Great dinosaur games never get old. Fighting alongside ravenous raptors, plundering with pterodactyls, and taking on a terrifying T. Rex is fun no matter what array of rudimentary or sophisticated weapons one has access to. With a new dinosaur game called Turok Escape From Lost Valley finally arriving on July 25, it’s time to dig out some exquisite fossils from our libraries and look at the best dinosaur games. Although if you’re looking for games like Turok Escape From Lost Valley, these aren’t it as they mostly just dinosaurs that are not as cute.
Best Dinosaur Games | Dino Crisis
Though Shinji Mikami is popularly known for his work on the Resident Evil franchise, Dino Crisis is another one of his masterpieces. As the title suggests, this survival horror experience challenges players with finding a world-renowned weapons scientist on a remote island littered with carnivorous dinosaurs. The most impressive aspect of the game lies in its attention to detail, as the creatures that occupy its world sniff their environments and ooze blood from their jaws whenever they take a chomp out of Regina. Its fast pace sets it apart from Mikami’s other work yet still offers the type of nail-biting anxiety horror fans have grown accustomed to.
ALSO: Turok Escape from Lost Valley release date pops up on Steam
Best Dinosaur Games | Primal Carnage
Primal Carnage is a multiplayer frenzy that offers fans the chance to take on opponents as a group of well-armed humans or a herd of voracious dinosaurs. Some dinos that players can control include the T. Rex, Spinosaurus, Dilophosaurus, Pteranodon, Carnotaurus, and the fictional Novaraptor. Humans and beasts are each designated class types, allowing teams to determine a strategy for toppling the opposite side with the unique skills available to them. Of course, fans can jump in claws out and guns blazing if they choose. Primal Carnage can serve as mindless entertainment for a group of friends who just want to chow down on random people online.
Best Dinosaur Games | Monster Hunter World
Monster Hunter World may not technically include dinosaurs, but it features enough dinosaur-like creatures to warrant it a spot on this list. The Wyvern Anjanaths and Kula-Ya-Kus of this universe are a joy to track and murder alone or with a group of four buddies. Witnessing one’s arsenal grow from a simple Hunter’s Knife to a Dragonbone Sword is satisfying, especially as fans take on high level monsters and get rewarded for the hunts they manage to pull off. Monster Hunter World‘s difficulty may take some time to get used to by newcomers, but the experience is definitely worthwhile by anyone remotely interested in slicing up dinosaurs and wearing their scaly skin.
Best Dinosaur Games | Dino D-Day
Dino D-Day depicts what would have happened if Adolf Hitler and his Nazi forces managed to resurrect dinosaurs during the second World War. Players fighting on behalf of the Allied nations and Axis powers have access to a variety of human and dinosaur classes. Assault troops, medics, and snipers clash alongside kamikaze Compsognathus and Protoceratops armed with machine guns. As if doing battle with one’s dino pals isn’t already a thrill, combatants are chosen at random to play as a T. Rex with jaw-mounted cannons. Dino D-Day is chaotic and nonsensical in all the right ways and isn’t afraid to poke fun at its ridiculous premise.
Best inosaur Games | Jurassic World Evolution
Fans of the Jurassic World film series may have a lot of fun with Jurassic World Evolution, as the title tasks players with building a sustainable dinosaur theme park. Opening attractions like the monorail and the Gyrosphere is just as important as funding research facilities located across Las Cinco Muertes Archipelago. As fans receive more money and invest it into their labs, they’re able to create new dinosaurs and improve the lifespan of those already in their collection. Of course, each reptilian giant must be carefully monitored for unusual activity lest the events of the first movie transpire. Jurassic World Evolution may not offer the same action as other entries on this list, but it’s compelling for people who always dreamed about running a business with real-life dinos.
Best dinosaur games | Turok 2: Seeds of Evil
Though Turok 2: Seeds of Evil released over 20 years ago, its high-octane gameplay and brutal weapons still make it worthwhile today. Blowing up dinosaur skulls with the Cerebral Bore or burning raptors alive with the flamethrower is satisfying, especially after players encounter the title’s hordes. The game’s AI will force fans to carefully consider how they’ll navigate down corridors lest they be blown to bits or ripped apart by claws if they fail. Enemies are incredibly aggressive and the ability to save anywhere comes in handy more often than one would think. Suffice it to say that Turok 2 was made for dinosaur fans looking for an unrelenting challenge.
Best dinosaur games | Horizon Zero Dawn
Horizon Zero Dawn‘s dinosaurs may be mechanical, but they have just as much heart as their biological counterparts. It’s fascinating to witness the T. Rex-inspired Thunderjaws and Brachiosaurus-inspired Tallnecks roam around the game’s open world. At the same time, running into a pack of Ravagers or a powerful Sawtooth could quickly ruin Aloy’s day if she isn’t well-stocked on arrows and slingshot bombs. Arguably, Horizon‘s dinosaurs are its biggest draw. There’s a good chance that the title’s inevitable sequel will include even more robot dinos to ogle at when it launches.
Here’s hoping that the Turok franchise finds success again with its latest release, as the modern video game market needs more awesome dinosaur games. All kinds of beasts are welcome, including those made out of metal. A new Dino Crisis title can’t hurt either.
