For the audience old enough to have played games like this in their original context,
Dinocide has to first pass the nostalgia test, which it clearly does in style. Once we get past acknowledging that it looks and sounds great, there's the matter of playability. To be sure,
Dinocide takes us back to the days when games were harder and much less forgiving. This shows up in the controls and in some core aspects of the gameplay. Maybe it's just a lifetime of playing games like this that leaves us a bit flat on the experience, but your mileage may vary depending on your love for retro experiences.
The structure of Dinocide reminded us a lot of a Super Mario World game, with a series of levels you'll explore across the gameworld, gaining new dino mounts and equipment along the way. At first, your caveman character is pretty puny, with little more than rocks to throw at enemies. Basic jumping (no butt bounces here) is as fancy as things get from the start, but the ability to discover and ride new dinosaurs makes it possible to tackle new challenges. The persistent enemy you'll never vanquish is time. You'll need to grab food items for nourishment along the way, or it's game over.
