TheResident Evilfranchise has been one of the longest-running and most successful franchises in video game history, with Capcom releasing new entries on a regular basis. Just recently, Capcom revealed its plans forResident Evil’s future, confirming thatDLC is on the way forResident Evil Villagelater this year while a full-blownResident Evil 4remake is in development for release in 2023.
Capcom has released a lot of main seriesResident Evilgames over the years, and most of them have turned out to be quite good. In fact, the majority ofmain seriesResident Evilgamesare highly-rated by fans and critics alike, though there are some that have failed to live up to expectations.
RELATED:Resident Evil 7 Player Makes Terrifying Discovery
While fans wait for more information on theResident Evil 4remake, here is a tier list ranking every main seriesResident Evilgame released so far.
S-Tier
Resident Evil 2- The originalResident Evilcoined the term survival-horror and helped put the genre on the map. The bar was set extremely high, but Capcom still managed to exceed expectations withResident Evil 2.Resident Evil 2lets players loose in aRaccoon City overrun by flesh-eating zombiesand other unspeakable horrors as rookie cop Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield, who is searching for her brother Chris.RE2was a massive upgrade over the original game in nearly every category, and it remains a landmark release in the survival-horror genre.
Resident Evil (2002)- Merely six years after the firstResident Evilreleased, Capcom moved forward with a remake for the Nintendo GameCube. TheResident Evilremake vastly improved the graphics of the original game and made the infamous Mansion Incident much scarier with thehorrifying Lisa Trevorand zombies that don’t stay dead unless players burn their corpses. TheResident Evilremake is the ideal way to experience the original story, and luckily it’s available on modern platforms through an HD remaster that added modernized controls and much more.
Resident Evil 4- Most video game franchises figure out what works and stick with that blueprint throughout their existence, but director Shinji Mikami tookResident Evilin a bold new direction withResident Evil 4. One of the most critically-acclaimed and influential video games ever made,Resident Evil 4seesLeon S. Kennedyon a dangerous quest to save the president’s daughter. It introduces an over-the-shoulder camera and ramps up the action significantly.RE4’s overall impact on theResident Evilfranchise remains controversial, but there’s no denying the sheer artistry on display.
Resident Evil 2 (2019)- Capcom has never been shy about remaking classicResident Evilgames, and so it’s no surprise that it eventually did the same forResident Evil 2. TheResident Evil 2remake is a mostly faithful recreationof the original 90s game, but with gorgeous graphics that are up to modern standards and various tweaks to make the game better live up to today’s expectations. TheResident Evil 2remake also made Mr. X much scarier, allowing him to relentlessly pursue players nearly anywhere they try to go, leading to plenty of unscripted, terrifying moments.
A-Tier
Resident Evil- TheResident Evilthat started it all remains a must-play game to this day. It sees the S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team explore the dangerous Spencer Estate in search of the missing Bravo Team. What they discover is a mansion filled to the brink with zombies and other monstrosities, all of which are extremely deadly. There are certain aspects of theoriginalResident Evilthat haven’t aged as well as other games in the series, but it’s still a classic of the genre and worth playing, even with the remake readily available.
Resident Evil 7- TheResident Evilfranchise was suffering from an identity crisis afterResident Evil 4pushed it in a more action-oriented direction.Resident Evil 7was Capcom’s attempt to bringResident Evilback to its survival-horror roots, and it was wildly successful in achieving that goal.Resident Evil 7is a pure survival-horror game that plays a lot like the classicResident Evilgames, though the big difference is the first-person viewpoint and heightened focus on scaring the player. Easily one of the scariestResident Evilgames, if notthescariest, gamers won’t soon forget the terror inflicted on them at the hands of theBaker family.
B-Tier
Resident Evil 3: Nemesis- Capcom struck gold with the first twoResident Evilgames, so it was only natural that it would move forward with another one as quickly as possible.Resident Evil 3: Nemesiswasn’t originally supposed to be the third main seriesResident Evilgame, and it shows, though it’s still a great entry in the series. The game starsRE1protagonist Jill Valentine as she explores Raccoon City, visiting some locations that players already experienced inResident Evil 2.RE3’s titular Nemesis monsterhelped take the third game in the series to the next level, and it quickly became one of the franchise’s most iconic creatures.
RELATED:Resident Evil 3 Mod Swaps Out Carlos for Chris Redfield
Resident Evil Code: Veronica- Originally a Dreamcast exclusive,Resident Evil Code: Veronicaushered theResident Evilseries to a new generation of video games.Resident Evil Code: Veronicasees Chris and Claire Redfield subjected to more of the Umbrella Corporation’s unspeakable horrors, but with improved controls and quality-of-life improvements when compared to previous games in the series.Code: Veronicaalso sees the shocking return ofseries antagonist Albert Wesker, resulting in one of the franchise’s most memorable moments. There are aspects of the game that haven’t held up, particularly the backtracking when players take control of Chris and the way it lets players ruin their own playthrough, but it’s still a great game and there’s a reason why fans are begging for a remake.
Resident Evil Zero-Resident Evil Zerois a prequel to the original game, showing what exactly happened to the S.T.A.R.S. Bravo Team in the night leading up to the Mansion Incident. It putsRebecca Chambersin the starring role and adds fan favorite character Billy Coen to the mix as well.Resident Evil Zerointroduced an interesting new gameplay mechanic where players are able to swap between the two playable characters at will. It also ditched the series' item boxes in favor of letting players drop items on the ground. These changes didn’t resonate with all fans, but the game still provides an engrossingResident Evilexperience regardless.
Resident Evil 5-Resident Evil 5is essentiallyResident Evil 4with co-opand an even greater focus on action.Resident Evil 5’s over-the-top action and third-person shooter focus over horror and puzzle-solving didn’t sit well with everybody, but the game remains one of the best co-op shooters around.Resident Evil 5also boasts some incredible replay value, with players challenged to earn high scores on each mission, fully level up each weapon, and find the many collectibles hidden throughout the game.
Resident Evil Village-Resident Evil 7’s first-person viewpoint was controversial, but Capcom still decided to double-down withResident Evil Village. The latest main series entry in the long-running survival-horror franchise,Resident Evil Villagepicks up whereRE7left off, with Ethan Winters finding himself at odds against a new group of villains, including theincredibly popular Lady Dimitrescu.Resident Evil Villageis more action-oriented than its predecessor, which again proved controversial in the community, but it’s otherwise a solid follow-up and serves as further proof that theREformula works very well in first-person.
C-Tier
Resident Evil 3- Capcom found a lot of success with its otherResident Evilremakes, so it makes sense that it decided to produce a remake forResident Evil 3: Nemesis, though it’s definitely one of the weaker games in the franchise. TheResident Evil 3remakedrops “Nemesis” from the title, and it also makes the titular monster significantly less intimidating. The short game focuses on scripted sequences and removes some of the originalRE3’s defining features to tell a more streamlined story. It’s still a fine and highly polished game, but it could have been so much more.
D-Tier
Resident Evil 6- The worstResident Evilgame by far isResident Evil 6.Resident Evil 6marks the franchise’s low point, further committing to action over horror, and bogging down the narrative with multiple, interweaving campaigns starring the series' most recognizable characters.Resident Evil 6has its moments, and the return of co-op is appreciated, but it’s a slog to play and overall a significant step down from its predecessors.
MORE:Resident Evil 4: Every Port, Re-Release, and Remaster Explained
