By now, I’ve offered my insight on all kinds of Resident Evil rankings, from the best villains to the best heroes and even the best kissers for good measure. These are all a microcosm of the greater argument, however, and that is deciding which game is truly the champion amongst them all.

As a precursor, I still have a backlog of missed entries to get through, so this list will be limited only to titles available on Steam. Also, I want to stress that I absolutely adore this virus-riddled universe. A low ranking here is still likely great fun in its own right, and a game that I would probably rather play than the top efforts of lesser franchises.

F-Tier

15. Umbrella Corps

Storefront: Steam | PlayStation

It was academic that the game that doesn’t even carry the Resident Evil title would be awarded the wooden spoon. It’s about as much an RE game as Donkey Kong Country is a Super Mario game, but to its credit, it is 100% canon. If the franchise gives it that level of respect, I can at least do the same.

Residing in a competitive multiplayer shooter genre that I generally treat with distaste, it doesn’t particularly do much for that crowd of gamers, either. Character movement feels unnatural, gameplay mechanics are nothing noteworthy, and the single player campaign seems tacked on as if it was a punishment.

I really didn’t enjoy gritting my teeth as I was sent into another extraction site in search of virus samples, or tasked with holding a position for a set period of time. Try as I might, I cannot recall anything I did enjoy about Umbrella Corps, beyond an opportunity to add another Resident Evil game to my repertoire.

I’m sure there is some audience out there for this game, despite the shared negativity levied upon it by critics and fans alike. I just can’t count myself amongst said audience.

14. Resident Evil Re:Verse

This game is not currently available on modern storefronts.

For whatever reason, Resident Evil Re:Verse dried up with startling expedience, leaving behind a scant husk of content. It’s a shame, because despite my frustrations in being very bad at it (I swear, for every fifty ineffective bullets I land on my opponents, they would return with a lone lethal shot), the core gameplay loop is perfectly serviceable.

Take out your opponents as a human while collecting virus capsules scattered around the stage. Upon your death, you will transform into a bioweapon, the strength of which is dictated by how many capsules you amassed. Sounds fine to me, combining standard multiplayer conventions with a pinch of RE panache.

Its roster is a who’s who of RE’s finest, from Jill to Leon, and even Hunk for good measure, but the fact that the game launched with only two maps is rather damning. Though the Raccoon Police Department and Baker Estate are faithful recreations that offer unique gameplay experiences, even double that amount would have felt lean.

Via subsequent DLC, we would receive receive five more characters — this neither felt like a priority, nor worthy additions when one considers they were all members of Chris’ Hound Wolf Squad from RE8 — and only a single map, based on the eponymous Resident Evil Village.

Capcom likely saw the writing on the wall, as the game simply did not receive much support from the user base. A year after its initial release, it attracted just barely enough players to fill one lobby, and in 2025, the servers shut down permanently, rendering it completely unplayable. For a project from a studio as big as this, that’s quite the disaster, and a real shame in my opinion.

E-Tier

13. Resident Evil 6

Storefront: Steam | PlayStation | Xbox | Switch

There wasn’t any doubt in my mind that, amongst the mainline entries, this was always going to crash land its way to the bottom. Resident Evil 6 is a lot of things (and a lot of those things), without particularly intersecting with anything I like.

Its strength lies in its peerless gunplay, unmatched in RE to this day, though to my eye, the enemies you’re trading bullets with are rarely interesting enough to make that worthwhile.

RE6 only resembles the series’ roots in a superficial manner, offering familiar faces and some nice callbacks like Sherry Birkin. They’re all portrayed as a bunch of overzealous superhumans, routinely defying the law of physics with their brazen displays of athleticism.

You’ll assuredly get a lot of bang for your buck, with four lengthy campaigns that intersect here and there. I was pretty excited to see Leon Kennedy face off against Chris Redfield in hand-to-hand combat; less excited to repeat that encounter from the other perspective.

There’s a definite place for Resident Evil’s cheesiness, but it’s best within moderation. RE6 is decadent in its pomp, without delivering on the intrigue. Although the cityscape of Tall Oaks made for a good starting point, it’s all downhill from there.

It’s one for the series completionists or action game pundits, and not much more than that. There’s a reason Capcom hit the reset button so heavily with what would come after, and that very fact could potentially be Resident Evil 6’s greatest gift.

D-Tier

12. Resident Evil: Revelations 2

Storefront: Steam | PlayStation | Xbox | Switch

This game gets off to such a riveting start. The introductory chapter that places series long-stay Claire Redfield with newcomer Moira Burton in the confines of an abandoned prison island may be a recycled concept, but the delivery is stellar.

This location feels so mean and foreboding, riddled with hideous monsters and barbaric traps. The proceedings take a precipitous dip once Barry Burton hits the scene, slowed down by an insistence on adhering to Natalia Korda’s mundane pointing mechanic to identify upcoming threats. It never really recovers from there, and by the time Barry is carrying steel containers across an abandoned quarry to reach a high area, you really just want it to get back to the point.

Several RE games could be considered top-heavy affairs, suffering from a decline in charm across their runtime, but to my eye, Revelations 2 is especially guilty of this. When it’s firing on all cylinders, it is dread-inducing and frantic, loading the screen with menacing foes and never allowing you to feel entirely in command.

As it cannot seem to carry this momentum, it unfortunately winds up being a missed opportunity that couples some solid concepts with several clear whiffs. Worse still, if you’re anything like me you will constantly be getting lost in environments that bleed into one another. The maps provided are distinctly unhelpful.

11. Resident Evil: Resistance

Storefront (through purchase of Resident Evil 3 (2020)): Steam | PlayStation | Xbox

As you may have gleaned, the recent catalogue of RE-themed online multiplayer experiences have not fared that well. Resident Evil: Resistance, the bundled freebie that was to RE3 what Re:Verse was to RE8, isn’t exactly a home run. Compared to the entries we’ve covered up to this point, however, it isn’t a total loss.

It pits up to four survivors against one dungeon master known as the Mastermind, where the former must escape from an area through various missions such as collecting keys or dispatching of a particular zombie. To slow them down and whittle away the time limit, the Mastermind employs traps which range from zombie attackers to land mines.

On the survivor side, Jill Valentine is the only returning hero, but the Masterminds feature a few noteworthy characters including Annette Birkin, Nicholai Ginovaef, and even Alex Wesker. They each have their own special bioweapon that they can unleash, which is a nice touch.

By the time I gave the game a try, the servers were so dried up that the asymmetrical contest was practically at parity; frequently, it was only a pair of friends and I, and therefore pitted 2-vs-1. As the game was not designed with such odds intended, the Masterminds conquered every single round. We still had a fair bit of fun, though, so Resistance gets the stamp of approval in the end.

Worth noting; the newly introduced villain Daniel Fabron is a delight, and I would love to see him resurface in a mainline game someday.

10. Resident Evil 5

Storefront: Steam | PlayStation | Xbox | Switch

In many ways, Resident Evil 5 and Resident Evil 6 are fundamentally the same. They both eschew tension in favour of bullet-ridden chaos, punctuated by quicktime events and big burly boys doing big burly boy things.

Where they differ, however, is in RE5’s more modest template. It’s a tighter, better focused experience, and that is entirely to its benefit, as the end result is a boisterous adventure that doesn’t overstay its welcome.

Yes, the portrayal of African culture as a horde of spear-toting savages was just as problematic in 2009 as it is now. Putting these very real concerns aside, however, this game is mostly a microcosm of its era — overflowing with testosterone as it left the series’ roots further and further in the rear view mirror. Then, something explodes, and someone says something pithy. Such is the way of Resident Evil 5.

Perhaps not coincidentally, the DLC prologue chapter that sees Chris and Jill navigating through a darkened mansion, is the clear highlight of the entire package. It’s just a shame that RE6 would double down on the action tropes, instead of that.

To me, this game basically just came and went, inferior than the one before it but superior to its successor. It continues to receive love based on its solid co-op functionality, as well as the meme-ified minefield of Albert Wesker and the spectacle that is boulder punching. Stupid fun, that’s what we’ve got here for you.

C-Tier

9. Resident Evil: Revelations

Storefront: Steam | PlayStation | Xbox | Switch

Landing a few places ahead of its successor, Resident Evil: Revelations is about as middle-of-the-road as an RE game comes.

At the time, it was a technical marvel, pushing the plucky little 3DS’ capabilities to the very brink. Strictly as a handheld title, it is really something special, but when placed amongst its contemporaries its limitations become quite apparent.

Revelations wisely returned the franchise to its darker origins, taking place on an abandoned luxury cruise liner on a stormy night. This location is fabulous, though unfortunately bookended by chapters that take place in less inspired settings such as the snowy mountain ranges.

Its narrative is far too ambitious — coming across as convoluted and bewildering — thus rendering its central antagonist, Jack Norman, infuriatingly tepid. It also plays into the trappings of the 3DS’ gimmicks, such as puzzles designed specifically for the touch screen or the damnable Genesis scanner intended to showcase the environment.

Where it succeeds, however, is with its atmosphere, boss designs, and of course the introduction of the Raid Mode (which remains the exclusive property of the Revelations series). It does enough well to provide a solid overall package, especially when one considers the lull the franchise was suffering through at the time of its release.

B-Tier

8. Resident Evil 4 (2005)

Storefront: Steam | PlayStation | Xbox | Switch

I must confess, I have such a complicated relationship with Resident Evil 4. On the one hand, it ignited the flagging license by reinventing its core gameplay, and in turn, revolutionised the action landscape forevermore.

From a purist standpoint, however, it shut the door on many aspects that made us fans in the first place, and the adherence to its success led us down the path of diminishing returns for an entire console generation to come.

Alas, I can’t opine on the game in a vacuum; I’ll never know how thrilling it was to play in 2005, so instead I’m left with my impression as a gamer in 2022 — which is to say, it’s okay, but not my cup of tea.

What I can appreciate is its sense of style and quirkiness. It oozes machismo from every pore, with solid gunplay and uproarious set pieces to its name. The intersection between badass and goofy is danced upon with glee, ranging from Leon’s catlike acts of agility to the legendary banter between himself and Ramón Salazar. You can fault it for a few things, but you can never accuse it of not being fun.

To many, it remains the crown jewel of Resident Evil, though in my opinion, it was thoroughly bested in almost every facet by its 2023 remake. Regardless, it has rightly claimed its place in the annals of gaming immortality, blazing a legacy that is perhaps rivalled only by the original entry itself.

7. Resident Evil 0

Storefront: Steam | PlayStation | Xbox | Switch

I will readily confess that the lofty B-ranking I have assigned to Resident Evil 0 is not entirely deserved. It is a deeply flawed and unbalanced affair, as much to blame for RE4’s genre shift as anything else.

However, it is the closest facsimile we have to the pinnacle of the classic formula (2002’s Resident Evil remake), so it gets a wealth of bonus points for that. Fleshing out Rebecca Chambers as the main protagonist with a prequel — simultaneously connecting it to the overarching narrative while preventing newfound Nintendo adopters from being in the dark — was an excellent idea, and although its storytelling is quite silly, it is serviceable enough.

The Ecliptic Express is an absolute joy to explore as the game’s first map, mirroring the claustrophobic hallways of Spencer Mansion before screeching to a halt in a fiery wreck. Ironically, this symbolism perhaps carries into the gameplay itself, as the remaining runtime never comes close to that level of allure.

On the surface level, characters dropping superfluous items in order to pick up something else of relevance is smart design that makes sense. In practice, you’ll end up with rooms full of junk scattered all around the floor, which is even dafter than the concept of magically connected supply boxes.

RE0 is stingy with its resources, down to the limited item slots shared between Rebecca and her surly partner, Billy Coen. Most of the time, you’re better off leaving one of them on standby while you proceed solo, preventing the AI from bumbling into trouble and then allowing you to bring their pockets towards your destination.

It’s divisive, it’s infuriating… but it’s charming, and when it works, it really works. Considering I got more enjoyment from its strengths than vexation at its drawbacks, Zero has clawed its way into my heart in the most unlikely of ways.

6. Resident Evil 3 (2020)

Storefront: Steam | PlayStation | Xbox | Switch (Cloud)

Even more so than RE0, anointing the truncated Resident Evil 3 remake as a B-tier entry is sure to leave a sour taste in the mouths of many. It is plain to see that this game was rushed to the market to capitalise on the wild success of the previous RE2 rebuild, stripping RE3 to its barest fundamentals and thereby robbing us of its most unique content.

Live Selection choices? Gone. Multiple endings? Gone. Entire locations such as the clock tower? Gone. Operation: Mad Jackal? Gone, and not even provided in the form of obvious DLC. For these reasons and more, this game is rightly treated with derision, failing to qualify as the definitive version of an experience that was already the shortest in its respective trilogy.

With that being said, there are worse things to end up as than an inferior version of Resident Evil 2, and when viewed through that lens, Resident Evil 3 is a thrilling romp through Raccoon City that feels buttery smooth, with satisfying exploration and some terrific personality upgrades. Of particular note, Carlos Oliveira has gone from insufferable prick to magnetic heartthrob. I would have been fine if the original character was killed off from the get-go, but now I cannot fathom the idea of a cold, cruel, Carlos-less world.

It’s really disappointing how the RE3 remake turned out, because what’s there is very good; there just isn’t enough of it. From a business standpoint, the release schedule makes perfect sense; especially because Resident Evil Village was slated to come out the very next year, riding the high of Resident Evil 7.

But from a creative standpoint, allowing the team enough time to fill in the blanks could have made for one of the best RE games of all time. Maybe someday we’ll receive the “Resident Evil 3 Deluxe” version we truly deserve.

…And hey, maybe they could also make Nemesis scary again? Seriously, he was more of a spectacle than an obstacle, and that’s one alteration that didn’t need to happen.

5. Resident Evil Village

Storefront: Steam | PlayStation | Xbox | Switch (Cloud) | iOS

Where Resident Evil 7 was a veritable haunted house, its highly anticipated follow-up elected to be a roller coaster instead. It does this well, and yet considering how the 2017 title reinvigorated the franchise, the fact that they had to “tone it down” to appease the masses is an absolute travesty.

It does tread in this vicinity (to great effect) in House Beneviento, and on an immersion front this is where the game is at its best. Mind you, this isn’t to undermine the otherwise fantastical vibe, because the Four Lords completely trump most other villains with their exaggerated splendour — I just had a hankering for more moment-to-moment tension, as I had in those darkened hallways of Donna’s hallucinations.

Where Village outshines its contemporaries, and this is by no minor degree, is that it truly invests you in its lore. Unlike previous RE titles, which tend to be insular and secluded to themselves in a narrative sense, this one elevates the intrigue of Ethan’s first adventure, and actually makes you care.

And if we’re talking about the package as a whole, Shadows of Rose is a fantastic change of pace. It very much embraces those feelings of terror I had yearned for, with some of the most genuinely distressing imagery found in the entire series.

A-Tier

4. Resident Evil 4 (2023)

Storefront: Steam | PlayStation | Xbox | iOS

My reservations against the original Resident Evil 4 aside, it felt like a complete package when it released in 2005, so I was somewhat wary about what they could possibly do to update it some years later.

Obviously, the souped up RE Engine would breathe new life into its visuals, and modern mechanics were going to alleviate the somewhat dated controls. But it didn’t necessarily need a remake in the same way the PS1 trilogy may have.

Fast forward to now, and you’ll know that I have completely retracted that stance. There’s a reason why I anointed RE4 as EZIYODA’s game of the year for 2023. Were it trying too hard to recreate that indelible magic of its source material, it may well have missed the mark — so instead, it very much became its own thing.

Resident Evil 4’s remake injected that sense of dread and tension that was missing from its originator, pulling back some of the more archaic concepts while still maintaining the proverbial shit-eating grin that has made Leon Kennedy into a gaming icon.

This is what I wanted RE4 to be all those years ago, and purely on a quality standpoint, it has likely set the standard to which all that follow it must try to meet. I’m just echoing my initial sentiments by now, so feel free to read my bespoke Resident Evil 4 remake opinion piece if you’d like further insight.

S-Tier

3. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard

Storefront: Steam | PlayStation | Xbox | Switch (Cloud) | iOS

More than perhaps any game in the series before it, Resident Evil 7 left me abuzz with what I had just witnessed upon completion. After a lengthy period of dubious entries, this is the game that wiped the slate clean and brought us back to basics.

No familiar faces, only a few familiar items. Apart from the optional lore scattered around the Baker estate, you could be excused for thinking this was a complete reboot or an alternate universe. The gambit paid off in spades, breathing new life into a stagnant brand in a manner not dissimilar to RE4 back in 2005.

Resident Evil 7 is a no-contest winner in the scares department, with Mia Winters and the Baker brood serving as haunting boogeymen that stalk you around every corner. Such is the quality of these antagonists, the barren roster of underlings is nearly overlooked entirely. Just being there in that dilapidated abode, feeling trapped and afraid, was exhilarating beyond comprehension.

Anyone who has peered at my aforementioned ranking of RE villains will surely notice that the top spots are dotted with Baker family members, and just to put a bow around how much I loved this game, I rushed to write a gushing opinion piece shortly after the credits rolled.

Keep in mind, this was a little over seven years since the title originally released. The very best of this franchise, in my mind, are those adventures that remain timeless. I’ve played all of the RE games on this list. But RE7 was one that I experienced.

2. Resident Evil 2 (2019)

Storefront: Steam | PlayStation | Xbox | Switch (Cloud)

I know that the classic RE formula is dead and buried, and will only reemerge in the form of indie games that pay deference to its foundations. As much as I’ll miss that, games like the Resident Evil 2 remake go a damned long way in alleviating the pain.

The Raccoon Police Station still feels like that puzzle box of old, progressively unlocking its secrets to you and becoming more dangerous in the process. As I mentioned previously, the following year’s RE3 was a scant downgrade, but in fairness, RE2 set the bar unenviably high.

Two playable characters with their own unique wrinkles added into the campaign, plus a bevy of side missions reintroducing all of the old favourites from Hunk to Tofu. About the only thing missing is the zapping system, replaced instead by the much less compelling 1st/2nd run scenarios.

I think my favourite tonal aspect of this game is the juxtaposition between the main hall and its surrounding areas. The former is well lit, and the wounded yet stoic Lieutenant Marvin Branagh holds out to offer you guidance and reassurance. Then, you brave the adjacent locations, and encounter the full enormity of the situation.

The walkways are pitch black, and crawling with all manner of horrors. The zombies here are lumbering drones, but get close enough and they’ll still prove a threat. As time progresses, you’ll discover the Lickers and ultimately, the menacing Mr. X himself.

Notice I didn’t even detail the subsequent areas of the game? That’s just how incredible the R.P.D. portion is. The rest feels like icing on the cake.

If people ever ask me whether they should try out Resident Evil, this will be the one I point them towards as a surefire win.

1. Resident Evil (2002)

Storefront: Steam | PlayStation | Xbox | Switch

I’ve said it again and again and again, and I likely will for as long as anyone will listen. For more than two decades, the GameCube juggernaut known simply as Resident Evil remains the categorical and absolute definition of what this franchise is all about.

Playing it for the first time is a brainteaser that at times is too obtuse for its own good, but if you’re sharp, you’ll cotton on soon enough. Subsequent playthroughs create a flow state as you sachet from one key item to the next, your mind focused not only on the task at hand but the next three or four to follow.

Between Spencer Mansion, the residence, the caves, and finally the laboratory waiting at the end, each section is distinct and fascinating in its own way. The seamless way in which you navigate back and forth between the mansion and its surrounding landmarks has not yet been equalled throughout the franchise, and then to top it off, you’ve got additional challenges like invisible zombies and Forest blowing shit up.

As I stated in my RE7 entry, timeliness is key to becoming a staple of a franchise. This pristine remake perfected the formula that spawned the survival horror genre, and for that, it stands the test of time while others fade into the background.

All of these S-tier entries are a testament to the best this franchise has to offer, while the Resident Evil remake holds a loftier position still, as one of my favourite video games of all time.