If someone were to travel two decades in the past, they would still hear the name ofResident Evilbeing 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 Evilstill has a solid fanbase.
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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 thebestResident Evilgamesever.
Updated Aug 12, 2025 by Mark Sammut:Resident Evil is not going anywhere. Earlier this month,Capcom released next-gen versions of Resident Evil 2, 3, and 7and 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 thehighest-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.
13Resident Evil: Revelations 2 (2015) - 75
The same problems that plaguedResident Evil 6were brought forward inRevelations 2as 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.
12Resident Evil: Revelations (2012) - 82
Before its sequel decided to go in heavy with the action, the originalRevelationsdid 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 betweenResident Evil 4andResident 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.
11Resident 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 0was 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.
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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.
10Resident Evil 3 (2020) - 84
In a vacuum, Capcom’sResident Evil 3remake 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,theRE3remake is more action-driventhan its immediate predecessor in the series, all the while still delivering plenty of scares and tense sequences. This is a perfectly enjoyableResident Eviltitle.
That said,RE3pales in comparison toResident 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.
9Resident Evil Village (2021) - 84
Building on the success ofResident Evil 7,Villagebrought 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,Villagepushes 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.
8Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (2017) - 86
TheResident Evilseries 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 canceledSilent Hillsgame andResident 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 7is a definite scary addition to the world of gaming.
7Resident Evil 5 (2009) - 86
Action isn’t a bad thing in theory, andResident Evil 5is 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 asResident Evil 4,RE5is a classic in its own right.
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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.
6Resident Evil 2 (1999) – 89
Resident Evilput 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 2expands 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 2is 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.
5Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (2000) - 91
This game should be attributed for turningResident Evilfirmly on course for becoming an action-oriented series asNemesiswas 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.
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Gameplay-wise, things remained almost the same, but players had to rely more on their firearms than before asNemesisaimed 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.
4Resident Evil (1996) - 91
Even though many of the following games in the series replicated the original’s style, the firstResident Evilis still the best among the bunch. Along with carrying the nostalgia factor in its favor, the game is genuinely chilling to play.
It inspired anumber of similar titleswhile 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.
