TheResident Evilfranchise is easily among one of the most iconic in survival horror and in the gaming sphere as a whole. Spanning back nearly30 years, these games have seen a lot of ups and downs, and it shows in their stories.
Like every IP, not all stories are written equal, and so there are some games that have a much stronger plot and characterisation than others in the same franchise. With the Resident Evil games, there’s no exception.
Each Resident Evil story holds a special place in my heart —I’ve been playing the games since I was seven years old, so these stories have been near and dear to me for many, many years. After almost 20 years of loving these games, it’s clear to me which games have the strongest stories in the franchise.
Either way, they’re all good games, and it’s worth playing every single one.
Keep in mind, just because a game is lower in ranking does not mean that the story is terrible. It just couldn’t compare to the games above it.
11Resident Evil 6
Kind of a Mess (But We Love It Anyway)
Resident Evil 6
Easily the most divided entry in the franchise, veteran fans of Resident Evil either love or hateResident Evil 6, and I’m one of the former. Despite its shortcomings, I still think it’s a fun time.
The story is cut into three separate sections, with different characters at the focus of each campaign: Leon, Chris, and Sherry. These stories are all connected with each other, but it gets easily tangled in itself. There’s a lot that is rushed over or doesn’t get explained, making the game kind of a mess — but honestly, that’s why I like it.
Think about it: if you’re in the middle of a worldwide apocalyptic plague, the last thing you’re thinking of is finer details. You’re trying to get from Point A to Point B as fast as possible all while staying alive, of course things are going to be messy.
Either way, it’sa game that is better than it gets credit for, it just isn’t the strongest in storytelling.
10Resident Evil Zero
An Underrated Gem
Resident Evil Zero
Rebecca Chambers is such an underrated character in the Resident Evil franchise. Unfortunately, her game ends up being mostly overlooked in favor of the other games. Unfairly, too, since the story forResident Evil Zerois solid and well-written.
Taking place just before the events of the first game, you’re sent in to investigate a string of murders, only to be met face-to-face with zombies, leeches, and other infected, all while being trapped on a moving train. The only other survivor is a prisoner slated for execution, Billy, whose rough and rugged demeanor is the perfect foil to Rebecca’s kindness.
It’s a good start to the story, since it’s basically the first in the timeline and provides a ton of additional context to the events at the Spencer Mansion. I just wish Billy wasn’t confined to solely being in this game, but I do understand why he doesn’t reappear — he’s just so well-written that many players are left wanting more.
9Resident Evil: Revelations (1&2)
So. Much. Information.
Resident Evil Revelations
Before anyone comes at me, I know theResident Evil: Revelationsgames are separate with their own stories, but they both serve the same function: give players a little extra content with their favorite characters, then dump lore over them like a tidal wave. Both take place around the same timeframe, acting as a spin-off with canon material.
The stories, thankfully, make it worth it — finally properly introducing pre-established characters (such as Moira Burton) and providing additional lore to the series as a whole. In the first game, you’re on a ship, and in the second you’re on an island (how many more times is Claire going to end up stranded on an island in a spin-off game?).
Revelations is packed with just that: story revelations. Specifically, these games tackle just how involved the U.S. government actually was in Umbrella’s bioterrorism, putting all their other motives into question.
So, while they’re technically not the same game, nor do they even have you playing as the same character the entire time, they feel connected enough on the sidelines to work. My only complaint is that the other entries in the series don’t really touch on this game and the additional lore it provides, but hopefully that will be fixed in future titles.
8Resident Evil 5
Corny Good Fun
Resident Evil 5
IsResident Evil 5a scary game?Not even close. Is it massive amounts of fun regardless? Absolutely.
Not to mention, the story for this game actually isn’t bad. It’s got many similar story beats as 4, done in its own way on a new continent, but with you playing as Chris Redfield instead.
Sheva is a cool character (with, unfortunately, bad enough A.I. to make her an annoying companion, so it’s better to have a real person control her) that adds depth to the already established lore, and makes you want to take down Umbrella even more than the Redfields do.
Players aren’t playing this game to get scared, they’re playing to have fun with friends and take down Wesker. Plus, this is the game that establishes Wesker as a far more terrifying villain than when he was originally introduced.
Thankfully, fun is exactly what you get here.
7Resident Evil Code: Veronica
The Best RE Side Story
Resident Evil CODE:Veronica
Resident Evil Code: Veronicaisgetting a remake, and I genuinely couldn’t be happier about it. Not only is the story in the original game solid and well-written, the remakes almost always expand on the games for the better, so I can’t wait to see how Code Veronica is going to continue to be fleshed out.
In Code Veronica, you play as Claire Redfield as she’s looking for her brother, Chris, which leads her to end up as a prisoner on Rockfort Island. You run into Steve, another prisoner, and you are both now working as hard as you can to escape from the island and stay alive all the while.
That said, at times it’s a little dated, especially when it comes to the Ashford twins (just saying, cross-dressing isn’t seen as weird and freaky in the 21st Century), but it’s not offensive. It’s just a small nitpick that I hope the remake works out. Either way, it’s still the best side story in the entire franchise.
With an incredibly unique tone and story direction, you don’t know what to expect when playing this game, and that’s what makes it work so well.
6Resident Evil 3
There’s Not Enough!
Resident Evil 3
Resident Evil 3and its story is fantastic. I just have one issue with it:it’s way too short. Seriously, the game and its main story can be beat in six hours, and this isn’t even considering the remake and how it completely cut out the Clock Tower.
Even still, it’s a good story that constantly keeps you on edge. You play as Jill Valentine (my beloved) as she’s trying to survive and escape from Raccoon City — that is, however, until Umbrella decides to send a new Bio-Organic Weapon to obliterate S.T.A.R.S. and all its members: Nemesis.
Nemesis is absolutely ruthless, chasing after the player in a dead sprint and using any weapon in his arsenal. Plus, with his insane strength and capabilities, he’s a formidable foe that’s definitely worthy of running away from until you’re ready to fight him head-on. The entire story revolves around his pursuit of Jill, and it goes about as well for him as you’d expect.
My only wish is that this game was longer and that there was more to the story overall. Jill is already so hardly represented in these games anymore, so if we had just a little more time with her in this game (or future ones with her as the protagonist), it’d be perfect.
5Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
A Complete Survival Horror Revival
Resident Evil 7
There was a dark era in horror gaming:The Action Horror Era, where everything had to have nonstop action to keep players' attention spans like it’s a Black Ops announcement. Resident Evil fell victim to this first, and most prominently, but thankfully dug themselves out of that grave with the release ofResident Evil 7: Biohazard.
Biohazard introduces Ethan Winters, a new protagonist, and a new, first-person perspective to really put you in his shoes. It also completely flipped the script it used to follow, doubling back down on a pure, survival horror approach that worked wonderfully in the game’s favour.
The Baker Family and Evelyn are excellent antagonists, and their stories are interwoven to perfectly fit together, all while setting the stage for some of the scariest events the franchise has ever seen. Seriously, I don’t think horror games would be where they are today if it weren’t for Resident Evil going back to its roots.
This is also an excellent introduction to the franchise if you want to start somewhere, having you play what seemed like a disconnected story until you have enough context at the end to figure out what’s actually going on. Plus, each character is just written wonderfully, to where it’s no wonder that so many people pick Ethan as their favorite protagonist.
4Resident Evil 2
A Classic in Every Way
Resident Evil 2
Resident Evil 2is an absolute classic in the Resident Evil franchise, and for good reason — you have a choice to play one of two different characters, like in the first game, which influences your experience and difficulty. It just so happens both of these characters and their plotline are wonderfully intertwined, each solving their own mysteries while trying to survive RPD.
Not to mention, with the A and B Sides of this game (back when discs had that), the exact story you’re experiencing and how you’re experiencing it is different. Typically, yes, Leon A and Claire B are canon, but nothing is stopping you from doing Leon B and Claire A, and feeling the difference in gameplay.
In the A plotline, you’re dealing with the Birkins and the G Virus, a mutation of the T Virus that is wiping out the entire city of its inhabitants. In the B story, you’re running from Mr. X and trying to protect a little girl named Sherry. This is a huge reason why the remake lacks in comparison to the original: Mr. X is in both versions of the remake, taking away from the initial encounter.
There’s genuinely so much content and so many different ways you’re able to consume it, which is why Resident Evil 2 was so beloved by fans more than most others.
3Resident Evil 8: Village
Finally, Origins
Resident Evil Village
If you weren’t in the Resident Evil fandom prior to this game, I’ll let you in on something: we have been trying to figure out the origin of the Las Plagas (and, by extension, the T Virus) for decades. So, when veteran fans finally got to playResident Evil: Village, they were over the moon to finally have that question be answered after so many years.
Village continues Ethan’s story from Biohazard, this time with him trying to find and save his daughter Rosemary. Unfortunately, he’s in for more than he’d been asking for, stumbling upon Mother Miranda and her covenant, and finally learning the truth of himself and everything going on around him.
The modern Resident Evil games have their own vibe about them that’s loosely connected to the classics, but they go at their own pace, telling the story their own way. If anything, it ends up working in their favor — and Village is easily the best game of the modern titles thus far, thanks to that very story.
This will just continue to make me more and more excited about Resident Evil 9 and all that’s going to come next.
2Resident Evil 4
Peak Survival Horror
Resident Evil 4
No other survival horror game holds the title of most iconic higher thanResident Evil 4, which continues to be the king in the genre. The story, and the gameplay to compliment this story, are the exact reasons why.
Playing as Leon S. Kennedy, you’re sent to search for the president’s missing daughter and bring her back to safety. However, you end up getting caught up in cultish shenanigans and the Las Plagas infection, forcing your hand to be equal parts a knight in shining armor and the dragon burning down the village.
Plus, with Ada, Luis, and Krauser all making appearances with their own agendas, the story ends up becoming richer with additional context and tension. You don’t even have to know anything about the Resident Evil games in order to dive right in and understand what’s going on, which can’t be easily said about the other entries.
Resident Evil 4 serves as thepinnacle of survival horror, and you can thank the story for being a major contributor to that fact.
