With 25 years of storylines found in 12 main games and six movies, there’s a lot to digest about Resident Evil (RE), especially given that it is also cited by most video game historians as jump-starting the survival horror genre. Although a nod should also be given to the Clock Tower and Alone in the Dark series as well.
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Given Resident Evil's complex history and landmark games, one of the most challenging issues that first-time players face is deciding exactly where to start. Unfortunately, the series has had a few misses over the years so to help people who are playing it for the first time around get the most out of it, this list will give you an idea of the RE games that shouldn’t be missed when you start your adventures. Following through in this order will help you keep on top of ongoing stories while avoiding the misses.
1 Resident Evil HD Remaster
Released: 2015
Platforms: PS3, PS4, PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Set in 1998, RE occurs after a series of murders. You can select Chris Redfield or Jill Valentine as the protagonist. You then explore an abandoned mansion and learn of the Umbrella Corporation, who created a virus that turns humans and animals into zombie-like creatures.
This remaster is an improvement on the original Playstation 1 version, and includes a widescreen aspect ratio, improved lighting, and better background textures. You can also choose between a “modern” control scheme or classic “tank” controls.The game has an iconic score, memorable puzzles, and prepares you for everything else to come in the series.
2 Resident Evil 2 Remake
Released: 2019
Platforms: PS5, PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch
Two months after the first game, you once again take control of either Chris Redfield or Jill Valentine as they explore a police station overrun with zombies. Depending on your decisions, the game leads to four very different stories.
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The RE 2 remake is a much easier game than RE 1 due to checkpoints and unlimited saves. The atmospheric and spooky remake also offers improved graphics and better controls. The tradeoff is that the game leaves some things from the original RE 2 out, like giant spiders and the cartoonish voice at the title screen.
3 Resident Evil 3 Remake
Released: 2020
Platforms: PS4, PC, Xbox One, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch
RE 3 occurs a day after RE 2 when Jill Valentine sets out to save the surviving citizens of Raccoon City from the T-virus outbreak. Halfway in, control switches to Carlos Olivera, an Umbrella Corporation mercenary. The game utilizes classic survival horror item micromanagement, just like the first two games.
RE 3 Is also a great remake and captures the same horrific suspense as the original version. Unlike the other remakes, it offers a multiplayer mode that's mediocre at best. With some changes from the original, it is generally an improved version. The graphics are also noticeably improved.
4 Resident Evil Code: Veronica X
Released: 2011
Platforms: PS3, Xbox 360, PS4, Xbox One
In Code: Veronica X you choose between Claire Redfield or Chris Redfield and set out to explore a desolate prison island that's overrun with zombies. Veronica is atmospheric and spooky, but players will have to overlook the tank-like controls.
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This is one game in the series desperately due for a remake. While the controls and graphics have not aged gracefully, Code: Veronica X crucially links the first three RE games to the subsequent ones. It also introduces a true 3D environment and a livelier camera.
5 Resident Evil 4
Released: 2005
Platforms: GameCube, PS2, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Switch
Resident Evil 4 starts with a horde of angry Spanish villagers and doesn’t let go of you until the credits roll. You'll play as Leon S. Kennedy and encounter memorable bosses and clever set pieces. Instead of slow, atmospheric, plodding gameplay, RE 4 is much more of an action-based game.
One of the best games in the RE series, it has received countless ports. Besides being a great game, it also revolutionized the series by switching the series to a third-person perspective. RE 4 is quite simply one of the best action games ever made. You might want to wait to play this game, though, as another remake is coming in 2023.
6 Resident Evil: Revelations
Released: 2012
Platforms: 3DS, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii U, Switch
Set shortly after RE 4, Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield research the truth behind a terrorist organization that intends to dump the T-virus on the Earth's ocean. The story is set on a ship, which leads to one of the most memorable bosses in the series.
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While Revelations started on Nintendo 3DS, the HD version took the game to a bigger screen. While the graphics in the HD version are great, the controls lag. Revelations' enemies are also not the best we've seen in the series. Not only is there a limited variety, but the AI is not that clever, although the character models look decent.
Revelations is worth playing and represents one of the last classic-style types of RE games. The storyline also pieces some things together. Note that the handheld version is superior to the HD one.
7 Resident Evil 5
Released: 2009
Platforms: Switch, Xbox 360, PS3, PS4, Xbox One, PC
Set five years after RE 4, the game sees Chris Redfield sent to West Africa. Redfield's goal is to stop Ricardo Irving before Irving sells a black-market bioweapon.This was the first RE game where Capcom tried to implement a multiplayer option, which was one of the least memorable parts of the whole experience.
RE 5 is a fun but not particularly scary game. Instead of the thrills found in older RE games, it replaces them with a co-op system. The game also offers QTEs that feel very outdated. But, despite these setbacks, it tells a compelling story set in the RE universe. It's a solid game, but not representative of the RE franchise.
8 Resident Evil: Revelations 2
Released: 2009
Platforms: Xbox One, PC, Switch, Xbox 360, PS3, PS4, PS Vita
Resident Evil: Revelations 2 returns to Claire Redfield and introduces series newcomer, Barry Burton. The story is broken into four episodes. Episode 1 (The Penal Colony) sees Claire Redfield and Barry Burton's daughter, Moira, captured by armed mercenaries and taken to a facility on Sejm Island. The other chapters include "Contemplation", "Judgment", and "Metamorphosis".
It turns away from the action of previous entries but keeps the co-op play. Revelations 2 combines the over-the-shoulder perspective of RE 4 with survival horror world. This might be the best non-main series RE game and is well worth your time.
9 Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
Released: 2017
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, PSVR, Xbox One, Xbox Series X
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard is set in 2017 and sees Ethan Winters arrive at an abandoned Louisiana plantation on the trail of his missing wife, Mia. The character then begins to explore an empty house, where he confronts various supernatural events.
Playing Biohazard on PSVR is one of the most memorable outings in RE history. The game is a great one with its first-person perspective and a truckload of jump scares. After a few RE games emphasizing action and downplaying horror, Biohazard is the scariest RE game yet. Goodbye huge action sequences, hello again puzzle solving and nightmare fuel. The game breathed life back into the series after RE 6, which is notably not on this list.
10 Resident Evil: Village
Released: 2021
Platform: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X, PC
Set a few years after RE 7, the game follows Ethan Winters once more. This time around his wife, Mia, is suddenly murdered and their baby is kidnapped. The game also introduces supernatural elements new to any RE game like vampires, ghouls, mermen, witches, and werewolf-like creatures.
Village is a smorgasbord of things we’ve seen in RE before. A dash of action. A dollop of horror. Some puzzle solving. The game also features some genuinely disturbing moments. Village is not as consistently spooky as RE 7, though.
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