00:00Ranking the mainline Resident Evil games is one of those topics that feels simple on the surface but gets complicated
00:05the moment you actually sit down and think about it.
00:08This is a franchise that has reinvented itself multiple times, sometimes out of necessity, sometimes out of ambition, and sometimes
00:16because it simply didn't know what it wanted to be anymore.
00:19For some people, Resident Evil has fixed camera angles and tank controls. For others, it's over-the-shoulder action. For
00:25a newer generation, it's first-person horror.
00:28All of those perspectives are valid, and that's why I want to be clear right up front about where I'm
00:32coming from with this ranking.
00:34This list is based on the mainline Resident Evil games as I've personally experienced them, focusing on the original versions
00:41rather than the modern remakes, and excluding Resident Evil Village, which I haven't played yet.
00:46This isn't meant to be the definitive ranking of the series or an objective truth carved into stone.
00:51It's a snapshot of how these games land for me, based on how they play, how they feel, and how
00:57well they represent what Resident Evil is supposed to be at their core.
01:01At the very bottom of the list is Resident Evil 6, a game that represents the absolute breaking point of
01:07the series' identity crisis.
01:09By the time Resident Evil 6 came out, it felt like Capcom was no longer sure what Resident Evil even
01:14was, let alone what it should be.
01:16The game is massive to a fault, with multiple campaigns that drag on far longer than they need to, each
01:23one leaning harder into spectacle than tension.
01:25The focus is overwhelmingly on explosions, quick-time events, and cinematic chaos, to the point where any sense of atmosphere
01:32or dread is completely smothered.
01:35Horror doesn't have room to breathe here because the game never slows down long enough to let it.
01:40Even mechanically, the game feels unfocused, constantly throwing new systems and ideas at the player without fully committing to any
01:47of them.
01:48While there are moments where you can see flashes of interesting concepts, they're buried under excess.
01:53Resident Evil 6 isn't just a bad Resident Evil game, it's a game that feels embarrassed by its own roots,
01:59and that's why it sits firmly at the bottom.
02:02Above that is Resident Evil 2, and I know this placement is going to raise some eyebrows.
02:07Resident Evil 2 is undeniably important, and its influence on the series cannot be overstated.
02:13Raccoon City is iconic, the idea of parallel campaigns was ambitious, and the game expanded the scope of the franchise
02:20beyond the confines of a single mansion.
02:22That said, when I look back at the original version specifically, it doesn't resonate with me as strongly as other
02:29entries.
02:29The pacing can feel inconsistent, and while the police station is an all-time great location, the experience starts to
02:36lose some of its impact on repeat visits.
02:38The gameplay is solid, but it doesn't grip me the way later titles do.
02:42And while I appreciate what Resident Evil 2 did for the series, appreciation doesn't always equal personal enjoyment.
02:49It's a classic, no question.
02:51But for me, it lands lower than most people would expect.
02:55Next is the original Resident Evil, the game that laid the foundation for everything that followed.
03:00The Spencer Mansion remains one of the most atmospheric settings in gaming history, and the game's emphasis on limited resources,
03:07deliberate movement, and environmental storytelling still works conceptually.
03:12There's a purity to the original Resident Evil that's hard to ignore.
03:15Every door feels dangerous, every hallway feels tense, and the game constantly reminds you how fragile you are.
03:23At the same time, it's impossible to ignore how dated it feels mechanically.
03:27The stiff combat, the famously rough voice acting, and the trial and error design elements make it harder to revisit
03:34compared to later entries.
03:35I respect the original Resident Evil immensely, and I'm glad it exists, but respect alone isn't enough to push it
03:42higher on this list.
03:44Moving up, we get to Resident Evil 5, a game that often gets lumped together with Resident Evil 6 despite
03:50being a very different experience.
03:52Resident Evil 5 is where the series fully embraces action, but unlike its successor, it does so with focus and
03:59polish.
03:59The co-op fundamentally changes how the game plays, turning encounters into strategic engagements rather than chaotic messes.
04:07The controls are tight, the pacing is strong, and the game knows exactly what it wants to be.
04:12While it sacrifices horror almost entirely, it makes up for it with consistency and replayability.
04:18Resident Evil 5 may not scare you, but it's confident, well-made, and far more enjoyable than it often gets
04:24credit for.
04:25It represents the point where action-heavy Resident Evil still worked.
04:30Just above that is Resident Evil 3, a game that takes the classic formula and injects it with urgency.
04:36Nemesis is one of the most effective threats the series has ever produced, not because of complex storytelling, but because
04:42of how he fundamentally alters players' behavior.
04:45You're never fully comfortable in Resident Evil 3, and that constant pressure keeps the experience intense from start to finish.
04:51The game is shorter than Resident Evil 2, but it's also tighter and more focused.
04:56It doesn't waste time, and it doesn't let the players settle into a rhythm.
05:00Resident Evil 3 feels like the classic era pushed to its most aggressive extreme, and that's what makes it stand
05:06out.
05:08And second place is Resident Evil 4, a game that didn't just change Resident Evil, but changed the industry.
05:14This is a game that knows exactly what it's doing from the moment it starts.
05:18The over-the-shoulder camera was revolutionary, the pacing is nearly flawless, and every encounter feels carefully designed.
05:25Resident Evil 4 isn't traditional survival horror, but it maintains tension through smart enemy design,
05:31limited resources, and constant forward momentum.
05:34It's confident, creative, and endlessly replayable.
05:38While it did steer the franchise away from its horror roots, it did so with such precision that's impossible to
05:44deny how effective it is.
05:46At the top of the list, my number one Resident Evil game is Resident Evil 7.
05:51This is the game that brought the series back from the edge.
05:54After years of escalating action, Resident Evil 7 strips everything down to vulnerability and fear.
06:01The first-person perspective makes the horror feel immediate and personal,
06:05and the Baker House is one of the most unsettling locations the franchise has ever created.
06:10The game understands that horror isn't about constant threats, but about tension, atmosphere, and uncertainty.
06:17Resource management matters again.
06:19Exploration matters again.
06:21Resident Evil 7 just doesn't feel like a return to form, it feels like a reminder of why this series
06:26mattered in the first place.
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06:44where the latest exclusive takes a deep dive into the rise and fall of the Sega Dreamcast.
06:49Until next time, game on!
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