Even after nearly three decades, Resident Evil continues to redefine what horror looks like in gaming. From isolated mansions and zombie-infested streets to underground labs and European villages, each entry has pushed the series into uncharted territory – sometimes literally. But not all Resident Evil games are remembered equally.
10 Best Story-Driven Horror Games
Much like a great horror movie, there’s one thing that separates an excellent horror game from all the rest: a captivating story.
Some reshaped the survivalhorror genreentirely, while others reintroduced old ideas with a modern touch that reminded everyone why the franchise was so beloved in the first place. These are the franchise’s very best, with each entry trying to be more than just terrifying, offering memorable characters, tightly-woven level design, or unforgettable gameplay mechanics that raised the bar for the entire industry.
8Resident Evil Village
Tall Vampires, Eastern Europe and the Return of First-Person Terror
Resident Evil Village
The eighth mainline entry took players back to a first-person perspective, this time with Ethan Winters stranded in a mysterious Eastern European village crawling with grotesque horrors. It opened with a grim fairytale tone and leaned heavily into Gothic aesthetics – not to mention the internet-breaking Lady Dimitrescu and her towering castle.
Though Village wasn’t as tight or terrifying as Resident Evil 7, it expanded the scale considerably. Each area was themed around different horror subgenres, from the action-heavy showdown with Heisenberg to the psychological nightmare in House Beneviento. Ethan’s arc came full circle here, ending in one of the franchise’s more emotional climaxes.
Village plays more like a greatest hits tour of horror than a tightly-paced survival experience, but its variety,visual polishand genuinely unsettling moments earn it a spot among the series’ best.
7Resident Evil 3: Nemesis
You Can Run, but Nemesis Will Find You Anyway
Resident Evil 3: Nemesis
Released just a year after Resident Evil 2, Nemesis brought back Jill Valentine and placed her in a city already falling apart from the outbreak. The game trimmed the puzzle-heavy backtracking of its predecessors and went all in on tension – largely thanks to the relentless Nemesis, who could burst through walls mid-combat with a rocket launcher in hand.
What sets Nemesis apart is how dynamic the threat feels. Unlike Mr. X in RE2, Nemesis had a broader range of attacks and behavior that kept players on edge throughout the entire runtime. It was also the first Resident Evil game to feature a dodge mechanic, giving players a fighting chance when bullets ran dry.
While shorter and more linear than other entries, Nemesis pushed the tech of the PS1 and paved the way for more aggressive AI in later horror games. The original remains far more beloved than the 2020 remake, which controversially cut several locations from the story.
6Resident Evil 4 (Remake)
If It Ain’t Broke, Add More Knives and Parry Everything
Resident Evil 4
Remaking Resident Evil 4 was always going to be a risky move. The original changed third-person shooters forever, and even after nearly two decades, it still holds up remarkably well. But Capcom pulled it off.
The 2023 remake kept most of the original’s structure intact but added tighter controls, stealth mechanics and a parry system that made combat feel more reactive. Leon’s personality got some polish too – still sarcastic and charming, but more grounded than the over-the-top one-liner machine from 2005.
Some minor changes divided fans, like the omission of certain goofy set pieces and dialogue, but the improved pacing, expandedside questsand Ashley’s reworked AI were widely praised. It didn’t attempt to replace the original but stood beside it as a modern counterpart – a version that respected its roots without being shackled by them.
5Resident Evil (Remake)
The Mansion Returns – Wetter, Wilder and Way Scarier
Resident Evil Remake
The 2002 GameCube remake of the original Resident Evil was more than just a visual upgrade. It redesigned key areas of the Spencer Mansion, added new mechanics like defensive items and Crimson Heads and turned a somewhat cheesy 1996 title into something genuinely terrifying.
Lighting, sound design and pre-rendered backgrounds were all handled with extreme care. Even players who had memorized the original layouts were caught off guard by the remake’s new tricks, like the inclusion of Lisa Trevor – a tragic new monster who couldn’t be killed and was tied deeply to Umbrella’s experiments.
While some mechanics, like limited saves and ink ribbons, feel dated now, they added to the tension. It’s still one of the most atmospheric horror games ever made and remains a blueprint for how to remake a classic with both reverence and innovation.
4Resident Evil 2 (Remake)
A 1998 Classic, Reimagined for the Modern Age
Resident Evil 2
The remake of Resident Evil 2 didn’t just modernize an old game – it reintroduced the franchise to a new generation. Gone were the tank controls and fixed cameras, replaced by a smooth over-the-shoulder view and detailed 3D environments that recreated Raccoon City in grisly detail.
Leon and Claire’s dual campaigns were preserved, but expanded with added voice acting, fleshed-out character development and a redesigned Mr. X who stalked players with terrifying persistence. The RPD building still served as a memorable hub, filled with puzzles, tight corridors and slow-building dread.
10 Best Remakes Currently Available on Steam
The best top-to-bottom recreations of classic video games available on the Steam store.
The RE Engine gave everything a slick, blood-soaked shine and the shift in gameplay didn’t compromise the survival horror feel. Players still had to scrounge for ammo, weigh every shot and plan their routes through the building carefully.
If the original RE2 was a classic, the remake was a reminder of just how timeless the concept really was.
3Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
Found Footage Vibes and the Rebirth of Resident Evil
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
After the bombastic action of RE5 and RE6, Capcom took a massive gamble by switching to first-person horror and introducing a completely new protagonist. The result was Resident Evil 7 – a stripped-back, terrifying reboot that brought the series back to its roots.
Ethan Winters wakes up in a decaying plantation house run by the Baker family, each member more deranged and twisted than the last. There were no zombies this time, but the Molded enemies, claustrophobic environments and VHS-style segments all helped establish a deeply-unsettling tone.
The game’s first-person perspective was a franchise first and made the horror feel uncomfortably intimate. Limited resources, slow-paced exploration and brutal boss fights hearkened back to the original trilogy in spirit, even if the perspective was brand new.
It was the shot in the arm the series desperately needed – one that laid the groundwork for both Village and the future of the franchise.
2Resident Evil 2
Two Discs, Two Campaigns and One Perfect Police Station
Back in 1998, Resident Evil 2 was released on two discs – one for Leon and one for Claire – each with overlapping but distinct campaigns. That kind of narrative structure was rare at the time and helped build RE2’s reputation as more than just a sequel.
The Raccoon City Police Department was designed like a haunted house, full of locked doors, hidden passageways and moments of scripted terror that took full advantage offixed camera anglesand limited field of view. Mr. X made his debut here, though less aggressive than in the remake, and the sewer and lab segments added variety to the pacing.
RE2 improved on everything from the original game – better voice acting, smarter enemy placement and more ambitious environmental storytelling. It’s no surprise that it remains one of the highest-selling entries in the series.
Even decades later, fans still remember the layout of the RPD like the back of their hand.
1Resident Evil 4
Over-the-Shoulder, Under Siege and Above the Rest
There’s a reason Resident Evil 4 has been ported to nearly every platform since its 2005 release. It fundamentally changed how third-person shooters were made – from its laser-focused aiming system to its over-the-shoulder camera that became the new industry standard.
Leon Kennedy is sent to a remote Spanish village to rescue the President’s daughter, but things quickly spiral into a cult-fueled nightmare involving parasites, mind control and mutated monstrosities. What stood out wasn’t just the action – it was how tightly-paced and mechanically dense every encounter felt.
Every enemy had specific weak points, the inventory system was a minigame in itself and the Merchant became a beloved icon overnight. The game constantly reinvented itself every few hours, throwing in siege sequences, giant bosses, island shootouts and even Krauser’s QTE knife fight.
Resident Evil 4 wasn’t just the best Resident Evil game. It redefined what a survival horror-action hybrid could look like, and its influence can still be felt in games like Dead Space and The Last of Us.
8 Horror Games Where Running and Hiding Are Your Only Options
What if fighting doesn’t work? What if all you’re able to do is run, hide and pray that you make it out alive?
