Summary

Thehorror genrehas been thriving in the recent past thanks to some excellent titles across the board. From the likes of AAA releases such asAlan Wake 2and theSilent Hill 2 Remake, alongside indie gems likeCrow CountryandConscription, fans have had no shortage of memorably terrifying and satisfying experiences in the genre. This only looks to continue into the coming year, as a number of promisinghorrorgames are set to release throughout 2025.

And while the2025 game release calendaralready has some great-looking titles slated, there happen to be a handful of announced and forthcoming horror games that contain dinosaurs as their central conceit. Although not all are confirmed for 2025, they each have been in development for some time, and some surrounding details point to them possibly dropping next year. If so, then fans of both horror and dinosaurs might be in for a big treat, and 2025 could very well become the year that sees this specific combination dominate the field.

Dinosaur-Centric Horror Games Are Poised For a Revival

The grandfather of “dinosaur horror,” Capcom’sDino Crisis, has been on ice for over 20 years, with the last and not well-received entry having been released back in 2003. Although fans have been requesting it, and Capcom has sporadically hinted about thepossibility of aDino Crisisremake, this has yet to happen. The studio did put outExoprimalin 2023, a multiplayer PvE experience centered around combating the prehistoric beasts. However, reception was mixed, and eventually Capcom endedExoprimal’s seasonal updates.

The originalDino Crisisdid make its way onto PlayStation Plus Premium this October. Following some pushback about it being locked behind that service tier,Dino Crisiswas then made available for general purchase on PlayStation.

While a few IPs likeArk: Survivalhave stepped in to provide players with a gaming experience built around dinosaurs, there has been a general lack of them, particularly within the horror sphere. That all might change next year, though, depending on how things shake out.

Horror Games Featuring Dinosaurs Could Be a Big Trend in 2025

Three notable horror titles featuring dinosaurs and emphasizing survival elements have been announced or known to be in the works since around 2022:

Instinctionis stated to be directly inspired byDino Crisis, billed as a spiritual successor to the series while incorporating its own takes and utilizing modern design philosophies. It will be a narrative-driven title where players are “bound by a blood oath, and must survive a mysterious organization and ancient creatures to restore stability to a lost Mesoamerican land cut off from the rest of world.“Instinctionwill thrust players into a “wide-linear world featuring a mix of puzzles, stealth, melee and ranged combat.” It will also feature gameplay mechanics like time-shifting and telekinesis.

FEROCIOUSis described as “an immersiveold school first-person shooter.Shipwrecked on a strange island that’s overrun by hostile mercenaries and fearsome prehistoric predators, players must outlive both man and beast while searching for their missing brother.“FEROCIOUSalso promises players will be able to “study, fight, or befriend both prehistoric and fantastical creatures”, which seems somewhat similar toArkin that regard.

Jurassic Park: Survival’s trailer debuted at the 2023 Game Awards. Set in the aftermath of the original 1993 film and confirmed as canon to it,Survivalwill see fans play as InGen scientist, Dr. Maya Joshi, in a first-person single-player adventure that looks to be along the lines ofAlien: Isolation. With the next film in the franchise,Jurassic World: Rebirth, set for 2025, this could suggestSurvivalwill also launch around the same window.

If all three end up releasing in the course of 2025, fans of survival horror and dinosaurs would truly be in for a feast. Even if this isn’t the case, though, the potential is high for at least one to hit the market and start the ball rolling on dinosaur-themed horror titles in the coming year.