Ranking All 15 Resident Evil Games

The Resident Evil franchise has been around since the release of the first game in 1996. Ever since this, Capcom has released 11 mainline games with four  remakes of older games. This ranking of all 15 games will be based on mechanics, gameplay, and how long it takes to play them.

• Resident Evil 6 (2012) - #15

Amongst all fans of Resident Evil (including me), this game is considered to be the worst within the franchise. The game fully abandoned the horror aspects of the franchise in favor of action, taking 21 hours to fully complete due to the four different routes of the game. The stories of each route are nearly identical, and the game unfortunately has an incredibly convoluted storyline. I would not recommend anyone play this game, whether you are new to the franchise or otherwise. If you are looking for a survival horror game, play any of the other 14 games. 

• Resident Evil 3 Remake (2020) - #14

The second to last remake so far, Resident Evil 3 (2020) takes an hour less to complete than the original. Due to this fact, a lot of content from the original was cut in this remake. It is one of the shortest games within the franchise, and is well known for disappointing the fans and feeling like an expansion on the previous remake rather than a standalone game. The graphics and gameplay has been improved greatly, but that's about it. This is the only remake I wouldn’t recommend to play over the original.

• Resident Evil 5 (2009) - #13

Chris Redfield returns alongside the newcomer Sheva Alomar as they investigate a terrorist threat in the fictional region of Kijuju Africa. The main focus of the game is co-op rather than survival horror, marking the franchise’s brief shift from horror to action which led to many people abandoning the franchise. This game is regarded to be a fun 12 hour experience, but feels more like an action game rather than a quintessential Resident Evil game.

• Resident Evil Zero (2002) - #12

RE Zero begins before the events of the first game, introducing people to characters who have been mentioned previously. The game follows Rebecca Chambers, a colleague of Chris and Jill who is exploring an abandoned training facility with an escaped convict Billy Coen. Featuring almost identical gameplay to the previous games, this game introduces the ability to switch between the two characters to solve puzzles. Other than the 12 hour run time and the expansion of the in game world and story, this game is largely unremarkable.

• Resident Evil - Code: Veronica (2000) - #11

Taking place a few months after the second game, Code: Veronica follows Claire and Chris Redfield as they try to manage yet another zombie outbreak on an island. This game is one of the lesser known within the franchise but is still beloved to dedicated fans. It clocks in at 12 hours of gameplay, being one of the longest Resident Evil games to date. It features a somewhat fixed camera angle, staying in one spot but moving alongside the character, making gameplay easier for new fans. 

• Resident Evil 1 Remake (2002) - #10

Taking nearly double the time to clear the original, this is the first remake of the series. It has improved graphics, camera angles, and is praised for making the game more immersive. Resident Evil (2002) is a significant improvement from the original game, but has almost all of the same puzzles and mechanics as the original. If you want to experience the first game, this is the version to play. 

• Resident Evil 2 (1998) - #9

Second game within the franchise, this game introduces the most popular character in the series Leon S. Kennedy. Alongside him is Claire Redfield, Chris’s sister who is looking for him after he disappears in the first game. They both have to explore the Racoon City Police Department after a virus turns almost all of the citizens of the city into zombies. Much like the first, this game has two separate routes which correlate to the character. Taking around six hours to complete, this game also has fixed camera angles but the shooting mechanics are much smoother and easier to manage. 

• Resident Evil 1 (1996) - #8

The first game ever released within the franchise. This game follows Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield as they explore a mansion after reports of missing people in the area. This game has two different routes you can take, one with Jill and one with Chris. This game takes around seven hours to complete. It has fixed camera angles making movement and shooting somewhat difficult if you aren’t used to it. Alongside the puzzles which pose a moderate challenge, this title is a solid beginning.

• Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (1999) - #7

Happening at the same time as the second game, this follows Jill Valentine after the events of the first game as she tries to escape the zombie infestation within Racoon City. This game introduced a long running mechanic in the franchise, being the Nemesis archetype. This enemy is unkillable and will follow you around the game and block your path. This game is well beloved by fans and has introduced many long standing mechanics into the franchise. It takes around 7 hours, and despite having the same locked camera angle it is surprisingly easier to manage than the two prior games. 

• Resident Evil 4 Remake (2023) - #6

This game has the same runtime as the original, but has an expanded range of gameplay mechanics. Graphically, the game is stunning and makes you feel like you are traversing the Spanish countryside while defeating infected villagers. It greatly improves on a lot of aspects of the original, and I would highly recommend this game to anyone new to the franchise. 

• Resident Evil: Village (2021) - #5

In Resident Evil: Village we follow Ethan Winters as he finds himself looking for his daughter Rose in a snowy village seemingly stuck in the medieval era. Village expands on both Ethan’s story and the gameplay mechanics within Biohazard, as you have an expansive map cut into sections to explore and solve puzzles within. Instead of  dealing with zombies like previous games, you deal with vampires, haunted dolls, massive fish, werewolves, and cyborgs. It has the same runtime as the original, and is a worthwhile experience. 

• Resident Evil 2 Remake (2019) - #4

Clocking in at a 9 hour average playtime, this remake is one of the fan favorite games within the franchise. With absolutely beautiful graphics, incredibly immersive third person gameplay, and challenging puzzles, this game is one of the best remakes in the franchise. It expands on the original game’s story and makes the game more challenging in a fun way. This deserves its spot in the top five. 

• Resident Evil Requiem (2026) - #3

The most recent game within the franchise, we follow FBI agent Grace Ashcroft as she explores a medical facility after being kidnapped. Alongside Grace is the fan favorite Leon Kennedy, who has been sent to the medical facility to try and find a cure for a virus strain that is slowly killing him. This game switches between the two dual protagonists frequently. Grace’s gameplay section is first person, in which she has to sneak around zombies and try to survive with limited equipment. Leon’s sections, however, are action oriented as you hack and slash your way through the zombies you previously snuck around as Grace. This gameplay loop is incredibly refreshing and makes the 12 hours of gameplay incredibly enjoyable. I would highly recommend this game to newcomers to the franchise as their first game, as it could easily be a standalone game. 

• Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (2017) - #2

Considered to be the revival of the franchise and the ultimate return to the survival horror aspects of Resident Evil, this game pulls from any horror movie tropes to create a wonderfully frightening experience for anyone. We follow Ethan Winters as he looks for his wife in Louisiana. This game is in first person, making the horror aspects much more prominent as you can immerse yourself in the game. Puzzles and exploration are the main focuses of the game mechanics wise, making it truly feel like a return to the original games. It takes ten hours total to complete, along with a few extra hours if you get the game’s many DLC’s. 

• Resident Evil 4 (2005) - #1

Largely considered to be the best game within the franchise, we follow Leon S. Kennedy after the events of the second game. He is now a government agent exploring the Spanish countryside looking for the president’s daughter, Ashley. Unlike the first four games, Resident Evil 4 is significantly more action oriented and less focused on puzzles. It is the second longest game in the franchise composed of multiple chapters, many new enemies, and more areas to explore which make the game 16 hours long. 

In the end, Resident Evil is an expansive franchise with much more on the horizon, with the best game being a mix of action and horror and the worst game being solely action with little to no soul behind it.