Resident Evil is a historic gaming franchise that’s been a mainstay horror icon for decades. With more remakes on the way and new entries rumored, here is every mainline Resident Evil game in order of release.
From a campy horror game in the Spencer Mansion to the glittering heights of TV and Film superstardom, the Resident Evil franchise has seen it all.
Capcom created something special back in the mid-90s when they decided to blend puzzle-solving, squeamish horror, and pulsating action into one packed game. Since then, the Resident Evil name has been on a major rollercoaster of emotions, introduced a ton of characters, and explored countless stories.
With this in mind, let’s run through every major Resident Evil game in order.
Contents
- How many Resident Evil games are there?
- Every Resident Evil game in chronological order
- All main Resident Evil games release dates
How many Resident Evil games are there?
While we will be covering the mainline titles that are considered canon and have had a direct and consistent bearing on the Resident Evil universe, however, you should know that the Resident Evil 4 Remake will mark the 30th fully-fledged entry into the franchise – spin-offs and all.
But the scares will allegedly not be stopping there, as a Resident Evil 5 Remake, a Resident Evil: Code Veronica Remake, Resident Evil Outrage, and Resident Evil 9 could all be potential projects for Capcom in the future.
With sales still high for each new release, the series being as popular as ever, and even a live-action Netflix show available to stream, there could be a ton of mileage left for Resident Evil games.
Every Resident Evil game in chronological order
If you want to dive into the Resident Evil games in terms of story order and experience the lore of the franchise game-by-game, then here’s a quick rundown of the recommended game order to play the mainline games in:
- Resident Evil 0
- Resident Evil
- Resident Evil 2
- Resident Evil 3: Nemesis
- Resident Evil Survivor
- Resident Evil: Code Veronica
- Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles
- Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles
- Resident Evil 4
- Resident Evil: Revelations
- Resident Evil 5
- Resident Evil: Revelations 2
- Resident Evil 6
- Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
- Resident Evil Village
All main Resident Evil games & their release dates
Resident Evil
- Release date: March 22, 1996
- Developer: Capcom
- Sales: 5 million
- Original Platforms: PlayStation 1
Where it all began. The first-ever Resident Evil title may seem basic and primitive by today’s standards, most notably its tank controls and fixed camera placements, but it still to this day has an authentic charm that paved the way for future sequels to come.
Resident Evil 2
- Release date: January 21, 1998
- Developer: Capcom
- Sales: 6.1 million
- Original Platforms: PlayStation 1
While the 2019 remake is pretty much the definitive way to experience Resident Evil 2, the franchise really found its footing with the second game and went heavy on the puzzles while maintaining the scares and giving players the opportunity to explore Raccoon City.
Resident Evil 3: Nemesis
- Release date: September 22, 1999
- Developer: Capcom
- Sales: 3.5 million
- Original Platforms: PlayStation 1
Resident Evil 3: Nemesis is where the games began to take a more combat-focused approach to gameplay, departing slightly from its more puzzle-orientated mechanics. Nevertheless, the constant anxiety caused by the relentless pursuit of Nemesis gives Resi 3 a different edge.
Resident Evil: Code Veronica
- Release date: February 3, 2000
- Developer: Capcom
- Sales: 2.5 million
- Original Platforms: Dreamcast
Brother and sister team up in Resident Evil: Code Veronica with Chris and Claire Redfield and it’s no wonder that fans have been craving a remake for years. Code Veronica delivers another stunning campaign with excellent gameplay, storytelling, and all the trademarks of a classic Resi game.
Resident Evil 0
- Release date: November 12, 2002
- Developer: Capcom
- Sales: 4 million
- Original Platforms: Gamecube
It was quite surprising to see Rebecca get a co-headline spot in this Resi spin-off with newcomer Billy Coen, and while the game isn’t fondly heralded due to questionable inventory design and other dubious aspects, there is definitely a lot to love here.
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Resident Evil 4
- Release date: January 11, 2005
- Developer: Capcom
- Sales: 11.4 million
- Original Platforms: Gamecube
2023 brings the much sought-after Resident Evil 4 Remake, and the reason it’s so anticipated is that the original game was utterly compelling. Leon Kennedy was back as the central figure and his mission to save Ashley was presented in ground-breaking third-person action and its overall pacing and quality shone for the majority of its runtime.
Resident Evil 5
- Release date: March 5, 2009
- Developer: Capcom
- Sales: 13.4 million
- Original Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
A few years later and we got a direct sequel in Resident Evil 5 – quite possibly the most underrated game on the timeline. The reality is that Resi 5 delivers one mission of pulsating action after another with heroes Chris Redfield and Sheva Alomar, it’s just that some of the scary horror elements and brainteasing aspects were thrown by the wayside and proved unpopular with some fans.
Resident Evil: Revelations
- Release date: January 26, 2012
- Developer: Capcom
- Sales: 2.5 million
- Original Platforms: Nintendo 3DS
Resident Evil: Revelations was originally developed for the Nintendo 3DS before rightfully getting ported to main consoles. It doesn’t do anything to reinvent the franchise per se, but it doesn’t matter when the gameplay is this enjoyable. It explored the relationship between Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine and had more in common with old-school Resi games.
Resident Evil 6
- Release date: October 2, 2012
- Developer: Capcom
- Sales: 10 million
- Original Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
If Resident Evil 5 was losing touch with its survival-horror roots, Resident Evil 6 completely ignored them and went full-blown Michael Bay with multiple campaigns fueled by guns, explosions, and machismo. The divisiveness of Resident Evil 6 is still felt to this day and the negative reception would spark a huge change.
Resident Evil: Revelations 2
- Release date: February 24, 2015
- Developer: Capcom
- Sales: 2.6 million
- Original Platforms: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC
A common trait that Revelations 2 and recent games had incorporated successfully was the presence of co-op multiplayer. This allows players to control Claire Redfield and Barry Burton in his playable debut, and the game ends up being a mixed bag. Some of its episodes are more solid than the others, but it’s well worth a playthrough.
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
- Release date: January 24, 2017
- Developer: Capcom
- Sales: 11 million
- Original Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Capcom duly listened and Resident Evil 7 was a true return to its roots as players once again found themselves in a big house – except the threat of zombies was replaced by the nightmare-inducing Baker family. The game stutters toward the end, but before then are a ton of puzzles and some of the best and craziest Resi boss fights ever.
Resident Evil Village
- Release date: May 7, 2021
- Developer: Capcom
- Sales: 6.4 million
- Original Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC
The most recent mainline entry in the horror game’s long portfolio, Resident Evil Village continued the story of new protagonist Ethan Winters and aside from being a technical feast for the sense, the wacky Dimitrescu family will live long in the memory, especially Lady Dimitrescu, and this new era of Resident Evil ensured the franchise is moving in a positive direction.
Hopefully, you enjoyed our rundown of Capcom’s Resident Evil franchise, and if you want more encyclopedic collections about other games, we have a few more for you below:
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