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Dino Trauma

95%Game Brain Score
graphics, gameplay
story, music
95% User Score Based on 197 reviews

Platforms

PCPCSteam DeckSteam DeckWindowsWindows
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About

"Dino Trauma is a survival horror game inspired by '90s classics like Doom, Quake, and Dino Crisis. Players can battle through dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures with a wide range of weaponry in levels that combine '90s design with modern standards. Join the Discord for development updates and more information."

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Dino Trauma screenshot
Dino Trauma screenshot
Dino Trauma screenshot
Dino Trauma screenshot
Dino Trauma screenshot
Dino Trauma screenshot
Dino Trauma screenshot
Dino Trauma screenshot

95%
Audience ScoreBased on 197 reviews
graphics12 positive mentions
optimization3 negative mentions
  • The game captures the nostalgic feel of classic PS1-era dinosaur games, reminiscent of titles like Dino Crisis and Turok.
  • Gameplay is engaging with a mix of puzzles, exploration, and shooting mechanics, providing a fun experience for fans of dinosaur-themed games.
  • The developers are responsive to community feedback and actively update the game, showing promise for future content and improvements.
  • The game can feel slow at times, and some players find the dinosaur AI and enemy behavior lacking in challenge and variety.
  • Level design can be confusing, with hidden elements like electrical boxes that may frustrate players trying to progress.
  • Some weapons lack impact and feel underwhelming, which detracts from the overall shooting experience.
  • graphics
    29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are a nostalgic homage to the early 90s, featuring a charming low-poly aesthetic reminiscent of PlayStation 1 titles. While some players appreciate the retro visuals and level design, others note issues with muddy textures and inconsistent animations. Overall, the game's art style successfully captures a classic vibe, appealing particularly to fans of dinosaur-themed games.

    • “The game is graphically impressive and manages to pull off the PS1 aesthetic flawlessly.”
    • “Absolutely beautiful PS1 style low-poly graphics.”
    • “The polygonal graphics are very appealing to the eye and definitely invoke a certain nostalgia for the PS1 era.”
    • “The graphics are kind of muddy and visibility isn't always the greatest for reasons beyond the dark environments you'll find yourself navigating, but I get it, the game is trying to capture a specific vibe and it generally succeeds in doing so.”
    • “The graphics are okay, animations are lacking, hitboxes are janky.”
    • “The gun models look too smooth and complex for a game trying to imitate PS1 graphics.”
  • gameplay
    24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is praised for its diverse weapon and enemy variety, clever level design, and a satisfying shooting experience reminiscent of classic titles like Dino Crisis and Doom. Players appreciate the blend of survival horror elements with arcade mechanics, though some note issues with enemy respawning and aiming on controllers. Overall, the game offers a solid mix of nostalgia and modern gameplay, with a promising progression system and atmospheric audio, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of the genre.

    • “Good weapon variety, good enemy variety, interesting setting, good response mechanics, good progression system, good difficulty balance, and on top of everything, it's one of those games where it feels really good to shoot.”
    • “Survival horror level design with arcade gameplay, a mix I didn't know I wanted, and it works really well!”
    • “It is quite evident that a lot of thought and care was put into this game as there are very intricate details in the gameplay, if you are paying attention, and that is something that separates lazy developers from those who care about their product.”
    • “Another thing is the enemy refresh mechanic feels bugged, because dinosaurs spawn where I've cleared and I didn't pick up any new items.”
    • “I might start a short rant about this but, my common complaint about these games nowadays is they lack gore, swimming mechanics, climbing, and even jumping in some games... and it frustrates me when I see indie games doing what old school games did.”
    • “Tiny critiques: my girlfriend plays on controller rather than mouse and keyboard, like me, and she found it hard to aim without an aim down sights mechanic.”
  • atmosphere
    24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its creepy and immersive qualities, effectively blending soundscapes, fog, and level design to create a nostalgic yet foreboding experience reminiscent of classic survival horror and 90s FPS games. Players appreciate the engaging, spooky moments and the homage to titles like Dino Crisis, noting that the atmospheric elements significantly enhance the overall gameplay despite some mechanical shortcomings. Overall, the game's atmosphere is considered a standout feature, contributing to its charm and appeal.

    • “The atmosphere to this game is extremely well done and creepy, adding to the horror effect.”
    • “I love the atmosphere and vibe of the game, with plenty of spooky and scary moments and some nice dino jump scares that have made me laugh.”
    • “While the story is so-so, the atmosphere and style of the game is both charming and foreboding.”
    • “Everything in this game is clearly designed to be as 'classic' as possible, including the retro graphics, the gloomy atmosphere, the intricate levels, and even the dinosaurs' models, which are clearly inspired by the old paleontological depictions of the 80s and 90s.”
    • “This game is essentially what you get if you put Doom mechanics over the atmosphere of Dino Crisis 1 and 2; overall, not a bad experience for what you pay for it.”
  • story
    20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story is largely considered underdeveloped, with most narrative elements conveyed through environmental storytelling and scattered audio clips, leaving players feeling that the plot is incomplete and lacking depth. While some appreciate the charming atmosphere and retro feel reminiscent of classic survival horror games, many reviewers express a desire for a more engaging and immersive storyline. Overall, the potential for a compelling narrative exists, but it remains largely untapped in the current early access version.

    • “While the story is so-so, the atmosphere and style of the game is both charming and foreboding.”
    • “The premise isn't original, yes, but there is potential for an interesting story; too bad the text logs you find are devoid of almost anything interesting or intriguing for that matter.”
    • “Great level design, love the storytelling through the set, highly recommend!”
    • “What it needs is story and depth.”
    • “The story of this game is almost non-existent and 90% of what you do learn about what's going on is done through PDF-style environmental storytelling. Once in a while, you'll get random radio narrations from people. Since this game is still in development, the story feels wholly unfinished, which is to be expected this early in development.”
    • “As it currently stands, though, if you're looking for story immersion, this is not your game.”
  • music
    9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews; while it effectively captures the nostalgic atmosphere reminiscent of classic titles like Dino Crisis, many players find the original soundtrack lacking in impact and variety, with repetitive loops that can become grating over time. The auditory ambiance is praised, but some players noted issues with music cutting off during intense moments. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as a decent homage, though it could benefit from more engaging compositions.

    • “The trailers for the game are all cut very fast and set to ripping metal music.”
    • “It is a perfect homage to Dino Crisis, especially with the atmosphere and music.”
    • “The good stuff: visuals, level design, music, enemy design.”
    • “The scenarios are impeccable, they bring out the nostalgia of Dino Crisis 1 and 2, with abandoned laboratories and military depots. What's actually missing to make it complete is the stages' soundtrack, which, at least for me, didn't have that much impact.”
    • “While the auditory ambiance is great, the OST loops are awful.”
    • “Having a 35-second dramatic music reprise loop on repeat for a 30-minute level gets grating super quick.”
  • optimization
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game generally runs smoothly without significant bugs, but players have noted a need for better optimization in terms of navigation and clarity regarding objectives, particularly with smaller elements like power boxes.

    • “The game runs smoothly so far; I haven't encountered any bugs as of yet.”
    • “Overall good game, although some optimization is needed for clearer guidance on objectives, especially regarding the small power boxes.”
    • “The optimization in this game is baffling; it feels like the developers prioritized aesthetics over performance, leading to frustrating gameplay.”
    • “I can't believe how poorly optimized this game is. It struggles to maintain a stable frame rate even on high-end hardware.”
    • “The optimization issues are so severe that it often feels like I'm playing a slideshow instead of an action-packed game.”
  • humor
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's humor is highlighted by its fun problem-solving elements and amusing jump scares, particularly from the triceratops, which add a lighthearted touch to the otherwise spooky atmosphere. Players appreciate the blend of humor and horror, making for an entertaining experience.

    • “The problem-solving bits of the game are fun, and the jump scares have all been fairly hilarious (those triceratops had no mercy).”
    • “I love the atmosphere and vibe of the game, plenty of spooky and scary moments, and some nice dino jump scares that have made me laugh.”
  • stability
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's stability is characterized by occasional bugs and frustrating level design, including slow-loading buttons and inconsistent dinosaur animations and hitboxes. While these issues can detract from the experience, they are generally not game-breaking, allowing players to enjoy the game despite its imperfections.

    • “Level design is occasionally frustrating or awkward, potentially buggy. I feel like sometimes buttons took forever to load, and the dinosaur animations and hitboxes are a little wonky, as are the English translations.”
    • “A little buggy sometimes, but nothing game-breaking.”
  • emotional
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players have expressed that "Dino Trauma" evokes strong emotions by rekindling nostalgic memories of their childhood experiences with the original "Dino Crisis" games, leading to feelings of happiness and surprise.

    • “Dino Trauma was a game that surprised me and left me quite emotional for the simple fact that it brought back good memories of my childhood when I played Dino Crisis 1 and 2.”
    • “Words cannot express how happy this game has made me feel.”

Buy Dino Trauma

4h Median play time
4h Average play time
3-4h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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