Capcom Implements Controversial DRM on Steam Versions of Dino Crisis 1 & 2

The first two entries in the Dino Crisis series, which debuted on the PlayStation 1 over 25 years ago, have finally landed on Steam. While that’s exciting news, there’s a catch: Capcom has included performance-hindering DRM in these retro releases.

On February 12, Capcom dropped a surprise for Dino Crisis enthusiasts. However, it wasn’t a new installment, a remake, or even a polished remaster. Instead, the company announced that the original 1999 Dino Crisis and its 2000 sequel, Dino Crisis 2, are now available for purchase on Steam, Valve’s expansive digital PC gaming platform. While it’s great to see these classics making their way to more platforms—especially since they’ve been available on GOG and can be easily emulated on lower-end PCs—fans quickly noticed a frustrating detail: both games on Steam come with Enigma Protector DRM.

Playtime is officially over, gamers!

Dino Crisis and Dino Crisis 2 have stomped onto Steam, and to celebrate this momentous occasion, you can snag both titles at a 50% discount until February 26.

Over on the Steam forums, many players are voicing their frustration with Capcom’s puzzling decision. Comments like, “DRM on a 27-year-old game? Really? What’s wrong with these guys?” reflect the sentiment. Others have pointed out that this is the same DRM that Capcom recently implemented in the Resident Evil 4 remake, which led to a slew of performance issues for PC users.

What makes this situation even more perplexing is that these Dino Crisis ports appear to be identical to the versions available on GOG, which are completely DRM-free. For some reason, Capcom has chosen to impose unwanted DRM on the Steam versions while offering the same games without it on GOG. As a result, many players are opting to purchase Dino Crisis on GOG until Capcom decides to remove the DRM from Steam.