Dino Crisis is a survival horror game that follows the story of Dr. Kirk's disappearance on his private island laboratory three years ago. A special forces team is sent to extract him and his research, but they soon discover that the side effects of his experiments have brought back 100 million-year-old dinosaurs.
The gameplay in Dino Crisis is similar to other survival horror games, with protagonist Regina facing limited supplies and ammo while searching for keys to unlock locked areas. However, instead of finding traditional supplies, Regina will discover "plugs" that unlock caches of emergency supplies. The game features 3D rendering, allowing for camera rotation and panning, but the player has limited control over the camera angles. Enemies can chase and disarm Regina, and even follow her through doors, adding an extra layer of tension to the gameplay.