Resident Evil Games

From a darling of both players and critics, through the mud, and back – this is the story of one of the most beloved horror franchises in the history of gaming. Capcom has been criticized for their numerous spin-offs, but they have also known when to stop and return to the roots- or break new ground.

Recently, the story of Sweet Home started coming to light – a 1989 2D RPG with horror elements that came out on SNES only in Japan and was based on the horror film of the same name. The movie was a moderate success, however, the game was considered an even better experience than the movie and gathered quite a following. Unfortunately, Capcom considered the western markets would not be interested in a horror RPG and never released it outside Japan.

In the mid-90s, Capcom was looking to create a game to add to the PlayStation platform, but instead, their attention turned to doing a remake of Sweet Home. However, what started as a remake, eventually turned into a fully-fledged Capcom game named Resident Evil. Initially thought out as a fully 3D first-person game, the game switched to third-person with pre-rendered backgrounds as this was more suited to the power of the original Playstation.

#1 Resident Evil

• Directed by: Shinji Mikami
• Year of Initial Release: 1996
• Platforms available: Playstation, Windows, Sega Saturn, Nintendo DS

After Shinji Mikami took over the reins as the director, the game started to look like the one we know and love today. With a great B-movie atmosphere, puzzles, inventory management, the game was dubbed survival horror and became a runaway hit of 1996.

Resident Evil practically spearheaded the notion of bringing the zombies back into popularity in mainstream media, where they have been prominent to this day, thanks to TV shows like The Walking Dead.

With the unexpected success came the pressure for a sequel. In order to appease the audiences, Capcom released the Director’s Cut which featured minor changes and uncensored FMVs, as well as the demo for the upcoming sequel: Resident Evil 2.

Special Mention 1: Resident Evil 1.5 

In between the first and second installments in the series, a mythical 1.5 version was found out to have existed, not only in development but on several discs, as a working copy that was never released. The game was scrapped mid-development and not a lot of it remained in what later became the official Resident Evil 2.

The fun began when the Internet found out that there was actually a copy somewhere out there in the wild that contained a somewhat playable version of Resident Evil 1.5. The community tried to hunt it down for years, significant amounts of money changed hands in the course of this, with ensuing drama worth a documentary.

What probably interests you the most is that you can, actually, play this yourself as well. We will not link to anything here, but if you know your way around the Internet, you should be able to find a working copy, to play on your PS1 or PC via an emulator.

#2 Resident Evil 2

• Directed by:  Hideki Kamiya
• Year of Initial Release: 1998
• Platforms available: Playstation, Windows, Nintendo 64, Sega Dreamcast, Gamecube

The second installment was a proper tour d’ force. It improved on every aspect of its predecessor: graphics, sound, character models and animations, as well as voice-acting (although still quite B-movie-like).

Two new characters were introduced, Leon and Claire Redfield, with an interesting setup of having 2 scenarios for each of them plus 2 general scenarios that either of the characters can go through. This gave the game great replayability and more content, as you could do 4 runs (2 with each character) and they would still feel fresh.

Resident Evil 2 became the runaway hit for Capcom, establishing the franchise as one of the most beloved in gaming at the time. The series was now firmly established in the eye of gamers and Capcom went to work on several future titles at once.

#3 Resident Evil 3: Nemesis

• Directed by: Hideki Kamiya
• Year of Initial Release: 1999
• Platforms available: Playstation, Windows, Sega Dreamcast, Gamecube

The next game in the series was a product of Capcom’s desire to have a game ready for the fans on the current platform, without them having to wait for several years for the next installment. Resident Evil 3 focuses on a single character, Jill Valentine, known to everyone from the first game, who is making a comeback.

The gameplay is taken into the streets of Racoon City at the height of the zombie outbreak and introduces several new enemies, the most important being the unkillable Terminator-like machine that is the eponymous Nemesis. The game also features up to nine zombies on screen, with a greater variety in their looks, as well as dodge and 180 moves available to the player to make things more action-oriented.

This was the end of the first era of Resident Evil titles. Tank controls and pre-rendered backgrounds will become a thing of the past soon, but not quite yet.

#4 Resident Evil Code: Veronica

• Directed by: Hiroki Kato
• Year of Initial Release: 2000
• Platforms available: Sega Dreamcast, Gamecube, Playstation 2, Playstation 3 (HD remaster), Xbox 360 (HD remaster), Playstation 4 (PS2 emulation)

The first title in the series (not counting the not-so-well-received light gun games) to eschew pre-rendered backgrounds was Code: Veronica. Coming out originally only on the Dreamcast, it was a definite technological step-up from what was available only a year before on the Playstation, using real-time rendered environments, but retaining the controls and puzzles, as well as the well-known enemy types.

Code: Veronica also sees the setting move away from Racoon City and into Southern Ocean islands, where Claire Redfield (of RE2 fame) ends up in search of her brother, Chris (from RE1).

Although Code: Veronica was a very successful Dreamcast game, overall the sales were not great and it was only a year later that it was ported to Playstation 2 and Gamecube. The game received high scores and was considered an essential purchase for Dreamcast owners, however, many reviewers had no love for the similarity to previous titles, controls and puzzles-wise.

Code: Veronica also received a high-definition remaster for PS3 and Xbox 360 (and through backward compatibility, Xbox One) which might be the best way to play it today, as the PS4 version is only an emulated PS2 version.

Special Mention: Light Gun Games

Back in the day of CRT TVs, the light gun was a great product that didn’t require any additional sensors or cameras to work. It wasn’t wireless, of course, but those were not the days of wireless technologies – everything was much more analog and so were the light guns.

Although light guns were great fun, the RE games that used them were not (always), especially due to the fact that it was not Capcom who worked on them, but it was always some 3rd party developer. They were usually seen as quick cash grabs by the company and are today seen mostly as a bit of curiosity from back in the day.

It all started with Resident Evil Survivor on PS1. Moving to the first-person perspective meant a lot of poor quality visuals and the real reason why you would want to play a game like this – the use of a light gun – was not supported in the North American release. Although this sounds crazy, it was also the time when games were being blamed for school shootings, particularly the then-recent Columbine. The game also featured a previously unknown protagonist and was unrelated to other games in the franchise.

Although Resident Evil Survivor 2 – Code: Veronica is considered a sequel, it has little to do with the previous light gun game and focuses on Claire Redfield as a retelling of Code Veronica. The difference in the plot and the fact that you meet enemies from RE2 as well as Nemesis from RE3 is explained away as the game is just a dream Claire is having.

Just like RE Survivor 2, Resident Evil: Dead Aim came out on PS2, but this time with a twist. The game actually features 3rd person movement and first-person shooting, which activates automatically when enemies are present. This mixture was mostly commended by the players and it is the best out of the light gun sub-series of RE games, although that is not saying much.

#5 Resident Evil Remake

• Directed by: Shinji Mikami
• Year of Initial Release: 2002
• Platforms available: Game Cube, Wii, Remastered for PC, PS4 and Xbox One in 2015, Nintendo Switch

The first remake in the history of the franchise, this reimagining of the game that started it all turned out to live up to the hype and provide not only an immense graphical overhaul but also new gameplay moments that really played a twist even on those who considered themselves veterans of the series.

Despite being praised by the media and fans alike, the game did not sell as well as Capcom hoped, which might have to do with the platform – GameCube was not among Nintendo’s best-sellers – and the fact that it was part of an exclusivity deal with Nintendo.

For years, the only way to play it was on the aging GameCube or on an emulator (that got improved as the years went by). That is – until 2015 when the current-gen consoles and the PC received an HD remaster of the remake. It finally saw sales success as well, becoming PSN’s biggest launch game ever.

#6 Resident Evil Zero

• Directed by: Koji Oda
• Year of Initial Release: 2002
• Platforms available: Game Cube, Wii, Remastered for PC, PS4 and Xbox One in 2015, Nintendo Switch

In the same year as the remake of the original Resident Evil, Capcom decided to put out a very similar game – a prequel, in fact – that looked very much like the remake of the original but had an original story. The gameplay had a twist as well – there were two characters in the game simultaneously and you could switch between controlling them.

The changes did not stop there. The system of store boxes of items that have been a staple of the series was also removed and players could exchange items between characters. Items could just be dropped on the floor where they would stay until picked up and they would also show up on the map.

Just like the remake of the original, it did not quite make the sales that Capcom expected. And just like the remake of the original, it only came out for GameCube and everyone else had to wait for the HD remaster that came out on current-gen, PC and Nintendo Switch, 13 years later.

Special Mention: Outbreak Games

As Playstation 2 was out and showing signs of unprecedented success very early on, Capcom wanted in on this, since their GameCube-only games, despite the acclaim they’ve gotten, we’re not selling as well as they hoped. And Playstation 2 had the option to add a modem and play online which was an exciting new edition Capcom was looking into as well.

Resident Evil: Outbreak which came out in 2003 in Japan, saw decent popularity and success. However, the delay of its release in the USA to 2004 and an even more delayed European release meant that the reception of the game was not great. It was not a great single-player experience and was obviously meant to be played as an online co-op, however, this meant that a lot of people without access to the internet would be disappointed in their purchase.

The game was not without success in Japan, though, where the servers were up until 2011 and private servers became available in 2014. The stand-alone expansion, Resident Evil Outbreak: File #2 came out in 2004 in Japan and in 2005 in the USA and Europe but did not bring enough new stuff to cause any real uptake in the popularity of the game.

#7 Resident Evil 4

• Directed by: Shinji Mikami
• Year of Initial Release: 2005
• Platforms available: Game Cube, PS2, Wii, PS3, Xbox 360, PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch

We’ve reached the big one. Capcom has had some middling results since RE2 (plus a whole bunch of low-quality spin-offs) and a change was much needed. Enter Shinji Mikami, who has been in director and producer roles on pretty much all Resident Evil games up till then. Not only did his team manage to shake things up, but RE4 ended up influencing third-person shooters and horror games as we know them.

Finally going fully 3D, with over-the-shoulder aiming, a complete change of scenery and enemies and an over-the-top B-movie story which was very earnestly voice-acted, it was a true game-changer. In the same year it came out on GameCube, Capcom finally announced it was free from the exclusivity contract with Nintendo – the game came out on pretty much everything after that.

Picking up accolades left and right, RE4 was a once-in-a-generation game that became a benchmark for action-horror titles for years to come. At the same time, it steered Resident Evil in a direction that was not necessarily in touch with what the fans wanted. This will especially be seen in two direct sequels that followed.

Special Mentions: The Umbrella/Darkside Chronicles

The light gun games based on the series had been pretty much sub-par (with the exception of Dead Aim) and the age of CRT TVs was pretty much gone by the time the Nintendo Wii came out. However, this did not stop Capcom to come up with a rail-shooter dubbed Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles. The game utilized Wii nunchuks for good measure.

Umbrella Chronicles was received with solid ratings and sold pretty well, warranting a sequel 2 years later, The Dark Chronicles. It was considered a solid experience, with improved graphics and action, set as a prequel of RE 4.

Both games also came out on PS3 in 2012, but by that time the games have already aged and the platform did not come with controllers that could be used easily for aiming as Wii did.

#8 Resident Evil 5

• Directed by:  Yasuhiro Anpo/Kenichi Ueda
• Year of Initial Release: 2009
• Platforms available: PS3, Xbox 360, PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch

It seemed an unusually long wait between RE4 and RE5 and when it finally saw the light of day, the reception was mixed. It was visually stunning and brought even more action to the franchise, together with a couch co-op mode. This, in turn, alienated some of the older fans who were not too keen on the new direction.

Still, fans, in general, made this title the best selling Resident Evil of all time, with 7.5 million copies sold. Perhaps it was the double-dipping that helped, with it appearing on PS4 and Xbox One as well.

Alongside the fast-paced action and co-op, the story was, even more, over-the-top and blockbuster-adjacent than ever before. Another major change was the setting of Africa, which did cause a bit of a stir, as some people considered it mildly racist in its depiction of black people. Still, all this did not stop it from becoming the single most successful Resident Evil title in history.

Special Mention: Resident Evil Revelations Series

Resident Evil: Revelations came out in the RE5 and 6 generations when the franchise lost much of what it was originally famous for. The Revelations, with its downplaying of action and more emphasis on exploration and survival, was a breath of fresh air. That the game originally came out only on Nintendo 3DS is probably a sign of where the series was at that time.

As the market’s proven that there is room for this, a more “old-school” kind of Resident Evil game, Revelations received an HD remaster and came out on pretty much every other platform available.

The sequel, which was published in episodes, was received equally well, and it is interesting to see that this kind of gameplay is very much reflected in the remakes of RE2 and RE3 (at least judging by its trailer). This, however, might mean that the series is done, as nothing new has been announced for some time now.

#9 Resident Evil 6

• Directed by: Eiichiro Sasaki
• Year of Initial Release:2012
• Platforms available: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch

This time around, Capcom went full-on action-movie-style. With four scenarios following series mainstays such as Leon, Chris, and Ada Wong, as well as the newcomer, Jake Muller, things soon turn out into a bit of a mess. Each scenario was, of course, co-op playable, which added even more characters to the game.

Relatively poor critical reception did not seem to bother sales, as the only RE game that sold better was RE5. Although players have also complained about Capcom “dumbing down” the series and going from survival horror to all-out action, it did not really show in the sales.

However, Capcom did take a good look at the state of the franchise after RE6. There was a large pause and the next title really embraced both the newest trends in horror set up by titles such as Amnesia or Alien: Isolation, bringing in a brave twist by switching to a first-person perspective and an unsettling, slow-burn atmosphere.

Special Mention: Mercenaries, Operation Raccoon City, Umbrella Corps

Mercenaries 3D were actually relatively well-received by critics. It is basically a mixture of “mercenary” minigames that can be found in RE4 and RE5, with a character from throughout the series and maps from RE4 and RE5. The game also featured a demo of the then-upcoming Resident Evil: Revelations.

As far as Operation Raccoon is concerned, it is one of the worst products to come out of Capcom’s kitchen. It features both singleplayer and multiplayer gameplay but failed to captivate players in either of those, seen by many as a useless cash-grab by the company.

Umbrella Corps, a multiplayer tactical shooter coming out 4 years after Operation Raccoon City, failed to learn from its predecessor. There wasn’t a single nice thing that was said about the game and it is one of Capcom’s lowest points, even though it was a spin-off.

With RE7 and RE2 Remake showing that Capcom remembers how to make good titles, hopefully, the likes of these spin-offs will soon be forgotten.

#10 Resident Evil 7

• Directed by: Koshi Nakanishi
• Year of Initial Release:2017
• Platforms available: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch

Inspired by older horror movies and the general positive attitude of gamers towards first-person horror titles such as Amnesia series or Outlast, Resident Evil 7 made a serious U-turn when it came to the spirit and presentation. A new setting, with new characters, was a really fresh approach in a series that had grown somewhat stale over the last few incarnations, with spin-offs not really achieving any real success.

The game was also made for VR and caused quite a few waves in the VR community as it turned out to be “genuinely unsettling” played like this. Probably one of the best-known titles to go the VR-path, it was a PS4 VR exclusive for the first 12 months.

With the success of both the RE2 Remake with its 3rd person perspective and the RE7 with its first-person one, it begs the question of which direction the potential RE8 will take.

#11 Resident Evil 2 Remake

• Directed by: Kazunori Kadoi/Yasuhiro Anpo
• Year of Initial Release: 2019
• Platforms available: PS3, Xbox 360, PC, PS4, Xbox One

How do you go about remaking one of the best games in a franchise spanning 25 years? Apparently, by creating a gorgeous reimagining that works exceptionally well even on older machines and by changing just enough to keep everyone on their toes, while at the same time celebrating what made the original great in the first place.

Leon and Claire are back in Racoon City police department and its surroundings, looking better than ever, with light effects and the variety of zombies that could be barely dreamt of back in the day. Mr. X is also back in a big way, as well. The audiences and the critics mostly saw eye to eye when it came to lauding the quality of the remake and the way it managed the somewhat tricky job of remaking.

The success of the remake has seen Capcom announcing the remake of Resident Evil 3 – in the same engine and by the same team.

What Does the Future Hold? Re3, Re8, Dino Crisis…

Hot on the heels of RE2 Remake’s success, Capcom has announced RE3 Remake, which will obviously attempt to do for Resident Evil 3 what RE2 Remake has done for Resident Evil 2 – to deliver a fantastic game that holds onto the atmosphere of the original while bringing it up to par with the latest in technology.

Resident Evil 8 is a mysterious one. There are rumors that the game will be announced soon, however, there are also rumors that the game has been postponed or scrapped for the time being due to the success of RE2 Remake. It remains to be seen. It’s quite possible that Capcom will wait for the PlayStation 5 release to reveal more info.

People are also looking at Capcom’s catalog that boasts some awesome games that have not seen the light of day in a long, long time. There are mentions of Dino Crisis and whispers of Onimusha, however, there is no concrete news as of yet. However, with all the talk about new and old, there has never been a better time to be a Resident Evil fan!