What are the Resident Evil games in order? Does it really matter if you play them in no particular order? Resident Evil is a long-running and widely popular survival-horror franchise that has gained even more popularity with the recent release of the brilliant Resident Evil 4 Remake. In this article, I will include the release order of the main games in the series.
I will not be paying a lot of attention to the games that are considered non-canon. You can basically play games like Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City any time you like, but I advise that playing those after learning about the game world and the characters is the best way.
The Release Order
Resident Evil (1996)
Considered to be one of the greatest video games of all time, the original Resident Evil was not first or third-person. Instead, it had a fixed camera and the game featured Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield as protagonists. As of now, probably the best way to play it is the 2002 remake of the same name.
Resident Evil 2 (1998)
One of my personal favorites of the franchise, Resident Evil 2 was arguably better than the first game that was already great. The 2019 Remake is the best way to experience it in 2023. It features Claire Redfield and everyone’s favorite, Leon S. Kennedy, as protagonists.
Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (1999)
Featuring the terrifying titular villain Nemesis, Resident Evil 3‘s protagonist was Jill Valentine. It was just as amazing and compelling as the previous two games, and this release made the iconic Resident Evil Trilogy. The 2020 Remake of the game is the best way to play it right now, despite it receiving less praise than Resident Evil 2 Remake.
Resident Evil: Code Veronica (2000)
Resident Evil: Code Veronica was released exclusively on the Sega Dreamcast in 2000. Due to the Dreamcast launch, Code Veronica had relatively poor sales compared to the earlier RE games on PlayStation. Nonetheless, it received positive reviews for its graphics and story. Code Veronica was the first Resident Evil game to use 3D environments and dynamic camera movement.
Resident Evil 4 (2005)
The best game of the franchise, Resident Evil 4 featured an over-the-shoulder camera angle and epic action gameplay along with the puzzles and atmosphere that made the previous games so good. 2023’s Resident Evil 4 Remake is bigger and better, and it’s the best way to experience the game today.
Resident Evil 5 (2009)
A game that was highly anticipated yet delivered poorly, Resident Evil 5 is not considered to be a game as great as the previous entries. It looks like it is probably going to get a remake from Capcom anyway since all of the other remakes were smash hits.
Resident Evil 6 (2012)
Another game that was different and less appealing than the original Resident Evil Trilogy and 4, Resident Evil 6 featured good combat and great multiplayer. This game is honestly underrated, so you should check it out if you haven’t.
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
Resident Evil 7 was an absolute blast of a game because of its mysterious and disturbing setting of the Baker residence. Its first-person perspective was a great change that made the game even more terrifying than the third-person games. Despite being quite different from the other games, RE7 is still canon and has a great, compelling story.
Resident Evil Village
The sequel to Resident Evil 7, RE Village featured Ethan Winters as the protagonist and featured the beloved yet terrifying Alcina Dimitrescu as the antagonist. A great campaign along with addictive gameplay, RE Village was a successful and beloved game.
Does it matter if you play it in any order?
Despite being chronologically connected, each game of the series does not connect to its sequels in a blatant way. In all honesty, you can play them in any way you want. It’s always about the stories of each individual game rather than the collective story of the entire franchise when it comes to RE. In fact, the story gets a bit ridiculous once you start connecting the dots.
So, no, it doesn’t really matter if you don’t play it in order. Basically, you can play them in the order that seems most sensible to you.
I personally played them starting from RE2 Remake and playing through to RE4 Remake before moving on to RE7 and Village. If you’d like to experience the entire franchise, starting from 1996’s RE and play all the games until Resident Evil 6 (non-remake versions) before playing the FPS titles and the remakes.
