Look, we need to be real about Resident Evil. Everyone claims to be a die-hard fan, but if you ask three different people what the "best" game is, you’re going to start a fight that lasts until three in the morning. It’s a mess. A beautiful, gory, occasionally campy mess. Since 1996, Shinji Mikami’s brainchild has mutated more times than a T-Virus test subject in a Raccoon City basement.
We've seen it all. The fixed camera angles that made you sweat because you couldn't see what was groaning around the corner. The over-the-shoulder revolution that basically invented the modern third-person shooter. The first-person pivot that saved the franchise from becoming a generic action movie. If you want to talk about every Resident Evil game, you have to acknowledge that Capcom doesn't just make sequels; they reinvent the wheel every five years whether we like it or not.
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The Foundation: Where the Nightmare Actually Started
The original 1996 release is a miracle. It’s clunky? Sure. The voice acting sounds like it was recorded in a tin can by people who had never seen a human script before? Absolutely. "You, the master of unlocking" is a meme for a reason. But that game understood tension better than almost anything else on the PlayStation 1. You were trapped. You had three bullets and four zombies. The math didn't add up, and that was the point.
Then came Resident Evil 2 in 1998. This is usually where the "best of all time" arguments start. Hideki Kamiya took the claustrophobia of the Spencer Mansion and blew it up into an entire city. The "Zapping System" was lightyears ahead of its time, letting you see the story from Leon and Claire’s perspectives while your actions in one playthrough actually affected the other. It felt massive.
Resident Evil 3: Nemesis is the one people tend to underrate, which is a tragedy. Nemesis wasn't just a boss; he was a persistent anxiety attack. He could follow you through doors. In 1999, that was illegal. It broke the rules of survival horror. While the 2020 remake was... fine, let's be honest, it cut way too much content. The original Nemesis is still the superior tension-builder.
The Identity Crisis and the Action Era
Resident Evil 4 changed everything. Not just for the series, but for gaming. Leon S. Kennedy went to Spain, found some cultists, and suddenly we were playing an action-adventure masterpiece. It’s brilliant. It’s also the reason the series almost died.
Capcom saw the dollar signs. They thought, "Hey, people like shooting things! Let's do more of that!"
Enter Resident Evil 5. It’s a great co-op game. It’s a terrible horror game. Punching boulders in a volcano? That's when we knew things had gone off the rails. And then there’s Resident Evil 6. Honestly, playing RE6 feels like watching a Michael Bay movie while three different people scream in your ear. It’s bloated. It’s confusing. It tries to be a survival horror, a cover-shooter, and a brawler all at once. It failed at all of them, though Leon’s campaign had some decent moments if you squinted hard enough.
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The Spin-offs: The Good, The Bad, and The Outbreak
People forget the side games when discussing every Resident Evil game, and that's a mistake. Code: Veronica is essentially the "real" Resident Evil 3 in terms of story importance. It's also incredibly difficult. If you didn't save enough explosive arrows for the Tyrant fight on the plane, your save file was basically dead.
- Resident Evil Outbreak: Way ahead of its time. Online multiplayer horror in 2003? On a PS2? It was laggy and difficult, but the concept of playing as normal citizens—plumbers, waitresses, doctors—trying to escape Raccoon City was genius.
- The Revelations Series: These were a weird bridge. They brought back the horror atmosphere but kept the modern controls. Jill Valentine on a ghost ship in the middle of the Mediterranean is a top-tier setting.
- The Chronicles: Light-gun shooters that filled in the gaps. Fun, but not essential.
The Modern Renaissance: RE7 and the Remake Masterclass
Capcom finally looked in the mirror around 2017 and realized they’d lost the plot. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard was a hard reset. Moving to first-person was a gamble that paid off because it made the Baker family terrifyingly intimate. You weren't a super-cop anymore. You were Ethan Winters, a guy who was wildly out of his depth.
The RE Engine changed the game. It’s arguably the most efficient engine in the industry right now. It made the Resident Evil 2 Remake look photorealistic. That remake is the gold standard. It didn't just update the graphics; it reimagined the terror of Mr. X. Instead of scripted encounters, he was a persistent, thumping shadow that forced you to change how you played.
Resident Evil Village (RE8) was a weird, wild ride. It felt like a greatest-hits album. You had the gothic horror of Lady Dimitrescu’s castle, the psychological trauma of House Beneviento (the baby monster still gives me nightmares), and the full-blown action of the late-game factory. It didn't always stick the landing, but it was never boring.
Every Resident Evil Game: The Definitive List of the Mainline Series
If you're trying to track the path through the biological wasteland, here is the core progression of the main series. No fluff, just the titles that built the lore.
- Resident Evil (1996/2002 Remake): The mansion incident. The 2002 GameCube remake is still the most atmospheric game in the series.
- Resident Evil 2 (1998/2019 Remake): The Raccoon City outbreak. The 2019 remake is perhaps the best entry point for new fans.
- Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (1999/2020 Remake): Jill’s escape and the destruction of the city.
- Resident Evil Code: Veronica (2000): The Ashford family saga. Needs a remake desperately.
- Resident Evil Zero (2002): Rebecca Chambers and Billy Coen. The partner-swapping was polarizing, but the train sequence is iconic.
- Resident Evil 4 (2005/2023 Remake): The shift to action. The 2023 remake is a rare example of perfecting what was already considered a "perfect" game.
- Resident Evil 5 (2009): Co-op focused, sunny horror. Wesker's big finale.
- Resident Evil 6 (2012): The massive, messy crossover.
- Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (2017): The return to roots. First-person terror.
- Resident Evil Village (2021): The conclusion of the Winters' story. Werewolves, vampires, and madness.
Why the Order You Play Matters
If you're new, don't just jump into every Resident Evil game chronologically by release date. You’ll get whiplash. The controls change so drastically between 2002 and 2005 that it ruins the flow for most people.
The best way to experience the series now is the "Modern Path." Start with the RE2 Remake, go to RE3 Remake, then hit the RE4 Remake. If you still have a stomach for it, move into RE7 and Village. Save the "tank control" classics (the original 1, 2, and 3) for when you're truly invested in the history. They are masterpieces, but they require a different mindset.
One thing people often miss is the importance of Resident Evil 0. It’s technically a prequel, but playing it first spoils the mystery of the first game. It’s like watching the Star Wars prequels before the original trilogy—you lose the impact of the "big reveals."
The Complexity of RE Lore
Trying to track the Umbrella Corporation’s various shell companies and the endless list of viruses (T, G, T-Veroncia, C, Uroboros, the Mold) is a full-time job. Honestly, the lore is a bit of a disaster. But that’s part of the charm. It’s a soap opera with monsters. Whether it's Chris Redfield's evolving bicep size or the fact that Ada Wong seems to be immortal, we're here for the drama as much as the scares.
The franchise has survived because it isn't afraid to fail. Resident Evil 6 was a failure of vision, but it gave Capcom the kick they needed to innovate. We wouldn't have the current "Golden Era" without the dark ages of the mid-2010s.
How to Get the Most Out of the Franchise Today
If you want to actually enjoy the series without getting overwhelmed, here is the move. Stop worrying about "completing" the list and focus on the vibes.
- For pure horror: Play Resident Evil 7 in VR if you have a strong stomach. It is genuinely one of the most frightening experiences in any medium.
- For the "Power Fantasy": The Resident Evil 4 Remake is the peak of the mountain. The combat loop—stun, kick, knife—is incredibly satisfying.
- For the atmosphere: The Resident Evil 1 HD Remaster (the 2002 remake). The pre-rendered backgrounds still look better than most modern 3D environments because they allow for perfect lighting and composition.
Check out the "Randomizer" mods if you're on PC. Once you've beaten these games a dozen times, having a boss spawn in a tiny hallway where a zombie should be is a great way to feel that 1996 fear all over again.
The next step for any fan isn't just playing the games; it's understanding the design philosophy. Watch the "Making Of" documentaries for the RE2 Remake. Seeing how they used "photogrammetry" to scan real meat and clothes to create the gore effects gives you a whole new appreciation for the technical craft behind the scares. Dive into the RE Engine's history—it's the backbone of why these games feel so responsive and look so crisp even on older hardware. Don't just play; observe how the lighting guides you through a room. That's where the real magic of Resident Evil lives.