The Sega Dreamcast released at the height of the survival horror genre’s popularity. It’s only natural that a few would make it’s way to the platform. Capcom paved the way for other developers when they announced an exclusive installment in the Resident Evil franchise early on. The rest of the library (as far as survival horror is concerned) consists of ports with a few original titles thrown into the mix. That’s why today I’ve decided to wade through the blood and guts to find out what’s worth playing. With that out of the way let’s get started. These are the top ten best Dreamcast survival horror games of all time!
#10. – Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare
This is the fourth installment in the original survival horror series, and the publisher’s first attempt to reboot the series. I liked the original Alone in the Dark more than most people, and this one didn’t disappoint. Here you once again get a choice to play as two different characters with one focused more on combat and the other on puzzles instead. I don’t care as long as Edward Carnby returned, and I’m happy to report that he did! The New Nightmare Feels a lot like Resident Evil, and that’s not a bad thing. The backgrounds are pre-rendered with fixed camera angles, and you awkwardly fight your way through an army of the undead. The game does have a few tricks up its sleeve that felt neat for the time. The flashlight being used to illuminate environments, for one thing. It’s a pretty enjoyable survival horror game overall.
#9. – Evil Dead: Hail to the King
I’m a huge Evil Dead fanboy. Truth be told, because of this I’m not able to have a completely objective outlook on this one. Evil Dead: Hail to the King is Evil Dead through and through. The developers were obviously incredibly familiar with the source material and did a great job of re-creating the atmosphere, tone and spirit of the franchise. The problem? Hail to the King is a bit of a chore to play. The gameplay is highly repetitive with largely uninteresting combat. Much of it is simply mashing an attack button against stationary foes. It’s the Evil Dead trappings that save it for me. The game is hilarious, spooky, and full of Ash’s infamous one liners. This is one of the few on this list that I recommend only to a specific group of people. I’m talking about fans of the movie franchise.
#8. – Carrier
Carrier earns the prestigious award of being the most blatant Resident Evil clone on this list. Despite how it sounds this is a good thing. I mean, Resident Evil is awesome, and who wouldn’t want more of it? Carrier was one of the first fully 3D survival horror games. No pre-rendered backgrounds here. Despite this it still uses fixed camera angles and tank controls. So while the classic feel is there Carrier is a step up in terms of technology from most other survival horror games of the time. There’s also a neat scanning element where you have to test NPCs to see if they’re infected. At the end of the day it kind of feels like budget Resident Evil, but even that isn’t bad. Check Carrier out if you want more classic RE.
#7. – Blue Stinger
Here we have the only launch game for the Sega Dreamcast on this list. Blue Stinger also only fits into the genre in its loosest definition. So what makes this one so special? It’s how over-the-top it is. I mean the game takes place on Dinosaur Island, and when you punch monsters to death coins fly out of their bodies. What’s really cool is the fact that while the Japanese release had fixed camera angles when this one was localized the publishers implemented a free moving camera. Now the viewpoint is always from behind the character. While Blue Stinger is more of an action adventure title than pure survival horror it has more than enough trappings of the former to be considered for this list.
#6. – Resident Evil 3: Nemesis
Those who have played this game will never forget the antagonist in this one. While it’s classic Resident Evil through and through it has a new sense of dread. There’s a super zombie armed with a rocket launcher that’s after you, and shows up often at random. If that’s not anxiety inducing then I don’t know what is. This one was originally intended to be a side story, taking place both before and after Resident Evil 2 (and in some of the same locations), but Capcom decided to call this the official sequel. Besides the Nemesis you also have a new ammunition crafting mechanic in place here. This is really unique for the series and I loved it. With that said this is one of my least favorite RE titles. The environments are a bit less interesting to explore (with the high points being repeats from 2).
#5. – Illbleed
Now we have the most unique game on our list today. Illbleed is weird. It pays huge homage to classic horror films, but never takes itself too seriously. Rather than focusing on combat Illbleed instead draws more attention to the environment. You have to pay attention to traps. Even non-lethal ones will scare your character. If they get frightened enough they can die. Also, getting hurt causes bleeding, and then getting scared will also cause certain death. It’s a really unique system and forces you to play very carefully. Also, the neon 80s aethetic pulls a lot of weight here. Of all the survival horror games on this list Illbleed stands out as the most fun. I don’t mean entertaining. It’s just plain goofy horror trope fun. This makes Illbleed absolutely perfect to play on Halloween.
#4. – Dino Crisis
Here’s another PS1 port to throw on the pile. The pile of good survival horror games, that is. Dino Crisis takes the Resident Evil formula but replaces the zombies with dinosaurs. Also, the environments are completely 3D and the camera dynamic now. Tank controls are still firmly in place but that’s par for the course in my opinion. If you aren’t used to them now you’ll never be. While Dino Crisis doesn’t reach the same levels of tension as Resident Evil. It makes up for this with better enemy AI. Dinosaurs are probably smarter than zombies, after all. Thankfully the storyline still hits the same cheesy notes we’ve come to expect from the genre. It also has a ton of interesting environments to explore, and fun combat. If you want to play Dino Crisis I recommend doing so on the Dreamcast.
#3. – D2
Warp infamously burned their bridge with Sony when they showcased Enemy Zero for the Sega Saturn at a Sony show. From this point forward all of their games were released on Sega consoles. The original D was a horror FMV game. It’s sequel takes a more traditional route while still being incredibly unique. You play as the same character but this isn’t a direct sequel. Instead this is a third person survival horror game with RPG elements. You have to navigate the Canadian wilderness and apparently it’s winter. Navigating the snowy environments while battling against monsters is surprisingly, for lack of better word, chilling. The storyline per WARP standards is really convoluted but honestly I liked it.
#2. – Resident Evil Code: Veronica
This was a very special release for Dreamcast fans. It was the first time an original Resident Evil title debuted on any other hardware than the Playstation, after all. It just happens to be one of my most favorite installments in the franchise. Resident Evil Code Veronica throws you into the shoes of Claire Redfield as she explores and escapes from Rockfort Island. This was the first RE title to ditch pre-rendered backgrounds. Tank controls were still in place, but everything was rendered in full 3D. Character models were also vastly improved, and the new engine allowed for actual lighting effects. I absolutely love the new environments here. The level design is seriously on point as well, and the story veers more into the anime realm which works surprisingly well. Code Veronica is easily one of the best survival horror games of all time.
#1. – Resident Evil 2
What can I say? The best survival horror game on the PS1 is also the same for the Dreamcast. Resident Evil 2 is just amazing. What’s more is the Dreamcast release might be the best version. The gameplay and story are completely intact, but this edition adds things like storyboards and illustrations as options. The only downside is you can’t change blood color like in the N64 release. The game still runs at a higher resolution and with better character models than the PS1 version. I love this game because of the emphasis on exploration. The environments are truly scary, and the lore behind them is unforgettable. Not to mention facing off against all of the zombies that inhabit the various environments. It’s a bone chilling game, and fun start to finish. This here might be the best version of Resident Evil 2.
