Summary
- RPGs with dinosaurs offer exciting adventures and fantastical worlds, from fighting beasts to exploring new environments.
- Games like Fossil Fighters provide Pokémon-like gameplay but with fossils instead of capturing creatures.
- Path Of Titans allows players to experience MMORPG gameplay as dinosaurs, leveling up and completing quests.
Many games featuring dinosaurs exist, dating all the way back to 90s arcade games, such as those set in the Jurassic Park universe or modern games like ARK: Survival Ascended. However, it’s not often that gamers get the chance to play or fight dinosaurs in a role-playing game, and they create some truly unforgettable gaming experiences.
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RPGs that feature dinosaurs provide a unique blend of adventure and excitement, whether players are battling prehistoric beasts or exploring fantastical worlds populated by these magnificent creatures. Dinosaurs can play a crucial role in the game’s world or simply appear as part of the journey, spanning genres from sci-fi to fantasy.
9 Fossil Fighters
A Pokémon Game But With Dinosaurs
Fossil Fighters
- Released
- April 17, 2008
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- t
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
The 2000s were a decade filled to the brim with development studios trying to copy the gameplay of Pokémon, and Fossil Fighters is a prime example of that trend. It features a protagonist venturing into a world full of colorful creatures that they use as personal pets that fight in duels with other trainers.
It has the simple yet fun RPG system that Pokémon players know and love, but instead of bugs, dragons, ghosts, and mammals, they're all fantasized versions of prehistoric creatures known as Vivosaurs. Also, instead of just capturing them, Fossil Fighters utilize genetic reconstruction a la Jurassic Park, with fossils being collected to assemble a Vivosaur.
8 Path Of Titans
Level Up And Evolve As A Prehistoric Creature
- Release Date: April 12, 2020
- Developers: Alderon Games Pty Ltd
- System: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch, Mobile
- Publisher: Alderon Games Pty Ltd
Being able to play directly as a dinosaur has been experimented with a few times. Path Of Titans delivers that concept as an MMORPG where players start as baby dinosaurs and venture into massive worlds, completing quests, fighting other dinosaurs, maintaining the dinosaur’s needs, and leveling up to hopefully become a dominant lifeform.
Having the option to play as dozens of dinosaur species incentivizes multiple playthroughs. From pterosaurs to long-necks to all kinds of carnivores, each species has their pros and cons, akin to classes in an RPG. Aside from a lack of communication from the developer team, Path Of Titans is arguably the best option for those wanting to play as a dinosaur.
7 World Of Warcraft
Dinosaurs Are Just One Of Many Monsters Found In Azeroth
World of Warcraft
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- MMORPG
With over twenty-five years of updates and expansions, World of Warcraft has undergone many changes, introducing new creatures to Blizzard’s iconic fantasy world. Players can choose to play as an Orc, Elf, or Human and journey to Un’Goro Crater, which is home to various dinosaurs, including Ravasaurs, Ankylosaurs, Pterrordax, and many more.
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Dinosaurs can also be found in other areas, such as Drak'Tharon Keep, a dungeon populated with dinosaur riders. This adds to the MMORPG experience that continues to engage millions of players. While battling these dinosaurs is exciting, players also have the option to tame and mount them, allowing for unique rides across the world of Azeroth.
6 Fossil Fighters Champions
The More Vivosaurs To Collect The Better
- Release Date: November 18, 2010
- Developers: Red Entertainment, Artdink, Nintendo, Nintendo Software Planning & Development, M2
- System: Nintendo DS
- Publisher: Nintendo
Fossil Fighters Champions does what any good sequel should and takes the concept and gameplay of the original and expands on it to create an even greater experience. Fans of the series often regard the sequel as a superior game, mainly due to the battle system being polished with smoother gameplay, enhanced animations, and a few new strategic inclusions.
In the end, it is still a Pokémon clone, but one that is still effective. The roster of Vivosaurs has also expanded from one hundred fourteen to one hundred seventy-four, allowing for a lot more grinding when it comes to harvesting and cleaning fossils. The inclusion of more fossil types allows for even more diversity of Vivosaurs with spectacular abilities that make them stand out.
5 Horizon: Zero Dawn
When Robo-Dinosaurs Ruled The Earth
Horizon: Zero Dawn
- Released
- February 28, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
They may not be dinosaurs in the traditional sense, but the robotic animals that have evolved in the world of Horizon: Zero Dawn resemble everything from Brachiosaurs to Tyrannosaurus Rex. They help create a memorable post-apocalyptic world where machines evolved so much that they have become their own lifeforms, acting like docile creatures or predators.
The player takes on the role of Aloy, a human on a quest to discover the origins of the machines. As the game progresses, she acquires new skills and abilities that enhance her strength and effectiveness in combat. This creates an action RPG that has launched a new franchise for Sony, including a sequel and a LEGO spin-off.
4 Horizon: Forbidden West
The Sequel Continues To Add More Robots
Horizon Forbidden West
- Released
- February 18, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
Following the massive success of the first game, Guerrilla Games expanded their concept in Horizon: Forbidden West. In this sequel, Aloy embarks on a journey to uncover the mystery behind a dangerous plague. Throughout her adventure, she encounters new characters and experiences an open-world environment more expansive than before. The game presents a grander storyline and introduces a variety of robotic enemies.
The new enemies continue to take on the forms of dinosaurs as well as crocodilians, giant snakes, and many others, showcasing the increasing diversity of the machines. In Horizon: Forbidden West, both Aloy’s traversal abilities and arsenal have been upgraded, making her an even more formidable warrior. These enhancements also provide players with improved controls for a better gameplay experience.
3 Chrono Trigger
Time Travel Transformed The Game Into An Iconic RPG
Chrono Trigger
- Released
- March 11, 1995
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood
- Genre(s)
- RPG
While Final Fantasy was the more popular game, Square Enix did publish another strong JRPG in the 90s, featuring time travel, memorable characters, and engaging gameplay. Chrono Trigger was already a successful title in 1995, but has since gained the reputation of being not only a defining title for the SNES and PS1, but also one of the best RPGs ever made.
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Thanks to the time travel mechanic, Chrono Trigger has many kinds of enemies in the different eras that can be explored, and dinosaurs can be found in the Prehistoric Era and the Middle Ages. One of the most famous encounters with a dinosaur is the Black Tyranno boss fight and its Rust Tyranno variant.
2 Monster Hunter Wilds
Dinosaurs Are Always The Tutorial Monsters
Monster Hunter Wilds
- Released
- February 28, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
Before graduating to fighting the more outlandish dragons and giant versions of animals, the player builds up their arsenal in Monster Hunter Wilds by defeating small and large dinosaurs. There are the wyverns, Ceratonoths, and the famous Anjanath, which have already made appearances in past Monster Hunter games. Even the mounts known as Seikrets are dinosaur-like in appearance.
With an impressive character customization system and more creative monsters to create weapons and armor with, Monster Hunter Wilds continues the legacy of the franchise. Fans and even newcomers have praised it for its mix of difficulty, online social communities, and visually stunning creatures that continue to get better with almost every entry.
1 Final Fantasy 12: The Zodiac Age
Some Of The Hardest Fights Are Saurians
Final Fantasy 12
- Released
- October 31, 2006
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Alcohol Reference, Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Partial Nudity, Suggestive Themes
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
In the world of Ivalice, a variety of creatures can be found, particularly with the hunting missions available for Vaan and the other party members. One of the first formidable enemies in Final Fantasy 12 is the Tyrannosaurus Rex-like creature known as the Wild Saurian, which has many variations throughout the world as bosses with unique designs and abilities.
Final Fantasy 12 faced significant criticism upon its initial release for being so different from other Final Fantasy titles, but it has since gained a cult following, thanks to these distinguishing features and its now-iconic characters. Instead of being confined to a specific class, the license board empowers Vaan, Basch, Fran, and the other party members to develop into whatever the player desires them to be.
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