If someone were to travel two decades in the past, they would still hear the name of Resident Evil being fondly uttered by gaming fans. The series has gone down in the halls of legend in the industry, solidifying itself there for years. While open-world games have become the norm today, Resident Evil still has a solid fanbase.
The selling power of the series has meant Capcom has released dozens of games, but not all have been critical darlings. Which entries mark a high point in survival horror? Which titles are the most revered in the franchise? Using Metacritic as a metric, these are the best Resident Evil games ever.
Updated June 22, 2022 by Mark Sammut: Resident Evil is not going anywhere. Earlier this month, Capcom released next-gen versions of Resident Evil 2, 3, and 7 and announced an expansion for Village, among other things. A Resident Evil 4 remake is set for 2023, and the series has a number of projects rumored to be in development. Essentially, this franchise is here to stay. This article has been expanded to include a few more of the highest-rated Resident Evil games.
Expansions and remasters will not be treated as separate releases, and the highest-rated version will be highlighted. However, remakes are their own thing since they deviate significantly from the original versions.
13 Resident Evil: Revelations 2 (2015) - 75
The same problems that plagued Resident Evil 6 were brought forward in Revelations 2 as the game dived too hard into action set pieces that took away the spirit of survival horror that Capcom's franchise had been a champion of.
Still, the game isn't a total mess, as there are several elements that work such as the stealth sequences. Claire Redfield, Revelations 2's protagonist, has good chemistry with her companion, enhancing the story in the process.
12 Resident Evil: Revelations (2012) - 82
Before its sequel decided to go in heavy with the action, the original Revelations did better by making evasion the focal point rather than firepower-based confrontations. It also carried extra intrigue by filling in the gaps in the story between Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 5.
With redoubtable characters like Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield at the helm, the game had protagonists we already cared for as it presented the player with situations where they had to use their smarts more due to the limited ammo available.
11 Resident Evil 0 (2002) - 83
In what is another entry in the series that fills in a story we weren’t provided context for before, Resident Evil 0 was a welcome surprise as it featured a dual protagonist setting. What that entailed was the option of switching between two characters the player desired, offering two sides to the same situation.
While the gameplay remained largely similar to earlier installments, the difficulty was ramped up to greater numbers, thereby providing justification for the switching option between the protagonists. Despite being more action than horror, RE0's high difficulty translates to a tense experience.
10 Resident Evil 3 (2020) - 84
In a vacuum, Capcom's Resident Evil 3 remake is pretty great. Visually, Raccoon City has never looked this good, and the characters' redesigns are fantastic across the board. Similar to the original version, the RE3 remake is more action-driven than its immediate predecessor in the series, all the while still delivering plenty of scares and tense sequences. This is a perfectly enjoyable Resident Evil title.
That said, RE3 pales in comparison to Resident Evil 2's remake, feeling more like an expansion of the latter than a proper follow-up. The campaign is also disappointingly short and loses quite a bit of steam during its second half.
9 Resident Evil Village (2021) - 84
Building on the success of Resident Evil 7, Village brought back that game's protagonist, Ethan Winters, and its first-person camera. With his daughter abducted and taken to a European village filled with terrifying entities that seem ripped from another era, Ethan finds himself in another nightmare.
Despite sharing a few things with its predecessor, Village pushes the series back into a more action-oriented direction, which can be a polarizing decision. Even though it has a few low points, Village's haunting environments and unforgettable characters help paper over the cracks.
8 Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (2017) - 86
The Resident Evil series had been one-note for a number of years following the release of the fourth numbered entry, requiring Capcom to think out of the box and deliver an experience unlike any from the franchise. Some comparisons were made between the canceled Silent Hills game and Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, but the latter was a triumph regardless.
Players are dropped into the shoes of Ethan Winters, making them feel as if they are the ones stranded in a hellish household where a vicious family is out to kill them. Resident Evil 7 is a definite scary addition to the world of gaming.
7 Resident Evil 5 (2009) - 86
Action isn’t a bad thing in theory, and Resident Evil 5 is the best example of Capcom's series adapting to that genre. It replicates the gameplay style of its predecessor, and while it doesn't reach the same heights as Resident Evil 4, RE5 is a classic in its own right.
It has grand action sequences that fill up the adrenaline as players go along. The game also adds a worthy partner for Chris Redfield, which proves to be especially welcome when taking part in a fight to the death with the series antagonist Albert Wesker.
6 Resident Evil 2 (1999) – 89
Resident Evil put Capcom's horror license on the map, and this sequel announced that the franchise was here to stay. Rather than being confined to an estate, Resident Evil 2 expands things to an entire city; furthermore, the sequel has two playable characters who each have their own sections, greatly enhancing the campaign's replayability.
Resident Evil 2 is one of the best PS1 horror games of all time. While it can be difficult to recommend the original version over the 2019 remake, this classic is a must-play for anyone interested in the horror genre.
5 Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (2000) - 91
This game should be attributed for turning Resident Evil firmly on course for becoming an action-oriented series as Nemesis was lighter on the horror compared to its predecessors. Critics noted this change as well, with not all of them satisfied with the departure from the scares.
Gameplay-wise, things remained almost the same, but players had to rely more on their firearms than before as Nemesis aimed to make them expert marksmen for the most part. One of the better parts of the game would be the titular antagonist, whose sequences amp up the tension.
4 Resident Evil (1996) - 91
Even though many of the following games in the series replicated the original’s style, the first Resident Evil is still the best among the bunch. Along with carrying the nostalgia factor in its favor, the game is genuinely chilling to play.
It inspired a number of similar titles while also reviving the horror genre in video gaming. The eerie experience of traversing through the mansion's dangerous environments never gets old no matter how many decades pass.
3 Resident Evil 2 Remake (2019) - 93
Resident Evil 2’s remake is so good that it overshadows the 1998 version, which is hardly an easy feat. Featuring the over-the-shoulder perspective that has always been a hit among fans, the remake carried forward the original’s horror elements and married it with the action style that today’s gamers want.
RE2's story is also one of the very best in the series, as the game has two very likable leads along with a solid supporting cast. The gameplay is about as good as anything the series has ever produced, and RE2's Mr. X sections are brilliant.
2 Resident Evil Code: Veronica (2001) - 94
This installment has such close ties to the main series that it was considered as a true sequel by most of the fanbase. After all, the gameplay, story, and everything in between are connected directly to the events that came before.
The most definite improvement that critics loved was Code: Veronica's dynamic camera, which offered more versatility in gameplay. While before the player was restricted in movement due to the fixed camera angles, they now had the freedom to see more clearly. It was also a more horror-based Resident Evil game compared to the third main entry.
1 Resident Evil 4 (2005) - 96
If you want to think “groundbreaking”, then look no further than Resident Evil 4, which set the standard for action-adventure games to follow to this day and beyond. It revamped the series entirely, while also bringing further characterization to Leon Kennedy, instantly making him the most loved hero in the series.
While being mainly an action feature, the game succeeded in being a horror classic as well due to the presence of enemies that will make the hairs at the back of your neck stand up. There won’t ever be a time where critics won’t hail Resident Evil 4 as one of the greatest games of all time, which justifies the enormously high ranking it has received on Metacritic.