All 12 Mainline Resident Evil Games, Ranked

Resident Evil is one of the most legendary horror game franchises out there. It has numerous classic games for fans to revisit and remakes for newcomers to try as an entryway into the world of mutant lifeforms and overly dramatic cutscenes. Looking purely at canon games (Revelations) and the mainline series, we’re going to rank the iconic franchise that started from humble zombie beginnings.

To avoid repeating entries, this list has picked only one Resident Evil game when that entry has a remake. You can debate any placement on this list as the best Resident Evil games are each fantastic in their own way. We cannot judge these games based on how scary they are because—let’s be real—only RE1, RE2, RE3, and RE7 could be classified as true horror.

Therefore, this list has looked at Resident Evil’s story, characters, gameplay, level design, and entertainment value for each entry to determine their spot on the list. Let’s get into it.

12) Resident Evil 6

Release date: October 2nd, 2012

I played Resident Evil 6 solo, then with a friend and found co-op was significantly more fun because we only did one playthrough. RE6 frustrated me because it’s the same game on a loop, with variation only given through cutscenes. There is no change between the enemies, settings, or gameplay aside from obvious plot differences. Some characters and their stories were significantly better than others, but everything was surface-level, with little development in its forgettable story. RE6 will get repetitive really quickly if you’re looking to play as every character. This entry should be viewed only as an action game as you sprint through each level, blasting at anything in your path.

Quick-time events were particularly exhausting in Resident Evil 6. While Resident Evil isn’t really scary to begin with, there isn’t a single moment in RE6 that made me feel tense. It’s not an awful game by any means, but there’s a clear divide from the very best of the franchise, to the mediocre.

11) Resident Evil: Revelations 2

Release date: February 24th, 2015

Resident Evil: Revelations 2 expanded on the first game by adding a much-needed co-op feature. Playing this with family and friends is better than single-player and that’s not just at the detriment of the more basic AI partner. Just like other co-op entries, most of the entertainment is created through you, the player. Fear is contagious, and it’s felt more in this entry than in any other co-op Resident Evil. Revelations 2 offers variation in gameplay, providing a mix of action and stealth; a combo that’s missing in every other co-op entry.

There are more enemy types than Revelations, but this sequel has scarce puzzles and repetitive enemy designs, making it less desirable to me as there wasn’t much variety. This is only an enjoyable experience in co-op as the AI will often find itself in trouble, feeling more like an escort mission than RE4. What makes Revelations worth playing now is the Raid Mode, offering replayability like no other Resident Evil. But this is a separate entity from the main campaign, acting more like Mercenaries Mode.

10) Resident Evil: Revelations

Release date: January 26th, 2012

Although I’m not ranking these games based on how they look, Resident Evil: Revelations still looks amazing. Compared to the hugeness of Raccoon City, I appreciate how this entry managed to pack so much into a more confined setting. The story played more like a film, seeing Jill bounce around and have to quickly adapt to the new area, which added much-needed tension. However, the more simplistic gameplay for a third-person shooter felt too much like the original games—being more clunky and stiff as you tracked the slow-moving target ahead of you. Yes, it included the interesting scan mechanic, but it felt like it was only added to juxtapose the gunfights that grew more and more repetitive as I progressed.

I’m shocked Revelations didn’t give me that polished feeling I expected from what should have been a fluid third-person shooter. Granted, I played Revelations on PS4 when it was intended for Nintendo 3DS, so its gameplay would inevitably be more limited, and it’s still seriously impressive for a handheld game. A throwback to Resident Evil’s roots, Revelations offered more puzzles than its sequel, with a better Raid Mode, story, exploration, and weapon variety. So if you’re a fan of these classic shooters then you should enjoy Revelations, but sadly this one wasn’t for me.

9) Resident Evil Zero

Release date: November 12th, 2002

RE0 is classic Resident Evil with a twist. It has some interesting ideas, expanding on the original game with its core gameplay mechanics like the party system and unique weapons. This made RE0 feel more like a JRPG, where you needed to strategize and manage your inventory across both characters. But here is where the biggest gameplay fault lies. While RE0 kept a lot of what made the original so fantastic (the level design, fixed camera angles, zombified enemies, and puzzles), Rebecca quickly becomes tedious in the gameplay department.

I would love to see RE0 remade. This wasn’t so much a challenging entry, but frustrating and slow because of the decision to massively limit your inventory space and remove the safe room item box. Having to interact with everything so I knew where it was on the map forced me to backtrack too often. It’s unnecessary and an inconvenience as you have to either leave loot in random places around the map or dedicate one safe room as a huge item box. Compared to the first game, RE0 felt like a step backwards and clearly shows its age now as loading screens to swap characters and backtrack for items took me out of the immersive and compact setting. If it weren’t for Zero’s gameplay choices, this game would be ranked higher on the list. It’s so close to being a classic.

8) Resident Evil 5

Release date: March 5th, 2009

Resident Evil 5 is best enjoyed with family or friends. Similar to RE6, the fifth installment is more about action than survival horror. Packed with cheesy cutscenes and seemingly endless gunfights, there’s high entertainment value, but only for those playing co-op. For solo players, RE5 feels slow and janky, with repetitive chapters following the same format, only ending with a different boss. The best part is telling your teammate to catch up when you’re waiting at the door, screaming for Chris or Sheva.

The setting and lighting, in particular, are jarring to me and only fit its action gameplay, feeling far removed from the survival horror the franchise became so famous for. Just like RE6, I often felt like I had to create my own fun with this entry, as entertainment was limited to messing around with weapons and equipment. RE5 is a good game, but I’m adamant it’s only a good time for those playing split-screen. This is one of those games that needs a remake for the AI alone, so single-player can be as good as the co-op was.

7) Resident Evil Village

Release date: May 7th, 2021

I genuinely don’t see Village as a Resident Evil game. Village shone in entertainment value, but this entry peaked incredibly early, specifically with Lady Dimitrescu’s boss fight. The game is surprisingly easy and very forgiving, only having a handful of difficult moments (e.g., Beast of East Old Town and surviving the first Lycans attack). It felt like I was being hand-held throughout and led from point A to B, with little pushback from the village residents. The horror elements felt cheap when implemented, like a desperate callback to Biohazard‘s success.

Exploring each area was enjoyable, but I found myself flying through the game, having bought most upgrades from The Duke in record time for Resident Evil, and feeling underwhelmed by every boss post-Dimitrescu. It wasn’t until I reached Heisenberg’s Factory that I felt like I was playing a Resident Evil game. Village packs a lot in, but its ideas feel like they were hastily thrown together. The story gets more ridiculous and dragged out as it goes on, and I was surprisingly bored by the time I switched to Chris Redfield’s POV.

6) Resident Evil: Code Veronica

Release date: February 3rd, 2000

Code Veronica is the darkest entry in the series because of its art direction. The entire setting feels grimy and decrepit, warning us that Claire made a huge mistake coming to Rockfort Island. It’s one of the scarier entries for its aesthetic alone, with chaotic cutscenes that stressed me out when I had to pick the controller back up. Most situations felt hopeless as I was often thrown into the deep end. It is one of the hardest Resident Evils, where the fixed camera angles worked overtime at keeping me on edge. Like Nemesis, Code Veronica had the look and feel of old-school Silent Hill.

Code Veronica‘s plot grows more nonsensical as time goes on, giving it one of the weakest stories in the series. Its quirky cast, each getting important character development, made the setting feel more believable (and entertaining). It has good atmosphere and pacing, but its flaw is that you can get soft-locked if you don’t have the right resources with you. Code Veronica is one of the most challenging and stressful Resident Evils, with standout boss fights that (although you’re trapped in a small arena) felt unique compared to other entries.

5) Resident Evil 7: Biohazard

Release date: January 24th, 2017

The atmosphere of Biohazard made it the one true horror game of the series, with an impressively long high that lasts for most of its runtime. I felt like a mouse caught in a trap, being persistently hunted by the Baker family. Biohazard offers little room to breathe as you open up new areas to explore on the farm, with the overarching story expanding along the way. The level design felt like a throwback to the first game, but where it succeeds most is with its villains and first-person horror elements.

What’s very different about Biohazard (but worked incredibly well) is the enemy variety is restricted purely to the bosses. The game perfectly mixed stealth with action as you needed to navigate around the farm without alerting the enemies to your position, to reach the point where you can finally fight back. I liked how everyone felt like Nemesis, where I couldn’t get sick of seeing the same enemy type, for this wasn’t in Biohazard (unlike RE5 and RE6). The Baker family is iconic, both for their personalities and character design that reached its terrifying climax when the boss fight finally ensued. Biohazard reaches its peak at Marguerite’s boss fight, only to sadly dip in quality when the focus shifts to Eveline.

4) Resident Evil 3: Nemesis

Release date: September 22nd, 1999

Bizarrely, the remake of Resident Evil 3 lost everything that made the original so damn good. While the remake was stunning, the characters were surface-level and annoying, while the main threat of Nemesis was restricted to cutscenes, and quickly became frustrating to avoid when regaining control of Jill. It wasn’t an enjoyable experience, which is a shame as many likely missed out on the original. This is the only time I’d say you have to play the original over the remake. Nemesis held onto what made the first and second games fantastic, with survival horror elements and item management, mixed inside the gigantic Raccoon City you could freely explore.

RELATED: 10 Best Resident Evil Protagonists

For its time, the jagged pixels and flat surfaces had surprising depth that brought the city to life as you have to survive the retreat to safety, all while Nemesis stalks your every move. The exterior level design is some of the best Resident Evil has ever done. I love how everything is interconnected and you had to work out where you need to go, rather than simply being led there. I felt cornered, uncertain of what awaited me if I made a mad dash toward the nearest exit. Raccoon City felt the most real in this pixelated setting. It’s impressive how Capcom managed to capture such hopelessness and dread in the claustrophobic alleyways of Raccoon City.

3) Resident Evil Remaster

Release date: March 22nd, 2002

What Resident Evil did so well is that you never knew what to expect. Perfectly placed jump scares, unique enemies, and satisfying puzzles, the first in this long-standing series had peak level design. I always anticipated something would jump out at me following the dramatically slow door opening animation. Resident Evil remains at the top for its level design and puzzles, having some of the greatest scares in the series. A cinematic experience, Resident Evil was monumental when it first released, and has aged well for a survival horror game.

The pacing for Resident Evil is spot on and demonstrates exactly what survival horror is supposed to be: fighting back with limited resources. The mansion setting is coated in mystery, with narrow corridors and fixed camera angles to spread uneasiness and paranoia for what lurks just shy of being on-screen. Things were simpler in the first installment, with strange bosses that felt fitting for the start of a global pandemic that later added more complicated enemies into the fray.

2) Resident Evil 4 Remake

Release date: March 24th, 2023

If Resident Evil 7: Biohazard has the best horror in the series, RE4 has the best action. Unlike RE5 and RE6, the fourth game balanced action and horror perfectly, neither ever overstaying its welcome. While I struggled to play the original because of the aim controls, the remake let me properly enjoy this entry. I love how RE4 showcases horror during the day, something that’s rarely done with these games (and was completely missed in RE5). With optional side quests, level design variety, and challenging moments, this massive escort mission to rescue Ashley is the best action-survival horror you can play.

Resident Evil 4 is both fun and challenging, being a satisfying entry every time you complete a chapter. It never feels repetitive as you are always faced with different challenges. My one qualm I have with RE4 is its difficulty scaling, where there’s a massive gap between Standard and Hardcore—and the harder difficulties are a true test of patience. There’s so much variety in this entry that it never gets stale, enticing you with exploration, puzzles, and optional side quests to keep you fully engrossed, and lengthen out the playthrough. While the story is relatively simple, it’s so easily digestible that anyone can jump into RE4 without knowing the rest of the series and have a great experience.

1) Resident Evil 2 Remake

Release date: January 25th, 2019

Resident Evil 2 is the ultimate survival horror game, having everything you could possibly need: exploration, puzzles, resource management, intricate level design, and scares. To me, RE2 is perfection. With two playthroughs readily available, both having completely separate adventures where they overlap through serendipitous cutscenes, RE2 is a blast from start to finish. It has the perfect balance of action and horror, with excellent level design that makes backtracking both refreshing and satisfying. The enemy variety is great, the puzzles are just right, and the persistent threat of Mr. X gave me the kick I needed to keep pressing forward.

The only fault I’d give RE2 is its repetitive boss fights that trap you in a compact arena, which is a common flaw I’d give the series as a whole. The boss fights felt more arcadey to me. I could run around the perimeter and handle the threat, easily avoid damage, and cheese the boss, removing most of the panic or seriousness of the battle. Aside from this, however, RE2 captured the original’s excellent level design, worldbuilding, storytelling, and added two beloved characters with their own story to tell, to craft what I deem to be the best Resident Evil.