With a new Resident Evil series headed our way on Netflix, new content coming for Resident Evil Village, and a Resident Evil 4 remake set for 2023, the franchise isn’t slowing down anytime soon. Since the Netflix series will be here in a few days and is taking the lore of the games into account, I thought I’d look at those games and rank them from “red DANGER bar, please heal immediately” to “calm, green FINE bar, this is the good stuff.” I’ll only be looking at the main series of games and not the spinoffs (because I’d be here all day if I included spinoffs), however, I WILL be including the remakes as they did add more content to the games.
Resident Evil 6 (2012)
At the time this game was released it felt like a complete departure from everything I loved about Resident Evil, focusing more on high-action “this shot is for the trailer” moments instead of creating any sort of disturbing atmosphere. It’s like watching The Fast & Furious franchise and accepting the fact that everyone’s a superhero… which doesn’t quite fit the vibe of “survival horror that’s supposed to scare you.” Looking back (since we now have Resident Evil games that are frightening again), the game is an over-the-top, silly adventure that’s best played with friends so you can all watch a guy turn into a mutated dinosaur – literally.
Resident Evil 5 (2009)
Not as ridiculous as Resident Evil 6, but I’d say it was a bright, blaring siren for where Capcom was planning to take the series (until they course-corrected later). I did appreciate the co-op, though, and the delightful return of Albert Wesker being the overdramatic bitch that he is. If nothing else, this game gave us the most unintentionally hilarious moment in Resident Evil history when Chris put them beefy arms to good use and punched a boulder into submission. A year later, we’d “press X to Jason” in Heavy Rain, but nothing compares to pressing X to punch a boulder with Wesker monologing in the background.
Resident Evil Zero (2002)
Taking place before the original Resident Evil, you take control of two protagonists at once: Rebecca Chambers (who we first meet in Resident Evil as a supporting character) and Billy Coen (a convict who, surprise, isn’t as nefarious as the reports say he is). While I appreciated being able to play as Rebecca, once she gets off the train with Billy the game is kinda … meh. Also, the game makes the Resident Evil version of Rebecca kind of a bummer since she’s clearly able to hold her own in Zero, but doesn’t get to do much of anything when you end up meeting her as Chris in Resident Evil.
Resident Evil CODE: Veronica (2000)
My feelings waffle on this game for extremely biased reasons of “yay Claire’s back” and “baby’s first Resident Evil game where she was brave enough to play alone.” I loved that Claire and Chris finally got to reunite, enjoyed Alexia and her accompanying choir, and liked seeing Wesker return in full “I’m the sunglasses wearing bad guy” mode, but boy, there sure are some total… Steves to wade through. Can a single character ruin the vibe of a whole game? Yes, especially when you attempt to inject unnecessary romance between characters with zero chemistry.
Resident Evil 3 (2020 remake)
Taking a page from the fantastic Resident Evil 2 remake (trust me, we’ll get to that one), we get to try and navigate Jill Valentine out of Raccoon City while avoiding one of the most iconic baddies in all of Resident Evil. That being said, the retelling of Nemesis is fine, but it didn’t quite capture the magic of the Resident Evil 2 remake that had been released the previous year. However, I’ll always be on edge whenever I hear that low growl of S.T.A.R.S.
Resident Evil Village (2021)
The game that launched a thousand kinks, Resident Evil Village picks up where 7 left off. Ethan Winters is trying his best to live a normal life, but no such thing exists for the characters of this franchise. With multiple locations to explore and a bizarre quest to get the pieces of his baby back, the game explains the oddities of 7 and even has some reveals that relate to the franchise as a whole. Not as terrifying as its predecessor, but still fun to play, even if Chris made things more difficult than they needed to be.
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (2017)
The new take on the series brought the series back to its horror roots, oh, and took place in an, ahem, residence. The Baker family offered up some truly unsettling moments and for the first time in a while, Resident Evil felt scary again. While I did miss having a variety of creatures to kill, the family themselves made up for it. That shot of waking up at their dinner table will stay with me for years to come.
Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (1999)
Admittedly, this isn’t the game I expected while chasing the high that Resident Evil 2 gave me, but it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Playing as a character (Jill Valentine) who’d been through this shit before was an absolute blast, and returning to Raccoon City in the midst of complete chaos was exciting. Nemesis added more tension to the game (though I did usually choose to run instead of fight, lol) and as cheesy as Jill’s final one-liner to Nemesis is, at the time it made me feel like a badass. “You want stars? I’ll give you stars.” Hell yeah, girl!
Resident Evil (1996)
The game that started it all, Resident Evil did so much to shape the scope of survival horror in video games. Looking back, the game is hilariously charming with its choppy dialogue and “beautiful” live-action opening sequence, but the more I look back on it, the more it feels like I’m flipping through an old family photo album and looking at dated pictures from summer camp. The hairstyles are outdated and the film quality is faded, but gosh, the memories are great.
Resident Evil 2 (1998)
This was actually my first Resident Evil game because a friend rented it from, wait for it, Blockbuster. I’m not ashamed to admit that this game scared the SHIT out of me back then. I watched my friend play it and refused to try it for myself, wanted to keep the lights on the entire time, and often ended up looking away because anything could come out at any time. To this day, the scene of Leon and Claire meeting the licker for the first time is a peak horror memory for me. And that second playthrough with Mr. X bursting through the walls? Nooooo thanks!
Resident Evil (2002 remake)
This is probably one of my earliest examples of what a remake of a game could truly offer. This basically showed what it felt like playing Resident Evil all those years ago, only now it had the graphics to back it up. The Spencer Mansion was a nightmare to explore even if I’d done it before, especially with new editions like the Crimson Heads (a reanimated zombie if you don’t dispose of one properly). Ammo was scarce, the environment was dark and claustrophobic, and it was everything that makes Resident Evil such a staple in the horror game genre.
Resident Evil 4 (2005)
This game just has so much of what I like about Resident Evil while managing to make it more action-oriented without going overboard. Resident Evil 4 maintains the scares while making Leon Kennedy a certified “why does this keep happening to me” action hero. There are a million ways to die while also offering a million ways to kill, from reaction commands, to guns, to just straight-up kicking a hoard of enemies in the face. I love this game so much that I’m on the fence about wanting a remake for it, but I will say that I look forward to there being more people who get into this game. If it’s as well-crafted as Resident Evil 2’s remake (I promise, we’re almost there) then it could very well be the best horror game of 2023.
Resident Evil 2 (2019 remake)
Much like the original Resident Evil remake, this is a masterclass of what a remake for a game can do. This took the fear I had in 1998 and maximized it in the best ways. Everything was darker and more dangerous, and with the game actually changing the order and layout of things, even adding new locations and playthrough sections (ie: Sherry having to escape the twisted police chief), I couldn’t just go off of memory to survive. Also? Mr. X showing up in the main campaign instead of in the second campaign? As Leon said when seeing the indestructible titan, “JESUS CHRIST!”
(Featured image: Capcom/edit by Briana Lawrence)
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