Let’s be real for a second. If you try to explain the plot of Resident Evil all games to someone who hasn't played them, you sound like a conspiracy theorist. You start with a spooky house and some zombies. Five minutes later, you’re talking about ancient parasites, a giant lady in a castle, and a guy who can punch a boulder inside a literal volcano. It’s a lot.
The series has been running since 1996. That’s thirty years of biological warfare, "master of unlocking" jokes, and more corporate rebrands than a failing tech startup. Capcom didn't just build a franchise; they built a messy, terrifying, and occasionally hilarious digital soap opera. But here’s the thing: despite the ridiculousness, the series remains the undisputed king of survival horror because it’s constantly reinventing itself.
The Tank Control Era: Where the Nightmare Started
Back in the mid-nineties, Shinji Mikami didn't set out to make a global phenomenon. He wanted to make a spiritual successor to Sweet Home. What we got was the original Resident Evil. It was clunky. Those tank controls? Everyone hates them now, but they were a stroke of genius back then. You couldn't see what was around the corner. You could hear the wet slap of a zombie’s feet on the floorboards, but the fixed camera angle kept you blind. It was pure, unadulterated tension.
Then came the sequels. Resident Evil 2 and 3 took the horror to the streets of Raccoon City. This is where the lore started getting heavy. We met Leon S. Kennedy on his worst first day at work ever and Jill Valentine, who spent an entire game being stalked by a giant in a trashbag—Nemesis. If you played these on the original PlayStation, you remember the anxiety of hearing that "STARS..." growl. It wasn't just about the jump scares; it was the resource management. One green herb and three bullets? That’s not a loadout. That’s a prayer.
There’s also Resident Evil Code: Veronica. People often skip this because it doesn't have a number, but honestly, it’s essential. It moved the series into full 3D environments and doubled down on the Wesker drama. Albert Wesker is basically the Bond villain of gaming, and this is where his superhuman arc really kicks off.
The Action Pivot That Changed Everything
By the early 2000s, the fixed camera felt old. Capcom knew it. So they blew the whole thing up with Resident Evil 4.
Think about how risky that was. They ditched the slow zombies for fast, pitchfork-wielding Ganados. They moved the camera over Leon’s shoulder. It wasn't just a good game; it redefined the third-person shooter for an entire generation. Gears of War wouldn't exist without RE4. But this is also where the "horror" part started to slip. Leon was doing backflips and suplexing monks. It was cool. It was fun. But was it scary? Kinda, but mostly it was just high-octane.
Then things got weird.
Resident Evil 5 and 6 are the black sheep for many purists. RE5 gave us Chris Redfield, who apparently spent the years between games living in a gym and eating nothing but protein powder. The boulder-punching incident in the volcano is the peak of the series’ "action movie" era. Resident Evil 6 was even more chaotic, trying to be four different games at once. It had a global scale, multiple campaigns, and enough explosions to make Michael Bay blush. Most fans felt the series had lost its soul. It wasn't about surviving anymore; it was about being a superhero.
Going First-Person: The Biohazard Reset
Capcom realized they’d gone too far. They needed a course correction.
Enter Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. They moved the perspective to first-person. They stripped away the global bioterrorism and trapped us in a disgusting house in Louisiana with the Baker family. It was terrifying again. It felt intimate. It felt like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre met Evil Dead.
This led directly into Resident Evil Village. If RE7 was a tribute to classic slasher horror, Village was a love letter to the gothic horror of RE4. You had the tall vampire lady, Lady Dimitrescu—who, let’s be honest, took over the internet for six months—and a snowy village filled with lycans. It proved that the first-person shift wasn't just a gimmick; it was a way to make the world feel more tactile and dangerous.
💡 You might also like: Is the Prismatic Evolutions Booster Bundle Actually Worth the Hype?
The Remake Phenomenon: Fixing the Past
We can't talk about Resident Evil all games without mentioning the remakes. Capcom is currently doing a masterclass in how to modernize classics. The Resident Evil 2 remake (2019) is arguably the best game in the entire series. It took the 1998 story and turned it into a modern nightmare. Mr. X stalking you through the police station is a level of persistent dread that the original hardware just couldn't achieve.
The RE3 remake was a bit shorter and more linear, which annoyed some people, but the RE4 remake? That was a victory lap. It took a game that was already considered a masterpiece and somehow made it better by refining the combat and making the tone just a little bit darker.
The Spin-offs: The Good, The Bad, and The Weird
If you really want to dive deep into the list of Resident Evil all games, you have to look at the stuff off the beaten path.
- Resident Evil Revelations 1 & 2: These were originally for handhelds or episodic releases. They actually bridge the gap between the action era and the horror era quite well. Barry Burton finally came back in the second one, which was a huge deal for long-time fans.
- The Chronicles Series: These were light-gun shooters for the Wii. Surprisingly good for lore junkies because they actually fill in the gaps of what happened to Umbrella.
- Operation Raccoon City and Umbrella Corps: We don't talk about these. Seriously. They were attempts at competitive shooters that just didn't land.
- Outbreak File 1 & 2: These were way ahead of their time. Online co-op survival horror on the PS2? It was laggy and difficult, but it captured the feeling of being a normal citizen in Raccoon City better than any other game.
Making Sense of the Timeline
So, where do you start? If you're a newcomer, don't try to play them in chronological order. You’ll get burnt out on the old controls.
The best way to experience the saga right now is to play the modern "Re-Engine" games. Start with the RE2 Remake. Then do RE3 Remake. Move on to the RE4 Remake. After that, jump into RE7 and Village. If you’re still hungry for more, go back and play the HD Remaster of the original 1996 game (often called RE1 remake). It’s still one of the most atmospheric games ever made, even if the "ink ribbon" saving system feels a bit punishing by today’s standards.
There are also the "Files." Every RE game is packed with journals, emails, and lab reports. Don't ignore these. This is where the real horror lives. Reading about a researcher slowly turning into a zombie while writing to his family is a staple of the series. It’s that human element—the tragedy behind the monsters—that makes the world feel real.
Common Misconceptions About the Series
A lot of people think the movies are the games. They aren't. Not even close. The Milla Jovovich movies and the more recent Netflix show take huge liberties with the source material. If you’ve only seen the movies, you might think the games are just generic action. In reality, the games are much more focused on puzzle-solving and atmosphere.
Another big mistake is thinking the "Umbrella Corporation" is the only villain. Umbrella actually went bankrupt and collapsed pretty early in the timeline (around the time of the Chronicles games). The villains that followed—Tricell, The Connections, Los Illuminados—are all different flavors of the same megalomania, but the shadow of Umbrella is what looms over everything.
How to Actually Surive: Actionable Insights for Players
If you’re diving into Resident Evil all games for the first time, keep these rules in mind:
📖 Related: Nintendo Switch Controllers Cost: What You Actually Need to Spend in 2026
- Don't kill everything. This isn't Call of Duty. If you can run around a zombie, do it. Saving those three bullets might be the difference between beating a boss and having to restart a chapter.
- Examine everything in your inventory. Rotate items in the 3D view. Sometimes a key is hidden inside a book, or a hidden switch is on the bottom of a statue.
- The "Knife Only" trap. Don't try to be a pro on your first run. Using the knife saves ammo, but in the newer games, knives have durability and can break. Use them for defense, not as your primary weapon unless you’re Leon S. Kennedy.
- Combine your herbs. A single Green Herb is okay. A Green + Red mix is a full heal. Don't waste Red Herbs by themselves (they do nothing alone).
The Resident Evil series is a wild ride. It’s gone from a mansion in the woods to a global conspiracy and back to a basement in the swamp. It’s survived bad acting, weird spin-offs, and shifts in the entire gaming industry. Whether you're playing for the scares or the crazy lore, there's a reason we keep coming back to Raccoon City and beyond.
Next time you’re staring down a dark hallway with a flickering light, just remember: aim for the head, check your corners, and for the love of everything, keep an eye on your ammo count. You're going to need it.
To get the most out of your experience, start with the Resident Evil 2 Remake to understand the core mechanics, then follow up with Resident Evil 7 to see how the series evolved into modern horror. If you're looking for a challenge, try a "No Merchant" run in RE4 or attempt to find every hidden "Mr. Raccoon" doll in the RE2 remake to unlock infinite ammo tools for future playthroughs.