PS5 Exclusive Dino Crisis-Inspired Survival Flops, But Another Emerges

A recent PlayStation 5 exclusive dubbed by fans as a 'Dino Crisis spiritual successor' has just released, to poor fan and critical reception. But, if Code Violet has got you in the mood for dino, we've got just the upcoming game for you.

If you’re familiar with me, then it will come as no surprise that I am a huge Resident Evil fan, perhaps a little on the obsessive side. If I were given the all clear to write articles about my beloved survival horror series from Capcom all day, it would be pure bliss.

However, there is another Capcom series that holds a dear place in my heart. Well, at least the first two games in the series, the aforementioned Dino Crisis.

The first Dino Crisis was released on the original PlayStation in 1999, followed by a sequel the next year. The first Dino Crisis was accurately described as “Resident Evil with dinosaurs” with an emphasis on core survival horror tropes. Tough enemies, plenty of backtracking, scarce resources, inventory management and challenging puzzles.

Dino Crisis 2 is a fun game, but it moved away from survival horror into something more action-oriented. Kind of what the original Resident Evil 3: Nemesis was to Resident Evil 2. As for the rest of the games in the series, let’s just say the less said, the better.

Fans Want a New Dino Crisis!

With that in mind, fans, including me, have been calling on Capcom to release a new game in the series or remake the original Dino Crisis, as we’ve seen with the fantastic Resident Evil remakes. Frustratingly, Capcom has acknowledged a new Dino Crisis release in questionnaires over the years, but nothing concrete has come to fruition.

So it’s understandable that fans have been looking for spiritual successors to Dino Crisis, but for me at least, despite a plethora of offerings, nothing worthwhile has been presented.

Developer Teamkill Media released Code Violet as a PlayStation 5 exclusive, and the reason given is that it didn't want the community to create “vulgar” mods on PC. This concern was expressed in a tweet but was swiftly deleted. Even though its main playable character is dressed... Leaving little erotically, and some gameplay trailers feature plenty of up-close butt shots.

Much of the community has speculated that the reason why Code Violet is a PlayStation 5 exclusive is that the refund process is more difficult compared to on Steam or the Xbox Marketplace. A bit tin foil hat I think, but not 100% out of the question.

After watching its official gameplay trailers and various clips shared by the community, Code Violet is not a game that I’d be in a hurry to spend £39.99/$49.99 on.

There Is Another Dino Crisis Spiritual Successor

That all being said, there is at least one other Dino Crisis spiritual successor that might hold some value. Well, actually, you might even call it a predecessor, of sorts, with its first game in the series releasing on the Nintendo 64 in 1997 with Turok: Dinosaur Hunter.

It’s fair to say that despite the first games in the series being beloved by fans, some of its other offerings weren't all that great. Yet, after watching the trailer for its long-awaited return, Turok: Origins, announced at The Game Awards in 2024, it looks like our retro dino hunter is back on track.

Developed and published by Saber Interactive, Turok: Origins can be played in a first and third-person perspective, and it will feature a co-op campaign. The announcement trailer featured a blend of cinematics and snippets of gameplay, but it was enough to at least get me a little hyped.

Saber Interactive is the same team that brought us the fun co-op zombie horde shooter, 2019’s World War Z. If you’ve not played this game, it’s a blast, especially when the hordes of zombies exceed 1,000.

Of course, Turok: Origins could arrive, and it could be absolute pants. Only time will tell.

Turok: Origins does not have a confirmed release date just yet, but it is hoped for a late 2026 release on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.