Capcom's iconic Resident Evil franchise has been one of the most influential and critically acclaimed series' since the first Resident Evil hit stores back in 1996. The IP has been flooded with releases since then, with the numbered games being supplemented by spin-offs, remakes, and more.
Capcom has always been known to stay loyal to its IPs and continuously give them numerous new releases, rather than creating brand new franchises. This business model has worked well for them, though it can be confusing for new audiences looking to get into the series' for the first time. For those curious about where they can play the Resident Evil series, here are all of the main games in order of release, with the consoles that they can be played on.
13 Resident Evil
The original Resident Evil may not look like much today, but it's one of the most influential releases of its generation across all genres. The game takes players into a mysterious mansion and tasks them with staying alive by not just killing the zombies within but also by solving puzzles needed to progress.
Playable On: PC, PlayStation, Nintendo DS, Sega Saturn
12 Resident Evil 2
The praise and acclaim that Resident Evil received upon release unsurprisingly meant that there was a ton of pressure on the sequel. Capcom didn't disappoint with Resident Evil 2, as the sequel received heaps of praise from critics, exemplified by its impressive 89 Metascore on PlayStation 1.
Playable On: PC, PlayStation, GameCube, Nintendo 64, Dreamcast, Game.com
11 Resident Evil 3: Nemesis
Before the release of Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, the third release in the series, Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, was regarded as the scariest entry in the franchise. Capcom managed to frighten its players by implementing one of the terrifying villains in gaming history, the Nemesis.
Playable On: PC, PlayStation, GameCube, Dreamcast
10 Resident Evil – Code: Veronica
Resident Evil – Code: Veronica was the first entry in the series not to be released on the PlayStation 1. The survival horror game didn't try to reinvent the wheel and kept much of the gameplay elements similar to the original trilogy. However, a few technical changes to the visual design, particularly with the new dynamic camera and real-time 3D environments, replaced the predecessor's pre-rendered backgrounds.
Playable On: Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, GameCube, Dreamcast
9 Resident Evil (remake)
The first, but certainly not the last remake to appear on this list, the classic first game's remake was initially exclusive to the GameCube before coming to the Nintendo Wii in 2008 with a new control scheme. The remake was then remastered in HD and came to all of the major consoles at the time.
The original remake is playable on: GameCube, Wii.
The HD remake is playable on: PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch.
8 Resident Evil Zero
Retrospectively, Resident Evil Zero is one of the best old-school Resident Evil titles to play today. However, the game wasn't too well-received at the time, as many critics and fans felt that the series hadn't evolved much since the original game hit stores around six years prior. As the title suggests, Resident Evil Zero is a prequel to the original 1996 game.
Playable on: PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, GameCube, Wii, Nintendo Switch
7 Resident Evil 4
Capcom clearly took Resident Evil Zero's criticisms to heart, as they took a drastic shift of direction both stylistically and gameplay-wise with Resident Evil 4. The survival horror game is considered one of the greatest of all time, with its enjoyable and lengthy campaign, excellent enemy variety, memorable boss fights, and a generous amount of bonus content ensuring that it's still fantastic to play today.
Playable On: PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, GameCube, Wii, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android, Zeebo (Brazil only)
6 Resident Evil 5
Following the enormous success of Resident Evil 4, the sequel subsequently became the most highly anticipated release in the series since Resident Evil 2. Unfortunately, the game failed to live up to the hype, and with many players feeling that it was a large drop in quality. However, it's fair to say that Resident Evil 5 was a victim of overhyping, as the game still provided a thoroughly enjoyable 10-15 hour adventure, despite it not reaching its predecessor's quality.
Playable On: PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Shield Android TV
5 Resident Evil 6
Capcom didn't seem to mind criticisms from fans that Resident Evil 5 was too focused on action instead of horror, as the Japanese company instead leaned into the previous game's action elements, creating a game that many wouldn't even describe as horror. A change of direction isn't inherently a bad thing, of course, but Resident Evil 6 struggled to impress and received some of the franchise's lowest ever Metascores.
Playable On: PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch
4 Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
From what is considered to be the least scary Resident Evil game to the one that is undoubtedly the most frightening. Resident Evil: 7 Biohazard took a leaf out of Resident Evil 4' s book in the sense that it responded to criticisms of the previous game by completely changing the direction of the series . Resident Evil 7 seemed to take influence from horror games like Outlast and Amnesia, with its first-person perspective and lack of weaponry, particularly in the first few hours.
Playable On: PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Amazon Luna, Nintendo Switch (Japan only)