either. Sometimes it lifts you right
into the jaws of a waiting dinosaur just dying to make YOU his
lunch!
Getting started, you'll notice the little red "dots" all over
the place. This is MONEY, pick it up everywhere you can...you're
going to need it. Included at every "Save Station" is a
"Shop" where you will need your money to buy ammunition,
upgrades for your health and energy bars, and other must-haves for getting
through the game as the levels become increasingly difficult and the
dinosaurs swarm like flies. To help you along, you are also given a
map showing where you are and where the doors are located...locked and
unlocked. Due to the VAST expanse of this ship, using your map often
is a must. As you move through the game, you will also acquire
"Files" to download. Some of these files will be Captain's
Log Files, communications between long-dead crew members, and some
descriptions of the enemies you'll face. Read these files! You
will learn a great deal about the history of the ship and get valuable
information to help you on your quest.
There's more than meets the eye to this game and the biggest game-play
element is the room-by-room puzzles. Don't get frustrated
though! You will hit roadblocks, but there are clues scattered
everywhere to help you. Above all else, keep moving! The
minute you think you're safe just standing there, dinosaurs show up
looking at you like you're the newest dish on the menu.
Even though I found this game extremely challenging, the graphics smooth
and unbelievably sharp and lifelike, the mission levels
enormously diverse with huge areas to
explore, and rich sound with details such as being able to
"hear" the dinosaurs clicking and clawing...the camera was
enough to drive me bonkers! There were FAR too many moments where you will be flying towards a platform you need to jump to and the moment you are about to jump you hit a new camera zone, so the perspective flips 180 and you are suddenly pushing back instead of forward and your sense of positioning in the room is scrambled.
Not only that, the camera is stationary meaning you can't change the
angles yourself as it is strictly dependent on the game to switch it for
you. You can; however, switch to a "camera" view by
pushing the right thumbstick but you cannot move in this view either!
Despite the obvious camera flaw, DC3 is intense and challenging. The
huge ship "Ozymandias" is in itself one HUGE puzzle!
Adding to the puzzle on this ship are "formation change
terminals" that change the very structure of the ship, giving you
access to rooms you could never get to before, making the game
inventive. The rendered cinematic "cut-scenes" are
impressive and the dinosaur bosses taxing giving the overall game-play
enough challenge for die-hard gamers!
YOU are one of the few surviving members of the Search and Rescue Team on hand to figure out the mystery of the "Ozymandias". What do you find? Dinosaurs. Mutated dinosaurs, in fact, which takes this latest installment into a new direction.
With a much stronger science-fiction base than the other two DC games, you are left with a small team on hand to investigate a bizarre and deadly mystery concerning dinosaurs. Where did these dinos come from? What caused them to mutate as they have? What brought the
"Ozymandius" back after 300 years and why is it heading for Earth? These are the questions this time around, but to find out the answers...you have to survive!
Much improved from the original Dino Crisis, DC3 and the Xbox will give
you a reason to stay home Friday night and kick some dinosaur ass!
Overall Game Rating: 8.0 out of 10 Official
Xbox Website:
http://www.xbox.com
Where
to find XBox Cheats:
http://www.xboxcheats.com
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