The Best Resident Evil Games of All Time, Ranked

Video Game Info
Updated August 12, 2023 13.7K votes 1.8K voters
Over 1.8K Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The Best Resident Evil Games of All Time, Ranked
Voting Rules
Game must be part of the Resident Evil series.

The best Resident Evil games are amazingly scary adventures that heavily influenced the survival horror genre. Without Resident Evil, we wouldn’t have games like Silent Hill or Dead Space. In fact, the term survival horror was originally coined to describe Resident Evil, way back in 1996, because it was such an original type of game. Since so many sequels and spin offs have been released, fans want to know which Resident Evil game is the best of all time.

The Resident Evil video game franchise has been so successful that it spawned a series of games, of which several have been nominated for best game of all time. Amongst survival horror fans, Resident Evil has definitely raised the bar for what makes a fun scary game. In fact, several of the Resident Evil games have been remade and remastered multiple times.

So which are the best Resident Evil (Biohazard in Japan) games? See what gamers think in the rankings below. If you don’t see a particular Resident Evil game list, be sure to add it so that others may vote on it. For those looking for the all-time best Resident Evil game, just start at the top of the list and work your way down.

Most divisive: Resident Evil 5
Ranked by
  • Resident Evil 2 (Remake)
    1
    576 votes

    Resident Evil 2 (Remake)

    2019
    Resident Evil 2 is a survival horror game developed and published by Capcom. A remake of Resident Evil 2 (1998), it follows rookie police officer Leon S. Kennedy and college student Claire Redfield as they attempt to escape from Raccoon City during a zombie apocalypse. Unlike the original Resident Evil 2, which uses tank controls and fixed camera angles, the remake features "over-the-shoulder" third-person shooter gameplay similar to Resident Evil 4.
  • Resident Evil 2
    2
    927 votes

    Resident Evil 2

    Jan 21 1998
    Resident Evil 2, known in Japan as Biohazard 2, is a 1998 survival horror video game originally released for the PlayStation. Developed by Capcom as the second installment in the Resident Evil series, its story takes place two months after the events of the first game, Resident Evil. It is set in Raccoon City, an American community whose residents have been transformed into zombies by the T-virus, a biological weapon developed by the pharmaceutical company Umbrella. In their escape from the city, the two protagonists, Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield, encounter other survivors, and are confronted by William Birkin, the mutated creator of the even more powerful G-virus. The gameplay of Resident Evil 2 focuses on exploration, puzzle solving and combat, and features typical survival horror elements such as limited saves and ammunition. The game's main difference from its predecessor is the "Zapping System", which provides each player character with unique storylines and obstacles. Developed by a team of 40–50 people over the course of one year and nine months, Resident Evil 2 was directed by Hideki Kamiya and produced by Shinji Mikami.
  • Resident Evil (remake)
    3
    816 votes

    Resident Evil (remake)

    2002
    Resident Evil, known as biohazard in Japan, is a remake of the 1996 survival horror video game Resident Evil, developed by Capcom Production Studio 4 and published by Capcom for the GameCube in 2002. At the time, the remake included state of the art visuals as well as a variety of new gameplay elements, environments and story details; Shinji Mikami has stated that it is "70% different from the original." The game was made in an exclusivity agreement between Capcom and Nintendo that spanned three new Resident Evil games and is also known under the informal titles of Resident Evil: Remake or Resident Evil: Rebirth. In 2004, it was re-released in the Pure Evil 2-Pack along with Resident Evil Zero and a demo of Resident Evil 4. The 2009 Wii version, titled Resident Evil Archives: Resident Evil, features a slightly different control system. The game was released to very positive reviews, often described as the best Resident Evil title yet as well as one of the most visually impressive video games overall, and was a commercial success. Since its release, several publications have included it on their lists of the scariest and best looking games ever made.
  • Resident Evil 4
    4
    1,117 votes

    Resident Evil 4

    2005
    Resident Evil 4, known as Biohazard 4 in Japan, is a survival horror video game developed by Capcom Production Studio 4 and released by multiple publishers, including Capcom, Ubisoft, Nintendo Australia, Red Ant Enterprises and THQ Asia Pacific. The sixth main entry in the Resident Evil horror series, the game was originally released for the GameCube in January 2005 in North America and Japan, and in March 2005 in Europe and Australia. The story of Resident Evil 4 follows the U.S. government special agent Leon S. Kennedy, who is sent on a mission to rescue Ashley Graham, the U.S. President's daughter who has been kidnapped by a sinister cult. Traveling to a remote rural area of Europe, Leon fights hordes of violent villagers and mutated monsters, and reunites with the mysterious spy Ada Wong. The game pioneered and popularized the "over the shoulder" third-person view perspective in video games. First hinted at in early December 1999, Resident Evil 4 underwent a long development time during which four proposed versions of the game were discarded.
  • Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
    5
    662 votes

    Resident Evil 7: Biohazard

    2017
    Resident Evil 7: Biohazard is a 2017 survival horror video game developed and published by Capcom. The story follows civilian Ethan Winters as he searches for his wife Mia, which leads him to a derelict plantation inhabited by the Baker family. Ethan makes use of weapons and tools in the fight against the Baker family and the "Molded", a humanoid form of bacteria.
  • Resident Evil Village
    6
    231 votes

    Resident Evil Village

    2021
    Resident Evil Village is a survival horror video game developed and published by Capcom, and the tenth major installment in the series. Set a few years after the events of Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, the game follows Ethan Winters as he sees answers to Chris Redfield's shocking actions, and ultimately finding him in a mysterious village.