With so many excited to get their hands onExoprimal, it’s incredibly difficult to have to wait for its release in 2023. With it being some time before players get to take on the game of mechs and dinosaurs, many are trying to find some games that may be like it to play to help make the wait feel a bit shorter.
Related:Capcom Exoprimal Reveal Was a Cruel Bait and Switch for Dino Crisis Fans
Thankfully, there have been many excellent games about dinos throughout the years — some more serious, and some that are incredibly wacky. There’s something in the dino-genre for everyone that wants to feel the excitement in their fossils, er, bones, from a new game.
10Dino Crisis Series
Many were reasonably disappointed thatExoprimalwasn’t a reveal for a newDino Crisisgame. It’s a fantastic survival horror series that began on PlayStation 1 and kept going untilDino Crisis 3was released for the Xbox. Despite manyDino Crisisfans clamoring for a reboot, it doesn’t look like it will be happening now. Still, this is a perfect opportunity to give those games a try to remember the good old days beforeExoprimalreleases.
9Carnivores: Dinosaur Hunter Series
Who hasn’t wanted to go dinosaur hunting at least once in their lives? The Carnivores games are excellent for those who want to take on fantastic creatures from the Mesozoic Era but with a bit more “realism.” Players get to pick various locations to hunt in, choose their equipment, and try to bag the trophy of a lifetime while trying to not be eaten or maimed by some of the more dangerous critters lurking around every corner.
8Jurassic World Evolution 2
Who hasn’t said they could run a better dino-themed park after watching theJurassic Parkseries? Now gamers have their chance to do just that! While the original game was excellent, most agree that the sequel includes a lot of fantastic features that make it that much better. Plus, being able to play through campaigns based on the films fans love is a serious delight.
Related:Jurassic World: What Dinosaur Are You Based On Your Zodiac?
There are anincredibly huge number of dinosaurs available inJurassic World Evolution 2as well, which should make it amazing for anyone who is lovingly a dino-nerd.
7Parkasaurus
For those who want to simulate running a dinosaur theme park without as much horror and violence,Parkasaurusis the perfect game. It’s already won three awards and is being ported to the Nintendo Switch in 2022. It’s a simple yet adorable tycoon-style game where players have to make sure to meet the care needs of various dinos in their zoo while trying to make enough money to keep things running. Plus, it’s important to make sure to capture any dinosaurs that manage to somehow escape!
6Nanosaur
Yes, there is a game where players get to control a time-traveling dinosaur that has to try and save the eggs of various species and put them into a time portal before the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event. Players have just twenty minutes to collect all the eggs they need before the meteor falls, and it’s bye-bye for good. Did we mention that the dinosaur has a jetpack and an energy gun? Seriously, this is the kind of goofy over-the-top dino fun that many gamers will enjoy.
5ARK: Survival Evolved
ARK: Survival Evolvedhasan immersive crafting systemthat helps really set it apart from other survival games. Not only do gamers have to avoid massive and dangerous dinosaurs, but other potentially hostile players as well. It’s by far one of the best survival game out there right now and with the dino theme to boot, it should be certain to scratch that gaming itch.
4Dinosaur Planet
A well-known piece of Nintendo trivia is thatStar Fox Adventuresfor the GameCube was originally going to be a game called Dinosaur Planet which explains why the game was far different from the space-faring fox’s previous outings. While there used to be no way to try out the original, that’s no longer the case.
Related:Star Fox: Things You Never Knew About Rare’s Canceled Dinosaur Planet
Thanks to a group of video game preservationists online,Dinosaur Planetwas leaked onto the internetso that everyone can give it a try. It’s a great way to try a bit of gaming history while getting those good dino vibes.
3The Isle
This open-world survival game is particularly gritty and best avoided by those who want a fluffier fun affair. It can be quite fun though, with players controlling dinosaurs instead of humans as they try to grow and survive. It’s a nice twist on the typical style of survival games in the dino-genre that many are likely to embrace warmly.
2Cadillacs and Dinosaurs: The Second Cataclysm
Want to playa video game programmed by Elon Musk?Cadillacs and Dinosaurs: The Second Cataclysmis quite rare these days, but is worth tracking down if that’s the case. Released back in 1994 for the Sega CD and PC, the game is nothing like the arcade beat-em-up that it’s a sequel to. It’s instead a rail shooter where players cruise along in a Cadillac trying to not run into obstacles while shooting down various dinos on the way. It’s some seriously goofy retro fun for anyone that picks it up.
1Turok Series
TheTurokseries spans over six different games and is a must-play for fans of dinosaurs and first-person shooters. While the series is as old as the Nintendo 64, many of the games have been remastered making them far easier to play today. While some question the reboot that was released in 2008, all of the games make for a good time for anyone needing some dino-blasting action.
