Best Resident Evil Games, Ranked By You 1
Image: Damien McFerran / Time Extension

With over 154 million copies sold worldwide as of 2023, Resident Evil is Capcom's best-selling video game franchise and has generated a host of spin-off projects, including movies, comics, toys and other related merchandise.

Blending survival horror elements with tense action, the series has become famous for its ability to scare the player witless and has graced pretty much every major gaming system since its debut on the PS1 way back in 1996.

With eight numbered sequels and a whole host of spin-offs, side-stories and related games, it's easy to see why Resident Evil has become such a commercially successful property for Capcom – but which entry is best?

We've compiled user votes to generate the ranking below, and this is a dynamic list – so if you feel a certain title has been hard done too (or if you feel a particular game is ranked too highly), make sure you case your own rating as this will change the running order of the list.

Resident Evil: Survivor (PS1)

Some people might lead you to assume that Resident Evil 7 was taking a bold new step for the franchise by going first-person in 2017, but this PS1 offering actually did that back in the year 2000. A light gun shooter developed by Tose rather than Capcom, Resident Evil: Survivor isn't particularly noteworthy beyond that, however; the visuals are poor for such a late-generation PS1 title, and the action isn't all that exciting. To make matters worse, the North American version of the game removed the ability to use a light gun, rendering the whole thing pretty much redundant.

Resident Evil Survivor 2 Code: Veronica (PS2)

Initially released for Sega's NAOMI arcade board without light gun support, Resident Evil Survivor 2 Code: Veronica (Gun Survivor 2 – Biohazard – Code: Veronica in Japan) gives you the option to play as either Claire Redfield or Steve Burnside as they work their way through the events of Resident Evil - Code: Veronica, albeit from a different perspective. Like the other Resi light gun efforts, this is average at best.

Resident Evil: Outbreak File #2 (PS2)

Picking up where Resident Evil: Outbreak left off, Resident Evil: Outbreak File #2 retains the same eight characters and places them in a selection of new episodic missions. This time around, though, Europe got to join the action.

Umbrella Corps (PS4)

Umbrella Corps is a brain-dead mess of good ideas gone wrong. It partially hides its flaws underneath a veneer of pretty graphics and promising gameplay concepts, but it can't hold up under its own weight in execution. Conflicting mechanics, dumb level design choices, balancing issues, technical problems, and shallow content plague this shambling title to the core, ensuring a quick burial with single-player missions that are a mere afterthought. This isn't just a bad Resident Evil game, but a disappointing multiplayer shooter; a spin-off that feels like little more than a lazy cash grab.

Resident Evil Resistance (PS4)

Developed by NeoBards Entertainment as the online component for the Resident Evil 3 remake, Resident Evil Resistance pits four players against an evil mastermind (also controlled by a player) who is trying to kill them. It's a nice premise, but the whole thing is undone by technical issues – including the lack of dedicated servers, so all of the players have to rely on the mastermind (who acts as the host) having a stable connection.

Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City (PS3)

Unless you're going to play with others, Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City isn't worth your time. Single player is infected with poor artificial intelligence, lack of useful feedback and abusive enemies. Rope in a couple of friends — or open your game up for anybody to join — and ORC improves, still beholden to many of its problems but better for the replacement of its inadequate AI with human players to help deal with its viruses. The versus multiplayer modes are the highlight, though they do nothing outstanding – they're mainly Resident Evil-themed versions of game types found in any number of shooters already out there. Most disappointingly, there just isn't enough bite to Operation Raccoon City's curious scenario; it doesn't take full advantage of and adds nothing to the franchise's lore, even as a 'what if?' side-story.

Resident Evil 6 (PS3)

Resident Evil 6 steers Capcom’s survival-horror series in an even more action-oriented direction – and comes up short in some places as a result. This new entry in the franchise is far more action-oriented than any previous title in the series. The blend of violent gunplay, blockbuster cutscenes, and limited ammunition provide an exhilarating experience – but it won't appeal to everyone. However, if you can forgive the troublesome camera and woeful partner AI, there’s still a lot to like about this third-person shooter.

Resident Evil Gaiden (GBC)

The most devisive game in Resident Evil history? Quite possibly. Developed by M4, Resident Evil Gaiden gives the player a top-down view of the world, with battles switching to a first-person perspective. While the game features Leon S. Kennedy and Barry Burton in the lead roles, it's not considered to be canon – and the reviews at the time of release were decidedly negative. Over time, however, the game has undergone something of a critical reappraisal and offers something genuinely unique within the Resident Evil family.

Resident Evil: Outbreak (PS2)

Notable for being the first entry in the Resident Evil series to feature cooperative gameplay and online multiplayer (unless you lived in Europe, where the online mode wasn't included), Resident Evil: Outbreak is an episodic adventure in which players can select one of eight different characters, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Despite the promise of the setup, the game doesn't quite click in the way it should.

Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D (3DS)

Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D entertains with its brand of fast-flowing action, constant stream of unlockables and captivating co-op gameplay. It’s far from a perfect package though, with occasionally rough visuals and a save system that is destined to ensure that second-hand copies are, to some, practically worthless. It’s also worth noting that unless you’re keen on repeatedly playing levels to boost your overall rating, you may tire of the game quite swiftly.