Over the years, the Resident Evil timeline has only gotten murkier. The first instalment in 1996 spawned an entire subgenre, establishing the rules of survival horror in video games as we know them today. If you're thinking about testing the zombie-infested waters of this legendary series, you might find yourself balking in the face of over 20 mainline, spin-off, and remake titles to choose from. Seen some sweet Resident Evil 4 remake footage and keen to know where to start? We've got your back.
This list compiles all main Resident Evil titles in chronological order, interspersed with a few of the spin-offs that many a die-hard fan might consider canon. We’ll also be replacing some original mainline entries with their remakes, since they’re easier to track down and play today. It goes without saying that basic spoilers might lie ahead, but we've done our best to tone those down and not ruin the games for you.
Ready to meet Leon, Claire, Jill, Chris, and Ethan? Here's how to play Resident Evil in order.
Resident Evil Zero
Platforms: GameCube, Wii, PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Released: 2002
While there’s a lot that happens prior to Resident Evil Zero, this is the earliest game on the timeline. It was released as a retconned prequel to Resident Evil, and came out shortly after the first game's remake in 2002.
In it, you play as police officer Rebecca Chambers and convicted criminal Billy Coen. This marks the only entry that features those two characters as protagonists, and follows their story as they make their way through an Umbrella training facility. While there, the two discover a lot about the T-Virus, which plays a major part in the franchise as a whole. It also leads nicely into the next entry.
Resident Evil Remake
Platforms: GameCube, Wii, PS3, PS4, PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Released: 2002
Next up on the Resident Evil timeline is the first Resident Evil game. Feel free to pick it up on an old-school console like the PS1, but we highly suggest playing the remake. Fixed camera angles, tank controls, and plenty of back tracking; this is the game that started it all. In this entry, you make your way through the famous Spencer Mansion as Jill Valentine or Chris Redfield, two members of the S.T.A.R.S elite task force. Their goal is to locate an adjacent squad named Alpha team, with whom they’ve lost contact.
Along the way, you discover some of the secrets of the biomedical company Umbrella Corporation. Umbrella is a huge entity across most Resident Evil games, so you'll want to pay attention here. With plenty of jumpscares, puzzles, and shocking revelations, there's no place to start than the very beginning.
First half of Resident Evil 3 Remake
Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PC
Released: 2020
You might have done a double-take just then. Yes, for the sake of chronology, we're suggesting that you play the first half of Resident Evil 3 remake (up to the hospital scene where you play as Carlos) before you jump into Resident Evil 2 remake.
In this first half of the game, we reunite with our old friend Jill Valentine. One thing to note is that the remake of Resident Evil 3 cuts out a lot from the original, though the overarching story remains intact. At least we still have Nemesis, the tanky bioweapon that pursues you from the start. Remember to save when you start playing as Carlos, and follow the steps below.
Resident Evil 2 Remake (2019)
Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, PC
Released: 2019
Resident Evil 2 remake is not only a great remake but an excellent game in its own right, having kicked off Capcom's love affair with giving their original RE titles a modern facelift. This time you'll be playing as Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield, the little sister of Chris from the first Resident Evil game.
What’s interesting about this game is that it has two campaigns total, each from the perspective of Leon and Claire. Both campaigns have two scenarios, giving you four possible playthroughs that have some smart overlap with one another.
There's a lot more we could say about this one, but we wouldn't want to spoil arguably the best game in the series.
Second half of Resident Evil 3 Remake
Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PC
Released: 2020
After you’ve finished all of Resident Evil 2, including the various scenarios for each character, go ahead and pick up where you left off with Resident Evil 3. Without spoiling the story too much, you play a large portion of the latter half of the game as Carlos before switching back to Jill. Resident Evil 3 is far shorter than the second instalment, but hopefully by splitting it up you'll understand its place in the chronology even more.
Resident Evil - Code: Veronica
Platforms: Dreamcast, GameCube, PS2, PS3, Xbox 360
Released: 2000
Claire spends most of Resident Evil 2 on the hunt for her big brother Chris, who she doesn't end up tracking down. However, the siblings are reunited in spin-off game Code: Veronica. While this isn’t a numbered instalment, it picks up right after the events of Resident Evil 2, and is well worth playing for its interesting character and lore development from a chronological perspective. The downside of this game is that there isn’t a great way to play it on modern hardware, though fans are hoping for a remake in the style of Resident Evil 2, 3 and 4.
Resident Evil 4 remake
Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PC
Released: 2023
The original Resident Evil 4 marked a first for the series, foregoing fixed camera angles and tank controls for over-the-shoulder action-shooter stylings. Resident Evil 4 remake elevates the classic title further, as a faithful yet dynamic remake.
You'll be sticking with Leon for this one as he ventures to a mysterious village in search of the President's kidnapped daughter, Ashley. Here you'll find many a perilous foe, including the infamous Dr. Salvador (aka Chainsaw Man). It's a riot and a half, and not one to be missed for any survival horror fan.
Resident Evil: Revelations
Platforms: Nintendo 3DS, PC, PS3, Wii U, Xbox 360, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Released: 2012
Following the release of Resident Evil 5 (more on that later), fans expressed their worries about the series heading into a more action-oriented direction. Little did they know Resident Evil 6 would later be critically panned for its use of action. But nonetheless, Capcom took the series back to its roots with Resident Evil: Revelations, a game that was first designed for the Nintendo 3DS.
It leans more into horror and places us back in the roles of Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield from the previous entries. In this game, you mostly play on a close-quarters cruise ship, which was a nice twist for a setting since recent instalments before this one were more open. Story-wise it doesn’t do a ton to expand upon the lore, but it’s still worth your time.
Resident Evil 5
Platforms: PS3, Xbox 360, PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Released: 2009
Resident Evil 5 pretty much threw most of the horror elements out the window, with straight up action at the forefront. This entry stars Chris Redfield again, along with a new character named Sheva Alomar, who both serve now as Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance (B.S.A.A.) agents.
Interestingly, this is the first Resident Evil game designed with cooperative play in mind. In fact, the AI partner was known for being relatively useless most of the time, so playing with an actual person was always recommended. Plot-wise, Chris and Sheva are tasked with taking down Ricardo Irving, who runs the risk of spreading a bio-organic weapon to the locals.
Resident Evil: Revelations 2
Platforms: PS3, PS4, PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS Vita, Nintendo Switch
Released: 2015
The main reason to give Revelations 2 a try is that it marks the return of Claire Redfield, who hadn’t appeared as a protagonist since Code Veronica. This game also came out at the height of the “episodic” craze in 2015, wherein it was split up into parts that were released every few weeks.
Nonetheless, it has an enjoyable story that is reminiscent of the latter portion of Resident Evil 4. In it, Claire and Barry Burton’s daughter Moira must escape from an island that is filled with deadly creatures. You also get to play as Barry Burton himself, who first appeared in the original Resident Evil.
Resident Evil 6
Platforms: PS3, Xbox 360, PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Released in: 2012
The infamous Resident Evil 6 sure gets lots of criticism, and while much of it is justified, we still think you should check this one out. It barely feels like a Resident Evil game, but if you go into it expecting an action game instead of a survival horror experience, you’ll be less disappointed. What’s fascinating about it is that it features four shorter campaigns, each with their own protagonist.
The lineup includes Chris Redfield, Leon S. Kennedy, Jake Muller (son of Albert Wesker), and Ada Wong and for the most part, the campaigns all feel unique since the characters all have their own playstyles. The events of Resident Evil 6 take place 10 years after the first outbreak, and you can tell. The characters aren’t amateurs anymore and seem to be experienced when it comes to dealing with infected.
Everything in this game is bigger than before. Bigger enemies, bigger explosions, bigger setpieces. Resident Evil 6 proved that bigger isn’t always better, as Capcom stumbled to find its footing with the series. Still, it isn’t as terrible as people think.
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One
Released in: 2017
Following the tepid response to Resident Evil 6, it was clear Capcom needed to head back to the drawing board to get the series back on track. And with that came Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, the reboot the franchise so desperately needed. It changed so much while still preserving the building blocks of what made the original games so special. Most notably, it was played from a first-person perspective, which was a major change not seen since some of the more obscure spin-offs. Additionally, it stars a new protagonist named Ethan Winters. Capcom really went back to the core of the series with this one: horror, weapons, and big bad bosses with gruesomely brilliant mutations. Who needs zombies when you have mold monsters?
Its plot revolves around Ethan looking for his lost wife Mia in the swamps of Louisiana. When Ethan is led to a mysterious house (not unlike the mansion from the first game), creepy things start happening and the story quickly goes off the rails. But in a good way.
Plus it’s playable in PS VR, which is one of the scariest video game experiences out there - and one of the best PS VR games too.
Resident Evil Village
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
Released: 2021
Finally, we reach Resident Evil Village. This game is a direct sequel to Resident Evil 7 and once again stars Ethan Winters. This time, he and Mia have moved to Europe after the horrible events of the previous game. Though, as expected, things go awry, and the main driving force of this game’s plot is that Ethan’s daughter Rosemary has been kidnapped.
Village feels like a nightmarish bedtime story. The creepy eastern-European village is overrun with werewolf-like Lycans, Lady Dimitrescu and her vampire daughters haunt the grand Castle in the distance, and Salvatore Moreau is the stuff of aquatic horror legend. The bad guys are varied, the combat mechanics are a welcomed combination of what we've seen in 7 and Resident Evil 2 remake, and in general it's just a belter of a survival horror game. The Winters expansion pack allows us to explore the story of Rose in greater detail, too, leaving the door open for returning faces in Resident Evil 9.
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