Resident Evil Main Series Ranked
Main series and remakes ranked. Revelations and its sequel are contested, but I guess I'll include them.
16 Games
In terms of level-design, atmosphere, and tension, this stands tall as the high point of the series, and a high point among games in general. It's no wonder they rarely try to replicate or one-up this game, it might not be possible.
1
A massive pivot into campy action nonsense, and it works amazingly. There are some survival-horror pretensions in the early-game, but by chapter 3 we're on a horror-themed rollercoaster and it's wonderful.
2
Playing for the first time on hardcore actually managed to replicate the feeling of the first REmake, but with the added depth of body-part-specific damage and a pursuer enemy. It's a thrilling and tense game on this difficulty, let down from the top spot only by the save ribbon system not meshing well with some late game boss encounters, as well as some unfavourable comparisons with the original RE2's A/B scenario system.
3
Not quite as singular as the original but a masterpiece in its own right, and one which manages this without sacrificing the integrity of the series' overarching narrative as the original did.
4
Perfectly paced, atmospheric, impactful, content-rich... it's an all-round excellent game. The level-design alone is slightly too streamlined here compared to RE1, but otherwise it's a massive improvement in all departments.
5
While it certainly has aged, the level-design is superior to most of its successors, and the voice acting is... appealing to me.
6
The first two-thirds are damn excellent, with some flaws brought about by the new perspective being overshadowed by the immersion it brings. The setting and pacing are amazing, and the horror comes down to more than just an aesthetic choice for the first time in a while. The latter third lets the game down a bit though, with a less interesting setting, and without the enemy variety needed to spice things up.
7
The most flawed of the original PS1 games, but also the most unique. Nemesis is a great antagonist, and the slight randomisation and multiple choices lead to a highly replayable game.
8
A big, dumb culmination of everything the series has been up to this point. It's far from perfect, but it's difficult not to love regardless.
9
A bit slight, but still a reliably fun time. Feels like a missed opportunity.
10
Excellent mechanics, bad level-design, and an overly serious tone result in a game I like more than I should. The attempt to make a mega-horror entertainment product has produced this hilarious mess that kinda just works for some people, of which I suppose I count myself.
11
A good action game brought down by poor pacing and narrative, and some unfortunate colonialist undertones.
12
Zero looks the part, but the design isn't there. It mostly rests of the laurels of its predecessors, while its new ideas aren't fleshed out enough to reach their full potential. Cutting to perspectives outside of our main characters results in an impersonal narrative.
15
Sloppily designed, tonally fucked, overlong, "crossdressing freak"... no thanks, bro!
16