Every Resident Evil game, ranked from best to worst

These are the best games in the Resident Evil series that you need to play

The Resident Evil series has had a mixed history. Some of the games in this list are literally among the greatest games of all time, and some of the others are better left forgotten. Across the spin-offs, sub-series, and mainline games there are loads of (bio)hazardous adventures for you to shoot your way through on a variety of consoles. Narrowing down the best ones is a tall order, though.

Not every mainline Resident Evil game is made equally, and the same goes for the spin-offs. Some of these games are, simply, not worth playing, whether it’s a mainline numbered game or not. To narrow down this list we’ve excluded Japan and arcade exclusives, along with mobile game ports that are difficult to play in the modern day.

This is every Resident Evil game ever made, ranked from best to worst.

Resident Evil (2002)

This will immediately make this list either controversial, or make the rest of the list worth reading, depending on your perspective. The remake of the original Resident Evil is incredible. While the PlayStation version of the game required a bit of imagination to bring the Spencer Mansion to life, the GameCube version turned it into an entirely believable, and horrifying, place to be in.

This game masters the Resident Evil atmosphere, artfully blending a healthy dose of camp with tense, graphic horror. This 2002 remake is incredible even 20 years later, as proven by the PC and console HD remasters.

Resident Evil 4

Resident Evil 4 wasn’t just a step forward for the series, but the shooter genre as a whole. Leon is more of an action hero than a wounded survivor, able to spin kick his way through crowds of enemies. But it was the over-the-shoulder perspective that influenced the shooters of the future, as it allowed for melee combat as well as accurate shooting, which Leon uses to kneecap and suplex foes.

The final hours might feel like a generic action game romp, but getting there is a tense and unforgettable experience. Let’s hope this year’s remake lives up to our high expectations.

Resident Evil 2 (1998)

This was the game that took Resident Evil from a one-hit-wonder to an highly anticipated series. Resident Evil 2 is a step up over the original, and Leon S. Kennedy has become a series staple that fans cheer for, as we’ve seen in Resident Evil 4. RE2 is a classic and perhaps even a masterpiece by every metric, which is why it was so deserving of a remake.

Resident Evil 2 (2019)

Now we’re getting into the modern era of Resident Evil, and there aren’t any better examples of this bold new world than Resident Evil 2. This revitalized RE2’s familiar locations, updating and changing them in subtle ways that will trick you into think that the original was exactly the same. The new over-the-shoulder perspective brings you closer to the horror as Leon gets violently French kissed by all kinds of horrible beasties.

Resident Evil 7: Biohazard

The first game to showcase the new RE Engine, and an excellent reintroduction to the world of Resident Evil. Returning to America, RE7 takes place deep in a swamp, where a mysterious family has had an unfortunate interaction with a bioweapon. Ethan Winters, an entirely unprepared civilian, is thrown into the chaos and infected.

Luckily this infection allows him to staple his limbs back together, and he slowly becomes as competent and powerful as any of the other Resident Evil supersoldiers. Plus, the first-person perspective allows you to play the full game in VR, which you shouldn’t bother with unless you’re feeling brave or you have something to prove.

Resident Evil Village

The most recent mainline Resident Evil game sees Ethan Winters visit a European village, complete with a castle and some supernatural-seeming scares. This is inspired by the success of Resident Evil 4 and wants to bait some players with nostalgia, and while it clearly takes some cues, it’s very much a different beast. Best when your weapons get stripped away from you and you’re being screamed at by a gaint baby.

Resident Evil CODE: Veronica X

The first Resident Evil game built with full 3D environments, CODE: Veronica sees Claire Redfield journeying to a mysterious Umbrella base filled with campy characters. It’s a classic Resident Evil experience, though tends to get severely overlooked.

Resident Evil (1996)

While there’s no real reason to go back to the original Resident Evil when we have the remake readily available, it’s impossible to forget what this game did. The tense moments it achieves, the jump scares that you’ll never forget, the goofy voice acting – everything comes together to perfectly encapsulate this bold new era of gaming. It has been bettered since, but few games are more nostalgic and beloved. Unfortunately, there’s not much point in returning to this one when the remake is readily available.

Resident Evil 5

Okay, let’s be clear: Resident Evil 5 isn’t a bad game, but it has its issues. It’s an action game first and foremost, and you’ll be mowing down crowds of foes – which is most fun when with a co-op partner, of course. This generation of games saw a lot of desaturated games about blowing up foes, and Resident Evil 5 is one of the best. Still one of the best co-op shooters you can play with a pal, even if it’s a Resident Evil game in a name alone.

Resident Evil: Revelations

Capcom

The first and last truly original Resident Evil game on Nintendo 3DS, Revelations is a brand new story taking place on a cruise ship. Mechanically, it feels similar to Resident Evil 5, with a much more engaging and creepy environment to explore. A fun romp, though hardly an essential entry in the series. Plus, the whole Terragrigia plotline is just unnecessary.

Resident Evil 3: Nemesis

The original Resident Evil 3: Nemesis is a classic, mainly for the titular monster, but otherwise? This often feels like a retread of Resident Evil 2, and while Nemesis is an incredible addition, it’s just not as high up on the list. Plus, Jill’s outfit? Girl, you knew there were zombies out there, tactical gear would’ve been great, but c’mon, joggers at least.

Resident Evil Zero

A prequel to the original, this follows STARS medic Rebecca Chambers and escaped convict Billy Coen. This dual-protagonist format saw you swapping between the characters to solve select puzzles, which is a great move, but the inventory system here is a mess. A game has never needed a storage box more. 

Resident Evil 3

The remake of Resident Evil 3 is good. It’s just not great. It doesn’t live up to the lofty heights of the Resident Evil 2 remake, and in fact, it just feels a bit unremarkable. This three hour adventure doesn’t have a location like RE2’s Police Station to really make it incredible, and even with the cheeky new dodge, this game is just too short and too uninspired to rank higher on the list, even if it’s still a fun game to play through.

Resident Evil: Revelations 2

A bit like RE5, this game is best played in co-op. Revelations 2 is mostly unrelated to the first game and was released episodically in a very short span of time. Each episode progresses the story from the perspectives of Claire Redfield and fan-favorite Barry Burton. Each protag is given a new sidekick for co-op shenanigans, and some of the mechanics here are fun – one player highlights foes while the other shoots them down, for example. Outside of that though, it’s a very by-the-numbers Resident Evil experience. Again, decent, worth playing for fans, hardly an essential. 

Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles

Ah, the interesting games. Resident Evil has a history with lightgun games, and The Umbrella Chronicles was the first time that format was adapted for a Wii Remote. It recreates a variety of RE locations in 3D – many for the first time – and sees you shooting through the events of the first few games. It’s a silly way to experience the Resident Evil story, but a lot of fun – again, better in co-op.

Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles

The sequel to The Umbrella Chronicles, The Darkside Chronicles throws in some stages and scenarios not covered in the first game, along with a new story featuring the history between Leon Kennedy and RE4’s Jack Krauser.

Resident Evil 6

The lowest ranking mainline Resident Evil game on this list, Resident Evil 6 is… like… fine, sometimes. The action game mechanics had been fully implemented here, with dive kicks, tactical rolls, dodges – the works. Only Leon’s campaign is tinged with horror, while the others are high-octane warzones. Even co-op can’t hide how woefully generic most of the game is, but the multiplayer modes are surprisingly inventive and interesting. 

Resident Evil: Dead Aim

Considered the best of the Survivor lightgun series, Dead Aim is… well, it’s another lightgun game set in the Resident Evil universe. Totally non-canon, Dead Aim follows Bruce McGivern as he shoots his way through the Spencer Rain, yes, another cruise liner. The best of the classic lightgun Resident Evil games.

Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D

Revelations was the 3DS’ original Resident Evil game, while this is a Frankenstein’s Monster-like creation of different bits and pieces. The Mercenaries is a beloved game mode for players to enjoy once the main story is out of the way, and this combines different Resident Evil locations and foes into one big game of Mercenaries. And hey, it’s fine, y’know? It’s fine, for a launch game. Buy it for $3 maybe.

Resident Evil Outbreak

Plenty of Resident Evil games feature co-op, but Outbreak was the first to do it, with online multiplayer support. Also set during the Raccoon City outbreak, this team of survivors are tasked with… surviving. You’ll need to work together in order to complete tasks, and it’s good fun, though it really needed voice chat. Maybe this is a game that deserves a modern iteration.

Resident Evil Gaiden

It’s a Game Boy Color game! It’s weird! Another RE game set on a cruise ship, this one features Leon Kennedy and Barry Burton as protagonists. There’s a goofy little minigame to play whenever you encounter a zombie where you strike at them and defend yourself, but other than that, it’s a standard RE experience, just shrunk down and a bit more awkward. A darn good attempt for a Game Boy Color game, all things considered.

Resident Evil Outbreak: File 2

Another Outbreak game, and it acts as a standalone expansion to the original. Again, it’s decent, but this is essentially more of the same.

Resident Evil: Resistance

A multiplayer component for the Resident Evil 3 remake, this is a 4v1 asymmetrical multiplayer experience. One team explores levels and attempts to escape, while a mastermind summons foes and sets traps before manifesting as a legendary bioweapon. It’s goofy fun, but it wouldn’t be worth paying for.

Resident Evil Re:Verse

The latest multiplayer attempt, Re:Verse haphazardly throws together RE characters and foes from across the series in familiar environments. Chaos ensues. You battle against other players and collect Virus Capsules to upgrade an upcoming bioweapon transformation. Points collected during the match can be exchanged for buffs for both your human and bioweapon forms. At launch the game was laggy to the point of being unplayable – not that it would’ve been much good even if it worked.

Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City

Another attempt at a multiplayer RE game, Operation Raccoon City has an interesting premise, at least. Don’t play it.

Resident Evil Survivor 2 – CODE: Veronica

It’s a lightgun game! It has stages from CODE: Veronica! It’s not very good!

Resident Evil Survivor

Another lightgun game! Almost the worst Resident Evil game! Almost!

Umbrella Corps

So poor that they even ditched the Resident Evil name. Umbrella Corps is a bad third-person shooter, and is unplayable now thanks to low player numbers. Amazing.