Quick, someone tell Dino Crisis fans to play Monster Hunter because, according to Shinji Mikami, these two franchises scratch the same itch. Or, at least, that's what the creator of Dino Crisis and Resident Evil is saying.
In a recent interview with Eurogamer, Mikami expressed his surprise at the ongoing enthusiasm for a new Dino Crisis game, suggesting that there's no reason for such a title right now.
The creator pointed to the overwhelming success of the Monster Hunter franchise as a primary reason for his doubts. According to Mikami, Monster Hunter has cornered the market on dinosaur gaming experiences, leaving little space for a Dino Crisis revival to make its mark, perhaps absent to the fact that Hollywood keeps on making bank with one Jurassic World sequel after another.
To no one's shock, this comment didn't sit too well with the internet, and why would it? While Monster Hunter undoubtedly features dinosaur-inspired creatures, both its gameplay and overall experience are fundamentally different from what Dino Crisis offers. Survival horror elements, narrative focus, and atmospheric tension defined the Dino Crisis experience, not looting, grinding, and landing awesome combos on gigantic monsters.
It's been two decades since the last official entry in the series—longer if you don't count anything past Dino Crisis 2— yet passionate fans have kept the flame alive through various means, including fan remakes and persistent calls for a revival.