Best Resident Evil Game: Every Entry Ranked for New and Returning Players (2026)

Resident Evil is one of the most inconsistent franchises in gaming history. At its best it produces some of the most terrifying, satisfying, and brilliantly designed horror games ever made. At its worst it produces games so far from what made the series great that longtime fans pretend they don’t exist.

That inconsistency is exactly the problem for anyone trying to get into the series. Start with the wrong game and you’ll either be so confused by ancient control schemes that you quit, or so bored by a game that abandoned horror entirely that you assume the franchise isn’t for you. Both outcomes are a waste because the best Resident Evil games are genuinely outstanding.

This guide ranks every main series Resident Evil game — from the absolute best to the ones worth skipping entirely — so you can make an informed choice and start with something great.

Quick Answer — Best Resident Evil Game by Category

If you’re in a hurry, here’s the short version:

• Best overall: Resident Evil 2 Remake (2019)
• Best for newcomers: Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
• Best classic experience: Resident Evil 4 (original or remake)
• Best horror atmosphere: Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
• Best story: Resident Evil 2 Remake
• Most iconic: Resident Evil 4
• Best value right now: Resident Evil 2 Remake or RE4 Remake
• Skip entirely: Resident Evil 6, Resident Evil 5 (unless co-op)

Now here’s the full breakdown.

Every Main Series Resident Evil Game Ranked

1. Resident Evil 2 Remake (2019) — Best Overall

Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC Best for: Everyone — new players and veterans alike

The Resident Evil 2 Remake is the best game in the franchise and one of the best survival horror games ever made. It takes the beloved 1998 original — already considered a classic — and rebuilds it from the ground up with modern graphics, over-the-shoulder gameplay, and expanded story content that surpasses the source material in almost every way.

You play as either Leon S. Kennedy — a rookie cop on his first day — or Claire Redfield — a college student searching for her brother — as both try to survive Raccoon City during a zombie outbreak. The two campaigns interlock, each revealing story elements the other doesn’t, which makes playing both feel essential rather than optional.

The Raccoon City Police Department — the game’s primary setting — is one of the greatest level designs in horror gaming. Every room connects logically. Every locked door eventually opens. Every resource feels precious. The game creates genuine tension not through cheap jump scares but through sustained pressure — limited ammunition, unpredictable zombie behaviour, and one of the most relentless pursuers in gaming history: Mr. X, a massive unstoppable tyrant who stalks you through the entire police station.

What makes it the best:

• Perfect balance of horror, action, and puzzle-solving
• Two interconnected campaigns with meaningful story differences
• Mr. X creates sustained dread that no other enemy in the series matches
• Runs beautifully on modern hardware with stunning visuals
• 12 to 18 hours for both campaigns — substantial but never padded

The honest catch: It is genuinely frightening. Players with low horror tolerance will find Mr. X sequences extremely stressful. The game doesn’t ease you in — it drops you into danger immediately. If you want horror-lite, start with RE4 instead.

Verdict: Play this first if you can handle real horror. It’s the best the franchise has ever been.

2. Resident Evil 4 — Original (2005) or Remake (2023) — Most Important Game in the Series

Platforms (Remake): PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC Best for: Players who want action-horror with iconic set pieces

Resident Evil 4 is the most influential survival horror game ever made. The original 2005 release changed the entire genre — its over-the-shoulder camera angle was immediately copied by every third-person action game that followed, and its blend of horror atmosphere with action mechanics defined a decade of game design.

The story follows Leon S. Kennedy — now a government agent — travelling to rural Spain to rescue the President’s daughter from a mysterious cult. What follows is six to ten hours of relentless, brilliantly paced action-horror that never loses momentum from the opening village siege to the final confrontation.

The 2023 remake is a genuine achievement. It modernises the controls, expands the story, deepens character relationships — particularly Leon and Ashley’s dynamic — and adds new content that enhances the original without replacing it. Both versions are worth playing if you enjoy the game, but the remake is the better starting point for new players simply because the controls feel contemporary.

Original vs Remake — which to play:

What makes it essential:

• The best pacing of any game in the franchise — never drags, never rushes
• Merchant system and weapon upgrading create satisfying progression
• Iconic set pieces that remain memorable decades later
• Ashley escort sections are vastly improved in the remake
• The village, the castle, the island — three distinct and brilliant environments

The honest catch: RE4 is more action than horror compared to RE2 Remake and RE7. If pure survival horror is what you want, this isn’t quite it. If you want a brilliant action-horror game with impeccable design, nothing in the franchise touches it.

Verdict: Play this second. If you started with RE2 Remake and loved it, RE4 Remake gives you the same quality with a very different tone.

3. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (2017) — Best for Newcomers and Best Horror

Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Nintendo Switch (Cloud) Best for: First-time Resident Evil players and pure horror fans

Resident Evil 7 was a complete reinvention of the franchise. After the action-heavy disappointments of RE5 and RE6, Capcom stripped everything back — first-person perspective, isolated rural setting, small cast, intimate scale — and made something genuinely terrifying again.

You play as Ethan Winters, an ordinary man searching for his missing wife in a derelict Louisiana plantation house occupied by the Baker family — a group of people who are not quite human anymore. The game is set entirely in first person, which creates an immediate and visceral sense of vulnerability that previous Resident Evil games never achieved.

The Baker family — particularly Jack Baker, the hulking patriarch — creates sustained horror in the same vein as Mr. X in RE2 Remake. When Jack enters a room, the atmosphere changes immediately. The house itself feels alive and dangerous in a way that Resident Evil locations rarely do.

Why it’s perfect for newcomers: RE7 requires zero knowledge of previous games. It’s a standalone story with new characters, a new setting, and no prior lore requirements. You can play it with no Resident Evil background and understand and enjoy everything completely.

What makes it outstanding:

• First-person perspective creates unmatched immersion and vulnerability
• The Baker family are the franchise’s best antagonists since RE4’s Saddler
• Tight, focused 8 to 10 hour campaign — no bloat
• Genuinely frightening in a way the franchise hadn’t been since the 1990s
• Excellent shift in tone and gameplay in its second half without losing quality

The honest catch: The game’s second half changes tone significantly — less haunted house horror, more action. Some players find this shift jarring. The DLC content is uneven — some excellent, some skippable. And if you play in VR (PSVR original or PSVR2), reports suggest it’s the most frightening gaming experience available. Be warned.

Verdict: The single best entry point for new players. Start here if you want horror above all else, or if you’ve never played Resident Evil before.

4. Resident Evil (1996 Original) or REmake (2002) — The Foundation

Platforms (REmake HD): PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC Best for: Players who want to understand where it all began

The original 1996 Resident Evil created the survival horror genre. The 2002 GameCube remake — often called REmake — rebuilt it with dramatically improved visuals, expanded content, and redesigned gameplay while preserving everything that made the original essential.

The REmake HD Remaster released in 2015 makes the best version of the original game accessible on modern hardware. It’s slower and more methodical than anything else on this list — deliberate resource management, fixed camera angles, careful exploration — and that deliberate pace is genuinely tense in a way that modern action-heavy entries aren’t.

What makes it worth playing:

• The Spencer Mansion is one of the best-designed game environments ever created
• Resource management creates genuine anxiety — every bullet counts
• The crimson head mechanic in REmake (zombies that return faster and more dangerous if not burned) adds strategic depth the original lacked
• Understanding where the franchise came from makes every subsequent entry richer

The honest catch: The controls and camera system are products of their era. Tank controls — where characters move relative to themselves rather than the camera — take adjustment. Fixed camera angles can disorient new players. Neither is a flaw exactly — they create a specific kind of horror tension — but players used to modern controls need patience in the opening hours.

Verdict: Play the REmake HD after RE7 and RE2 Remake. It rewards players who already love the franchise but may frustrate complete newcomers with its intentionally dated design philosophy.

5. Resident Evil 3 Remake (2020) — Good but Disappointing

Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC Best for: Players who finished RE2 Remake and want more

Resident Evil 3 Remake is a competent, well-made survival horror game that happens to be a massive disappointment compared to what came before it. The original RE3 was a beloved classic. The remake cuts roughly a third of its content, removes several iconic sequences, and delivers a campaign so short — five to six hours — that it feels like half a game at full price.

The saving grace is Nemesis — the franchise’s most iconic pursuer — who is genuinely terrifying in his remake incarnation. Faster, more aggressive, and less predictable than Mr. X in RE2 Remake, Nemesis creates moments of pure panic that nothing else in the franchise replicates.

Jill Valentine, the protagonist, is also one of the series’ best characters — confident, capable, and reactive in ways that Leon and Ethan aren’t.

What makes it worth playing:

• Nemesis is the best pursuer in the franchise
• Jill Valentine is an excellent protagonist
• The dodge mechanic adds satisfying skill expression to combat
• Beautiful visuals and strong atmosphere throughout

The honest catch: Play it on sale — never at full price. The campaign is too short for a standalone purchase at standard pricing. It works excellently as a game pass or subscription title where the price point doesn’t sting. Also set expectations appropriately — it’s good, not great, and significantly below RE2 Remake in ambition and content.

Verdict: Play it after RE2 Remake if you want more of that world. Just don’t pay full price for it.

6. Resident Evil Village (2021) — Stylish but Uneven

Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Nintendo Switch (Cloud) Best for: Players who loved RE7 and want to continue Ethan’s story

Resident Evil Village is the direct sequel to RE7, continuing Ethan Winters’ story in a snow-covered Eastern European village that turns out to harbour multiple monsters, a vampire noblewoman, a werewolf army, and one of gaming’s most memeable characters in the enormous Lady Dimitrescu.

The game’s opening act — exploring the village and confronting Lady Dimitrescu in her gothic castle — is genuinely excellent horror. The atmosphere is thick, the enemies are creative, and the scale feels fresh after RE7’s claustrophobic house setting.

The problem is consistency. After the castle, Village cycles through increasingly action-heavy sections that abandon horror almost entirely. By the final act it’s closer to RE4 in tone than RE7 — which some players love and others find a betrayal of the opening promise.

What makes it worth playing:

• Lady Dimitrescu and her castle are the franchise’s most visually striking sequence
• The merchant system and weapon upgrading improve on RE7’s progression
• Strong performances from the voice cast throughout
• RE4-style pacing in its second half if that’s what you prefer
• Winters’ Expansion DLC adds a genuinely moving additional story

The honest catch: The tonal inconsistency between acts is jarring. Players who want sustained horror will be disappointed by the back half. Players who want action-horror will be delighted. Know which you prefer before starting.

Verdict: Play it as your third or fourth Resident Evil after RE7 and RE2 Remake. Don’t start here — the story requires RE7 context to land properly.

7. Resident Evil 0 (2002) — For Completionists Only

Platforms: PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch Best for: Franchise devotees who want every piece of the story

Resident Evil 0 is a prequel to the original game, following Rebecca Chambers and escaped convict Billy Coen as they navigate a zombie-infested train and research facility the night before the events of RE1. It uses the same fixed-camera classic gameplay as the REmake and introduces a partner-switching mechanic where you control both characters and must coordinate inventory and puzzle-solving between them.

The partner mechanic is interesting in theory and awkward in practice — managing two characters simultaneously creates inventory headaches that slow the already deliberate pacing further. The story adds context to the franchise but isn’t strong enough to carry the game on its own.

Verdict: Play it only if you loved the REmake and want more classic-style Resident Evil. Skip it entirely if you’re a casual fan.

8. Resident Evil 5 (2009) — Best in Co-Op, Mediocre Solo

Platforms: PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC Best for: Two players who want co-op action-horror

Resident Evil 5 is a co-op action game that happens to carry the Resident Evil name. Designed from the ground up for two-player cooperative play, it’s a genuinely fun co-op experience when played with a friend — and a frustrating, poorly-designed solo game when played alone.

The AI partner Sheva is one of gaming’s worst companion characters in solo play, burning through ammunition and supplies at a rate that makes resource management impossible. The same game with a human partner is dramatically better — coordinating attacks, sharing resources, and experiencing the escalating set pieces together creates real enjoyment.

What makes it worth playing:

• Excellent co-op experience with a friend
• Strong production values and memorable boss encounters
• Good entry point for the franchise if you have a co-op partner
• Chris and Sheva’s chemistry works in co-op in ways the AI can’t replicate

The honest catch: Resident Evil 5 attracted significant controversy at launch for its portrayal of African characters and setting. The criticism has merit and is worth being aware of before playing.

Verdict: Play it only in co-op. Never play it solo.

9. Resident Evil 6 (2012) — Skip It

Platforms: PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC Best for: Nobody, honestly

Resident Evil 6 is the franchise’s lowest point. Attempting to be everything at once — four separate campaigns, three protagonists, action-horror, military shooter, stealth sections — it executes none of them well. The result is a bloated, incoherent mess that takes roughly 25 hours to complete and delivers almost nothing worth remembering.

The game sold reasonably well on franchise name recognition and was the catalyst for Capcom’s complete rethinking of the series that eventually produced RE7. In that sense it was useful — it showed exactly what Resident Evil should never be.

The honest truth: Some dedicated franchise fans complete RE6 for story closure. The story it provides is not worth 25 hours of mediocre gameplay. Read a plot summary if you feel you need the narrative context and spend your time on a better game.

Verdict: Skip it. Come back when you’ve played everything else on this list and even then consider whether your time is better spent elsewhere.

Resident Evil Games — Complete Ranking Summary

Which Resident Evil Game Should You Play First?

Here’s a simple decision guide:

You want pure horror above everything else → Start with RE7: Biohazard. First-person perspective, isolated setting, genuinely frightening from start to finish. Zero prior franchise knowledge needed.

You want the best-designed game in the series → Start with RE2 Remake. Best balance of horror, action, and puzzle-solving. Mr. X is the franchise’s greatest creation. The two interconnected campaigns give you incredible value.

You want action more than horror → Start with RE4 Remake. Brilliant pacing, iconic set pieces, more action than scares. The best entry point if horror isn’t your priority.

You want to understand the franchise’s origins → Start with REmake HD. Slower, more methodical, and more deliberately scary than modern entries — but essential context for everything that came after.

You’re buying for a younger player → RE4 Remake is the most appropriate — still rated M but focuses on action over gore and psychological horror. RE7 and RE2 Remake are significantly more intense.

Resident Evil Storyline — Do You Need to Play in Order?

The short answer is no — most Resident Evil games work as standalone experiences. RE7 and RE2 Remake especially require no prior knowledge.

However if you want full story context, here’s the recommended experience order rather than release order:

Narrative experience order: RE0 → RE1 (REmake) → RE2 Remake → RE3 Remake → RE4 Remake → RE5 → RE6 → RE7 → RE Village

Recommended play order for quality: RE7 → RE2 Remake → RE4 Remake → RE3 Remake → REmake → RE Village → RE5 (co-op only) → RE0 → Skip RE6

The quality order gets you into the best games immediately and works backwards through franchise history once you’re invested enough to appreciate the older design philosophy.

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FAQs

Q: What is the best Resident Evil game for beginners?

Resident Evil 7: Biohazard is the best starting point for complete beginners. It requires zero prior franchise knowledge, uses a modern first-person perspective that feels immediately familiar, and delivers a focused eight to ten hour story with no confusing lore prerequisites. Resident Evil 2 Remake is the second-best option if you want something slightly more action-oriented alongside the horror.

Q: Are the Resident Evil remakes better than the originals?

For RE2 and RE4, yes — the remakes are definitively better games in terms of controls, content, and story depth. The RE2 Remake expands significantly on the original while preserving everything that made it great. The RE4 Remake modernises controls without sacrificing the original’s pacing or tone. The RE3 Remake is the exception — it removes content from the original and is considered inferior by most fans of the 1999 game.

Q: Do I need to play Resident Evil games in order?

No. Each game works as a standalone experience with self-contained stories. RE7 and RE2 Remake especially require no prior franchise knowledge. If you want to follow the overarching narrative across all games, a release-order playthrough provides the most context — but it’s not necessary for enjoying any individual entry.

Q: How scary is Resident Evil 2 Remake?

Very. RE2 Remake is genuinely frightening — not through jump scares primarily but through sustained tension, resource scarcity, and the relentless presence of Mr. X who stalks you throughout the police station. Players with low horror tolerance may find extended sessions stressful. If you want to test your tolerance first, RE4 Remake is significantly less frightening and still an excellent game.

Q: Is Resident Evil 4 Remake worth playing if you’ve already played the original?

Yes. The remake adds meaningful new content — expanded story scenes, deeper character development for Ada Wong and Ashley, new areas, and a significantly improved Mercenaries mode. It’s not a simple graphical upgrade — it’s a substantially different experience built on the same foundation. Most fans of the original consider the remake essential even with prior knowledge of every detail of the source material.

Q: Which Resident Evil game has the best story?

Resident Evil 2 Remake has the most satisfying narrative — Leon and Claire’s parallel journeys are well-written, the character moments feel earned, and the ending delivers genuine emotional weight. Resident Evil 7 has the most personal and focused story. Resident Evil Village has the most ambitious narrative in the series even if it doesn’t fully stick the landing. Resident Evil 6 has the longest story by far and the worst — length and quality correlate inversely here.

Q: Is Resident Evil Village connected to RE7?

Yes — Resident Evil Village is a direct sequel to RE7: Biohazard and shares its protagonist, Ethan Winters. While Village works as a standalone game, the emotional impact of its story — particularly its ending — is significantly greater if you’ve played RE7 first. Playing RE7 before Village is strongly recommended.

Q: What is the easiest Resident Evil game?

Resident Evil 4 on Standard difficulty is the most accessible entry for players not used to survival horror — more generous with ammunition and checkpoints than RE2 Remake or RE7, and the action focus means combat skill matters more than resource management. Resident Evil Village is similarly accessible. RE7 on Normal difficulty is very manageable for most players despite its frightening atmosphere.

Q: How long does it take to complete each Resident Evil game?

Main story completion times vary significantly. RE7 runs eight to ten hours. RE2 Remake takes twelve to fifteen hours for both campaigns. RE4 Remake runs fifteen to eighteen hours. RE Village is around ten to twelve hours. RE3 Remake is the shortest major entry at five to seven hours. RE6 is the longest at twenty to twenty-five hours — which given its quality makes it the worst value proposition in the franchise.

Q: Is Resident Evil suitable for younger players?

The main series Resident Evil games are rated M for Mature — ages seventeen and up — due to violence, blood, and disturbing content. RE4 is the most action-focused and least psychologically disturbing of the major entries. RE7 and RE2 Remake are significantly more intense with graphic content and genuine horror. Parents should preview content before allowing younger teenagers to play any entry in the series.