12 Resident Evil Games Ranked Worst to Best
There are few gaming franchises as iconic — or as all over the place — as Capcom's Resident Evil series.
Resident Evil essentially birthed the survival horror genre back in 1996, defined modern third-person action with Resident Evil 4 in 2005, and, after a few missteps, brought things full circle with the terrifying first-person scares of 2017's Resident Evil 7. Now that Capcom's stunning Resident Evil 2 remake is here, we've looked back at every jump scare, grotesque boss fight and ridiculous explosion scene and ranked every core game in the series from worst to best.
Credit: Capcom
Resident Evil Zero (2002)
Resident Evil Zero isn't a bad game — it's just not very memorable. A prequel built on the same engine as 2002's excellent Resident Evil 1 remake, this game showed the Raccoon City zombie outbreak through the eyes of S.T.A.R.S. agent Rebecca Chambers and ex-con Billy Coen. Zero's biggest innovation was its switching system, which allows players to seamlessly swap between controlling Rebecca and Billy in order to solve puzzles and take advantage of each character's unique traits. While the game is haunting and gorgeous (especially on current consoles), its so-so story and mostly flat characters fail to hold up against those of the main series. — Mike Andronico
Credit: Capcom
Play it now: PS4, Xbox One, PC
Resident Evil 6 (2012)
Hardcore Resident Evil fans were quite disappointed in Resident Evil 6 for straying too far from the franchise's original formula, but it gets a bad rap. Sure, the story isn't exactly fulfilling, but it was an ambitious, and enjoyable, crossover with popular characters like Chris Redfield, Leon S. Kennedy, Ada Wong and Sherry Birkin. It refined the controls beyond what Resident Evil 5 did — yes, you could finally move and shoot at the same time.
But what's really great about Resident Evil 6 is that each of the four campaigns had a different theme. Leon's has darker horror tones in line with the older games, and Chris' is in a war zone, providing a full-on action scenario. Meanwhile, Sherry is paired with Albert Wesker's son, Jake Muller, in a Nemesis-style scenario where they're being chased by the Ustanak through the whole campaign. Finally, Ada's campaign relies more on stealth due to its single-player nature, and it features a lot of puzzles as well. Despite being overstuffed, inconsistent and action-heavy, Resident Evil 6 can still be very entertaining. — Rami Tabari
Credit: Capcom
Play it now: PS4, Xbox One, PC
Resident Evil Revelations (2012)
Resident Evil Revelations was a promising showcase of the new Nintendo 3DS when it launched back in 2012, and holds up even better on modern platforms as one of the series' most underrated spinoffs. Revelations blends the restrained horror of the original game with the third-person action of Resident Evil 4, all wrapped up in a neat episodic structure that spotlights series mainstays Chris and Jill as well as newcomers Parker and Jessica. Factor in an addictive and highly replayable Raid Mode, and you've got a great slice of Resident Evil that has something for fans old and new. — Mike Andronico
Credit: CE Europe
Play it now: PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Resident Evil 5 (2009)
Resident Evil 5 expanded on the bold, action-driven formula established by Resident Evil 4, adding better movement controls and introducing two-player co-op for the first time in the franchise. Original series star Chris Redfield and newcomer Sheva Alomar head to Africa to investigate a deadly new virus, dubbed Las Plagas, which sets the stage for a ton of tense encounters with creatively grotesque enemies. Resident Evil 5 arguably marks the first time the series dropped all pretense of horror in favor of over-the-top action (that final boss fight really is something), but it's still loads of fun — especially with a friend. — Mike Andronico
Credit: Capcom
Play it now: PS4, Xbox One, PC
Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (1999)
Resident Evil 3: Nemesis is best known for its titular character: a gigantic, intelligent monster that stalked Jill Valentine throughout the course of the game and could pop up at any moment. Knowing that Nemesis could suddenly bust through any wall or appear in any room makes Resident Evil 3 delightfully unnerving, and provides a neat spin on the typical boss formula that was revisited in games such as Resident Evil 6 and 7. The game's story (which takes place concurrently with Resident Evil 2) isn't as widely loved as that of the first two games, and you get only one playable character, but that doesn't change the fact that Resident Evil 3 is a memorable and uniquely tense chapter in the original trilogy. — Mike Andronico
Credit: Eidos Interactive
Play it now: PS3 (via PSOne Classics)
Resident Evil: Code Veronica (2000)
Although many fans might have missed it the first time around due to its temporary status as a Dreamcast exclusive, Code Veronica is regarded by producer Shinji Mikami as the true sequel to Resident Evil 2, while Resident Evil 3: Nemesis was originally intended to be more of a spinoff. Code Veronica was a leap forward for the franchise, leveraging the power of new hardware to introduce real-time 3D environments, rather than the pre-rendered backgrounds of previous entries. This installment also saw a shift to European Gothic-style horror, along with cinematics inspired by the work of legendary action filmmaker John Woo. Resident Evil 4 later brought about a true reinvention of the series, but Code Veronica is the most refined expression of the original Resident Evil formula. — Adam Ismail
Credit: Capcom
Play it now: PS4
Resident Evil Revelations 2 (2015)
Resident Evil Revelations 2 improved on its already great predecessor, most notably by adding its own twist on two-player co-op. Unlike previous two-player Resident Evil games, Revelations 2 pairs a weathered fighter (Claire Redfield, Barry Burton) with a weaker, non-combat youngster (Moira Burton, Natalia Korda), creating scenarios that demand good teamwork in multiplayer. It also packs an expanded version of the original's Raid Mode, giving you scores of zombies to slay and characters to unlock either alone or with a friend. The game's story is oozing with B-movie cheese, but isn't that part of Resident Evil's charm in the first place? — Mike Andronico
Credit: Capcom
Play it now: PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Resident Evil 2 (1998)
Resident Evil 2 took the groundbreaking original and refined its mechanics, delivering one of PlayStation's best titles that is fondly remembered enough today to warrant a remake. Thanks to the game's innovative "Zapping" system, the second installment had enormous replay value. Players start as either college student Claire Redfield or rookie police officer Leon Kennedy, before they're switched to the other character halfway through the story. Depending on the order in which you approached the campaign, you could play it four times over — highlighting a unique perspective each time and thereby illuminating more of the Umbrella Corp.'s horrifying machinations. — Adam Ismail
Credit: Capcom
Play it now: PS3
Resident Evil (1996, 2002)
We're gonna cheat a bit here and count both Resident Evil and its 2002 remake as a single entry, because both are equally vital to the series and gaming as a whole. The original Resident Evil created the survival horror genre as we know it, having you explore a spooky, zombie-infested mansion with a unique fixed camera system that made turning every corner unbelievably tense. Seriously, we'll never forget that first zombie scene. Sure, it had plenty of corny, meme-worthy dialogue, but it also gave us iconic characters such as Jill Valentine, Chris Redfield and Albert Wesker, and set the standard for all horror games to come.
Resident Evil was later remade from the ground up for the Nintendo GameCube in 2002, with new enemies, new mechanics and hauntingly gorgeous graphics that better realize the horrific potential of the original. This remake was later brought to modern platforms such as PS4, Xbox One and PC, so you can experience it in stunning high-definition (and with the option to drop those pesky tank controls!). Resident Evil is perhaps gaming's defining remaster, and the best way to experience the most iconic horror game of all time. — Mike Andronico
Credit: Capcom
Play it now: PS4, Xbox One, PC
Resident Evil 7 (2017)
Resident Evil 7 is both a return to form and a thrilling reinvention all at once. This terrifying first-person adventure evokes the tension and atmosphere of the original Resident Evil, but with a new immersive perspective that makes every jump scare that much more terrifying —especially in VR. Resident Evil’s core components of survival, puzzle solving and exploration are all here, but are wrapped in a stunning new engine that looks and plays better than any game in the series. And the Bakers, an infected family of crazed Southerners, make for some of the scariest and most memorable enemies the series has seen yet. Not since Resident Evil 4 has the franchise felt so revitalized. — Mike Andronico
Credit: Capcom
Play it now: PS4, Xbox One, PC
Resident Evil 2 (2019)
Resident Evil 2 doesn't just set a new standard for video game remakes -- it also stands alone as one of the best Resident Evil games ever made. Capcom fully reimagined its 1998 classic as a gorgeous, tight and unnervingly atmospheric third-person shooter, making classic locales such as the Raccoon City Police Station and Umbrella laboratory feel hauntingly new. The game's lifelike character models and fully rewritten cutscenes make the adventures of Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield more immersive and cinematic than ever, and the game's enemies -- from its terrifyingly realistic zombies and lickers to the infamously unstoppable Mr. X -- are the scariest we've ever seen in the franchise. Capcom delivers all of this modern sheen without sacrificing the exploration, puzzle solving and overall sense of tension that the original is known for, resulting in possibly the best mix of old and new Resident Evil we've gotten yet. - Mike Andronico
Credit: Capcom
Play it now: PS4, Xbox One, PC
Resident Evil 4 (2005)
Resident Evil 4 was a turning point for the franchise, as it brought back Leon S. Kennedy with a new gameplay system. This game was an over-the-shoulder, third-person shooter, which brought a bit more action and rewarded strategy and good timing. It was also a new way to take on threats: Fighting off an infected villager wielding a chainsaw is still one of the game's most memorable moments. It was perhaps the defining Nintendo GameCube game when it was released in 2005, and it looks and plays even better on modern platforms like PS4, Xbox One and PC. Resident Evil 4's influence can be felt in everything from Gears of War to The Last of Us, and it's masterful blend of horror and action still holds up great today. — Andrew E. Freedman
Credit: Capcom
Play it now: PS4, Xbox One, PC
