Top 10 Resident Evil Games
Introduction
As a longtime Resident Evil fan, I’ve always wondered what the best games from Capcom’s legendary franchise truly are. Believe it or not, despite the fact that Resident Evil Requiem — the newest entry in the series — is considered the 9th main game, the Resident Evil gaming landscape goes far beyond simple numbering. There are over 30 Resident Evil titles released, including spin-offs, side games, and entries that are quite significant if you consider yourself a die-hard fan of the narrative and lore. That said, it still leads back to the question I raised earlier — what are the Top 10 Resident Evil games ever made? Well, I’m about to find out here at SunsetNerdVerse! Time to enter the world of survival horror at its very best.
Honorable Mention: Resident Evil: Dead Aim
Release Date: June 17, 2003 | System(s): PS2
When Resident Evil: Survivor released on the PS1, many fans thought the same thing — this series could never pull off the light gun theme within a horror setting. I can’t blame them. Survivor is pretty awful and ranks among my least favorite games in general. Still, I do point to one title that, while not perfect, showed that Resident Evil could experiment with ingenuity and still be fun — Resident Evil: Dead Aim. Developed by Cavia and published by Capcom, Resident Evil: Dead Aim utilized the light gun as both a means of movement and a tool to enter first-person and shoot zombies. It wasn’t flawless and took some learning to play well, but Dead Aim had genuinely cool ideas and was quite spooky, set aboard a zombie-infested ship. I personally loved Resident Evil: Dead Aim, even if I can’t quite justify a spot in the Top 10 Resident Evil games — but it comes close.
10. Resident Evil Outbreak and Outbreak: File 2
Release Dates: Outbreak — March 30, 2004 | File 2 — April 26, 2005 | System: PS2
This pick might be a bit surprising to some, but Resident Evil Outbreak and Resident Evil Outbreak: File 2 both hold a special place in my heart. Designed as a fusion of the traditional Resident Evil formula with an online cooperative element, both games were quite solid even if you couldn’t always jump online to play with friends. They gave fans perspectives rarely seen in the Resident Evil world, and ironically, several of these characters carry significance in other entries. Alyssa Ashcroft in particular is the mother of Requiem‘s main female lead, Grace. The Outbreak series had incredible potential, and I can only imagine how many players would love a modern remake — despite their notoriously difficult gameplay and time-based event mechanics.
9. Resident Evil (2002 Remake)
Release Date: March 22, 2002 | System(s): GameCube, Wii, PS3, PS4, PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Part of me was genuinely torn here. On one hand, I’d be going against my own love of Resident Evil if I didn’t acknowledge the greatness of the original. Yet I can’t deny that it’s quite dated, and while fun in a campy sort of way, I wasn’t sure the original could crack a Top 10 Resident Evil games list. Then I realized one version absolutely could — and while the DS release was briefly a contender in my mind, it would ultimately be the 2002 remastered version of Resident Evil that earns the ninth spot. Initially a GameCube exclusive, it was later re-released across numerous platforms. Scarier, with better controls and remastered visuals, this version remains the definitive way to experience where it all began — presented in a modern package. Resident Evil remastered is still campy and veers close to B-movie territory at times, but it’s a genuinely scary game that will test your survival horror instincts and make you curse when you run out of inventory slots at the worst possible moment. God, I’m so glad we moved past those tiny inventory systems… *remembers Grace at the start of Resident Evil Requiem* …never mind.
8. Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles
Release Date: November 17, 2009 | System(s): Wii
Resident Evil wouldn’t shy away from fusing on-rails shooting with zombie killing for long. Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles was the first attempt on the Nintendo Wii, and while that was fun, its sequel was significantly better in my opinion. Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles focused on the cast of Resident Evil 2 and characters fans of Resident Evil 4 would recognize. Built in the spirit of House of the Dead, it had players blasting through scenarios drawn from popular entries in the series — RE 2, Code Veronica, and some previously unseen stories crucial to the broader Resident Evil lore. I remember buying the gun peripheral just to feel like Leon and Claire fighting their way through hordes of zombies and monsters. Beyond being a great on-rails shooter, The Darkside Chronicles contains story content that matters for the larger Resident Evil narrative — skipping it means missing pieces of the bigger picture.
7. Resident Evil: Revelations
Release Date: January 26, 2012 | System(s): 3DS, PC, PS3, Wii U, Xbox 360, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Resident Evil: Revelations proved that the RE formula could thrive on a portable gaming device. Originally released on the Nintendo 3DS, Revelations swapped traditional zombies for fleshy, unsettling blob monsters for Jill and her allies to face. Despite these creatures not being flesh-consuming human abominations, they were still genuinely frightening and reinforced that any form of biological horror in the Resident Evil world demands to be taken seriously. Controlling Jill via the 3DS touch screen felt natural and introduced gameplay possibilities unique to the handheld. I played Revelations on my way to college more times than I can count and still boot up my 3DS for it today. The ports aren’t bad and look considerably sharper than the 3DS original, but the handheld version remains the definitive way to experience it.
6. Resident Evil 5
Release Date: March 5, 2009 | System(s): Xbox 360, PS3, PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
A lot of friends and fellow fans online are deeply divided on Resident Evil 5. By this point, Resident Evil 4 had already pulled the series away from pure horror, and RE5 pushed further into action territory — this time with co-op. We returned to a now super buff Chris Redfield alongside his new partner Sheva Alomar following Jill’s disappearance. Now a BSAA officer, Chris tracks down a new virus that makes Leon’s ordeal look tame by comparison. Resident Evil 5 isn’t scary, but it plays extremely well, and with a friend it’s an experience worth having. The Mercenaries mode — a returning fan-favorite side mode — kept me playing long after the credits rolled. As a game, Resident Evil 5 is genuinely fun. As a Resident Evil game, it does a lot I didn’t love — but enough to push the franchise forward in meaningful ways.
5. Resident Evil 3: Nemesis
Release Date: September 22, 1999 | System(s): PS1, PC, Dreamcast, GameCube
Zombies are scary, even when they shamble at low speeds — but what’s truly terrifying is Nemesis. This Tyrant variant is enormous, relentless, shatters walls, and wants only one thing — S.T.A.R.S., and not the Super Mario kind. Resident Evil 3: Nemesis — the PS1 original, not the remake — returned us to Jill Valentine and her desperate fight to escape a now-overrun Raccoon City. What elevated this entry above even the first game or its sequel was Nemesis himself. He isn’t a shambling horror — he’s a literal tank that can only be slowed momentarily by spending precious ammo, and he will always come back. Nemesis introduced a pursuer who felt truly unstoppable, adding an entirely new layer of dread to the Resident Evil formula. Even today, hearing his chase music kick in or watching him burst through a wall sends a chill down the spine — cementing Resident Evil 3: Nemesis as one of the best games in the franchise.
4. Resident Evil 4 Remake
Release Date: March 24, 2023 | System(s): PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox Series X/S
Before the Resident Evil community comes at me like a rabid Las Plagas-infected, let me preface this entry carefully. I loved the original GameCube Resident Evil 4. I’ve played it from beginning to end on every console it released on — minus the mobile version, which was trash — and consider it one of the best RE games ever made. However, the Resident Evil 4 Remake took what was essentially a masterpiece and elevated it into something celestial. Released in 2023, Capcom’s remake aimed to keep the timeline more consistent with its modern releases, benefiting both longtime fans and newcomers alike. RE4 Remake delivers beyond expectations — enhanced visuals, updated gameplay mechanics, and substantial new content give every fan reason to revisit Leon’s fourth outing. Watching Leon grow from rookie cop to elite special agent was something I loved seeing realized with this level of polish. Yes, the original has a charm that can never be fully replicated, and that charm is noticeably absent in the remake — but after experiencing RE4 Remake, returning to the original highlights just how far things have come.
3. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
Release Date: January 24, 2017 | System(s): PS4, PC, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X/S
Let’s be honest — Capcom’s legendary franchise was heading in the wrong direction at one point. Declining sales and the broadly criticized Resident Evil 6 suggested the series may have begun to lose its way. Then Resident Evil 7: Biohazard — Biohazard being the name the series typically carries in Japan — arrived and delivered the return to greatness fans desperately needed. Gone were the zombies, replaced by the Mold and the Baker Family — a seemingly odd Southern family who reveal themselves to be something far more terrifying once the mutations begin. Minimal ammo, a protagonist who wasn’t a trained fighter, and a deeply unsettling setting gave survival horror fans a true homecoming. Resident Evil 7 is an incredible entry in the franchise and more than earns its place in the Top 3 Resident Evil games of all time.
2. Resident Evil Requiem
Release Date: February 27, 2026 | System(s): PS5, PC, Xbox Series X/S
Every fiber of my being wanted to place Resident Evil Requiem at the top of our Top 10 Resident Evil games list — but I couldn’t. Yes, I believe it is nearly perfect. The ability to switch between Leon and Grace, two distinctly different playstyles, gave us the best of both worlds the Resident Evil franchise has to offer — action and survival horror working in harmony. Resident Evil Requiem earned a perfect score from us here at SunsetNerdVerse, and even on my second playthrough, I stand by that rating. Graphically stunning and with tight, satisfying controls, Requiem is everything I want from a Resident Evil game. Yet there remains one title I believe still edges it out — and while it may divide opinions, after days of deliberation, my conclusion stands.
1. Resident Evil 2 Remake
Release Date: January 2019 | System(s): PS4, PC, Xbox One, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, iOS
As much as I love Resident Evil Requiem and so many entries on this list, I still believe the best Resident Evil game ever made is — and for now will remain — the Resident Evil 2 Remake. Survival horror at its finest, a solid story, stunning updated visuals, meaningful gameplay changes, and exceptional replayability made RE2 Remake nothing short of perfect in my mind. Returning to where the entire Raccoon City saga began and seeing it rebuilt and polished to this degree was an extraordinary experience. I will always love the original PS1 Resident Evil 2 and still dust off my PS1 for it when nostalgia calls — but the remake took one of the greatest entries in the franchise and brought it to new heights entirely. Rookie Leon may not have the moves he’d later develop in RE4 or Requiem, but he was a survivor worth fighting alongside — and Claire, too, showed she honored her brother’s legacy as she battled through Mr. X and every other horror Raccoon City had to offer.
