Griffith
With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
I thought of doing something like this a while back around the time Resident Evil VIII came out. I even considered inviting Aaz to do it in tandem, but after last month didn't really have the motivation to do it at that level, if at all, for various reasons. Doing it right would require like an article breaking down each of them, but rather than do nothing before the time passed, I figured I could get out a paragraph or so on each, so here goes. Aaz' and all your takes are still welcome of course, moreso in fact since I leave an incomplete picture, but I understand if you don't feel like it, so there's a poll too if you just want to select your favorites amongst those you've played and/or briefly cite them.
Resident Evil 2 - The best of the classic Resident Evil games, and still one of the most complex and inimitable by today's standards. The story is bigger, better, scarier and grittier than the original, addressing literal and figurative civic rot while somehow also doubling down on the sci-fi elements. The double disc zapping system, by which you can play the game as either character in any order and directly affect the playthrough and outcomes of the next character, was presented like sci-fi tech itself, and has fittingly never been replicated, even by the game's remake.
Resident Evil 4 - This may not be the most iconic Resident Evil game on the list for purists, but it's the most fun, most popular, and more likely to be compared to Mario 64 or, its contemporary, Shadow of the Colossus as one of the greatest games of all time. Resident Evil 4 set the standard not only for the Resident Evil franchise but all action games to follow. If Resident Evil 2 has proven to be unreproducible, this is the Resident Evil game that's most imitated because it's simply that damn good.
Resident Evil 2 Remake - It combines the best elements of RE2, RE4 and RE7 in a remake that lives up to the quality of RE1's. It's probably also the scariest moment to moment (it actually gave me nightmares)! It's only sin is not being as individually unique and transcendent as those original titles, and being unable to live up to the complex, multi-tiered storytelling of the original RE2. But if I was going to recommend only one RE game for a newcomer to try today, this would probably be the one.
Resident Evil Remake - Classic Resident Evil done to perfection, in a sleek, cutting edge package for the time that still holds up and looks good today. The art direction in this game is simply gorgeous. It also took the laughably bad acting and dialogue and elevated it to credible standards, letting everything else stand out. For many this IS the original Resident Evil, the same way A New Hope is Star Wars, or at least the definitive version of it.
Resident Evil - The iconic classic that started it all and set the tone for the franchise, for better or hilariously worse in the case of the aforementioned dialogue and acting. It's obviously wildly outdated compared to its successors, but they also still benefit from continually borrowing from it in modernized packages to this day, showing the timelessness of its content. You can still clearly see RE1's DNA in the main hall of Lady Dimitrescu's castle.
Resident Evil VIllAGE - I've written enough about this one, but it's a big old monster mash full of werewolves, witches, vampires, possessed dolls, zombies, creatures from black lagoons, giants, mad scientists, reanimated cyborgs, and even an ageless shepeshifter trying to ressurect their lost love ala the mummy. It's a mess, it's a blast, it's somehow trying to be RE7 and RE4 at the same time even though they're at opposite ends of the RE spectrum. That's about all there is to say, though I will confess that Resident Evil: Revelations 2 makes me consider dinging it now that I've seen how much better they can do a lost daughter story, but that's only part of the messy blockbuster charm here. I'm probably also rating it too high because I just had a lot of fun with it.
Resident Evil VII: Biohazard - Another example of Resident Evil's pretty unique ability to completely reinvent itself yet maintain its identity and high standard of quality. Probably the most horror-centric entry in the franchise, back to basics, but without replaying the classics. If this ranking were based purely on originality and that sort of impact, essentially creating a new era for the series, it'd probably rank third or fourth among the original Resident Evil or Resident Evil 2, and Resident Evil 4. Pretty damn good company.
Resident Evil 3: Nemesis - Topping Resident Evil 2 would prove to be impossible, even today as turns out, but RE3 was smart enough not to try that. Instead it was a leaner and meaner action game that had you wandering the streets of Raccoon City while being pursued by the titular Nemesis. Moreso than any of the other classic games, this one set the stage for RE4 while commencing the original trilogy with a figurative and literal bang. It also makes its remake look even worse than RE2 does.
Resident Evil: Revelations 2 - Revelations 2 is like waking up on an island where an alternate history has played out, one where the series never forgot its B movie horror roots amid graphical and gameplay advances like fully rendered environments, over the shoulder combat, and co-op. It even does the island prison, twisted siblings, Wesker's legacy and even the zapping system justice! It brings back a multi-tiered campaign with an actually cool time jump, with Barry fuckin' Burton along with Claire Redfield, who had seemingly been languishing away for the sins of Code: Veronica (they couldn't have reunited her with Leon in RE6 as opposed to what amounted to a stand-in? =). It even does family better than RE7 and 8, and the dated graphics will remind you of a grittier, classic Resident Evil, which is what makes the Revelations brand such a, well, revelation. I'm tempted to leapfrog this over Nemesis and the Ethan entries, but I'll control myself.
Resident Evil Code: Veronica - This IS what happens when you try to top RE2. People either love or hate this game, or love to hate it. It had maybe the best engine and visuals of the classic REs, but it's also when the simple B movie horror story elements went off the rails for gothic soap opera melodramatics which still plague the series to this day, with the occasional bout of relative semi-coherence like Resident Evil VII or Resident Evil: Revelations 2. For the record, I'm one of those people that love to hate this one and have played it several times, including on my phone.
Resident Evil: Revelations - A big game in a small package. This portable title was both a return to classic suspense and horror and introduced moving aim and first person perspective in one mechanic, both of which would respectively become standard in mainline entries to come, which lands it on this list. This really felt like a mainline Resident Evil on the 3DS, which was pretty incredible unto itself, but it was arguably better than where the numbered series was at too because it had better controls, design and more credible, or just less wacked out, writing. Granted, that wasn't a high bar to clear around the time RE5 and 6 came out. I'm tempted to put this above CV to have a solid bottom 5, but it's hard for me to consider this one more significant despite being a pleasant surprise as opposed to an unpleasant one.
Resident Evil Zero - The HD remaster might be the most advanced and best looking classic Resident Evil game in existence. It's also sort of the most derivative, with the least desirable characters and a plot that's like a B story to Resident Evil 1. Oh yeah, and while you can switch between characters, it also makes you drop shit on the ground or through mail slots to exchange key items. It's a bad sign when I've gotten through this many Resident Evil games without complaining about an inventory system and you're the reason I started.
Resident Evil 3 Remake - More like RE3 Reduced. They cut out half the game and made Nemesis into quick time events and boss fights instead of the dreaded AI pursuer of the original or RE2R's improved Mr. X. I'm probably being extra hard on it for this, but what can I say, it's a lesser derivative of a remake that doesn't do its original game justice. For that it's Resident Evil 3... from the bottom.
Resident Evil 6 - This was trying to be the Resident Evil equivalent of Avengers Endgame before its time, but it's a big mess more akin to Star Wars The Rise of Skywalker. Still, a slick and fun action game that improved on RE4 and 5's gameplay, just not enough; the first campaign chapter with Leon was a welcome return to classic zombie action before the recent remakes rendered even that obsolete, and it's all downhill from there. I still haven't completed the secret/bonus campaign chapter.
Resident Evil 5 - A pretty fun multiplayer game, but of course having backup is not very scary. Plus, it's a shameless RE4 clone that doesn't improve the gameplay but somehow casts a pall on the proceedings by carrying some of the series' worst plot baggage to completion, basically the culmination of everything bad that started with Code: Veronica, and raising uncomfortable questions about the whole zombies in exotic locations premise (like, are we figuratively ethnic cleansing here?). Putting it on the bottom just to be safe, but it should be noted that this and the much more universally derided RE6 are still two of the series' best sellers, so even the worst REs are pretty damn successful, and many would still consider this a classic in the vein of RE4 while nobody thinks that about RE6, so YREMMV.
Resident Evil 2 - The best of the classic Resident Evil games, and still one of the most complex and inimitable by today's standards. The story is bigger, better, scarier and grittier than the original, addressing literal and figurative civic rot while somehow also doubling down on the sci-fi elements. The double disc zapping system, by which you can play the game as either character in any order and directly affect the playthrough and outcomes of the next character, was presented like sci-fi tech itself, and has fittingly never been replicated, even by the game's remake.
Resident Evil 4 - This may not be the most iconic Resident Evil game on the list for purists, but it's the most fun, most popular, and more likely to be compared to Mario 64 or, its contemporary, Shadow of the Colossus as one of the greatest games of all time. Resident Evil 4 set the standard not only for the Resident Evil franchise but all action games to follow. If Resident Evil 2 has proven to be unreproducible, this is the Resident Evil game that's most imitated because it's simply that damn good.
Resident Evil 2 Remake - It combines the best elements of RE2, RE4 and RE7 in a remake that lives up to the quality of RE1's. It's probably also the scariest moment to moment (it actually gave me nightmares)! It's only sin is not being as individually unique and transcendent as those original titles, and being unable to live up to the complex, multi-tiered storytelling of the original RE2. But if I was going to recommend only one RE game for a newcomer to try today, this would probably be the one.
Resident Evil Remake - Classic Resident Evil done to perfection, in a sleek, cutting edge package for the time that still holds up and looks good today. The art direction in this game is simply gorgeous. It also took the laughably bad acting and dialogue and elevated it to credible standards, letting everything else stand out. For many this IS the original Resident Evil, the same way A New Hope is Star Wars, or at least the definitive version of it.
Resident Evil - The iconic classic that started it all and set the tone for the franchise, for better or hilariously worse in the case of the aforementioned dialogue and acting. It's obviously wildly outdated compared to its successors, but they also still benefit from continually borrowing from it in modernized packages to this day, showing the timelessness of its content. You can still clearly see RE1's DNA in the main hall of Lady Dimitrescu's castle.
Resident Evil VIllAGE - I've written enough about this one, but it's a big old monster mash full of werewolves, witches, vampires, possessed dolls, zombies, creatures from black lagoons, giants, mad scientists, reanimated cyborgs, and even an ageless shepeshifter trying to ressurect their lost love ala the mummy. It's a mess, it's a blast, it's somehow trying to be RE7 and RE4 at the same time even though they're at opposite ends of the RE spectrum. That's about all there is to say, though I will confess that Resident Evil: Revelations 2 makes me consider dinging it now that I've seen how much better they can do a lost daughter story, but that's only part of the messy blockbuster charm here. I'm probably also rating it too high because I just had a lot of fun with it.
Resident Evil VII: Biohazard - Another example of Resident Evil's pretty unique ability to completely reinvent itself yet maintain its identity and high standard of quality. Probably the most horror-centric entry in the franchise, back to basics, but without replaying the classics. If this ranking were based purely on originality and that sort of impact, essentially creating a new era for the series, it'd probably rank third or fourth among the original Resident Evil or Resident Evil 2, and Resident Evil 4. Pretty damn good company.
Resident Evil 3: Nemesis - Topping Resident Evil 2 would prove to be impossible, even today as turns out, but RE3 was smart enough not to try that. Instead it was a leaner and meaner action game that had you wandering the streets of Raccoon City while being pursued by the titular Nemesis. Moreso than any of the other classic games, this one set the stage for RE4 while commencing the original trilogy with a figurative and literal bang. It also makes its remake look even worse than RE2 does.
Resident Evil: Revelations 2 - Revelations 2 is like waking up on an island where an alternate history has played out, one where the series never forgot its B movie horror roots amid graphical and gameplay advances like fully rendered environments, over the shoulder combat, and co-op. It even does the island prison, twisted siblings, Wesker's legacy and even the zapping system justice! It brings back a multi-tiered campaign with an actually cool time jump, with Barry fuckin' Burton along with Claire Redfield, who had seemingly been languishing away for the sins of Code: Veronica (they couldn't have reunited her with Leon in RE6 as opposed to what amounted to a stand-in? =). It even does family better than RE7 and 8, and the dated graphics will remind you of a grittier, classic Resident Evil, which is what makes the Revelations brand such a, well, revelation. I'm tempted to leapfrog this over Nemesis and the Ethan entries, but I'll control myself.
Resident Evil Code: Veronica - This IS what happens when you try to top RE2. People either love or hate this game, or love to hate it. It had maybe the best engine and visuals of the classic REs, but it's also when the simple B movie horror story elements went off the rails for gothic soap opera melodramatics which still plague the series to this day, with the occasional bout of relative semi-coherence like Resident Evil VII or Resident Evil: Revelations 2. For the record, I'm one of those people that love to hate this one and have played it several times, including on my phone.
Resident Evil: Revelations - A big game in a small package. This portable title was both a return to classic suspense and horror and introduced moving aim and first person perspective in one mechanic, both of which would respectively become standard in mainline entries to come, which lands it on this list. This really felt like a mainline Resident Evil on the 3DS, which was pretty incredible unto itself, but it was arguably better than where the numbered series was at too because it had better controls, design and more credible, or just less wacked out, writing. Granted, that wasn't a high bar to clear around the time RE5 and 6 came out. I'm tempted to put this above CV to have a solid bottom 5, but it's hard for me to consider this one more significant despite being a pleasant surprise as opposed to an unpleasant one.
Resident Evil Zero - The HD remaster might be the most advanced and best looking classic Resident Evil game in existence. It's also sort of the most derivative, with the least desirable characters and a plot that's like a B story to Resident Evil 1. Oh yeah, and while you can switch between characters, it also makes you drop shit on the ground or through mail slots to exchange key items. It's a bad sign when I've gotten through this many Resident Evil games without complaining about an inventory system and you're the reason I started.
Resident Evil 3 Remake - More like RE3 Reduced. They cut out half the game and made Nemesis into quick time events and boss fights instead of the dreaded AI pursuer of the original or RE2R's improved Mr. X. I'm probably being extra hard on it for this, but what can I say, it's a lesser derivative of a remake that doesn't do its original game justice. For that it's Resident Evil 3... from the bottom.
Resident Evil 6 - This was trying to be the Resident Evil equivalent of Avengers Endgame before its time, but it's a big mess more akin to Star Wars The Rise of Skywalker. Still, a slick and fun action game that improved on RE4 and 5's gameplay, just not enough; the first campaign chapter with Leon was a welcome return to classic zombie action before the recent remakes rendered even that obsolete, and it's all downhill from there. I still haven't completed the secret/bonus campaign chapter.
Resident Evil 5 - A pretty fun multiplayer game, but of course having backup is not very scary. Plus, it's a shameless RE4 clone that doesn't improve the gameplay but somehow casts a pall on the proceedings by carrying some of the series' worst plot baggage to completion, basically the culmination of everything bad that started with Code: Veronica, and raising uncomfortable questions about the whole zombies in exotic locations premise (like, are we figuratively ethnic cleansing here?). Putting it on the bottom just to be safe, but it should be noted that this and the much more universally derided RE6 are still two of the series' best sellers, so even the worst REs are pretty damn successful, and many would still consider this a classic in the vein of RE4 while nobody thinks that about RE6, so YREMMV.
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