Editorials
The 10 Best ‘Resident Evil’ Games: ‘Resident Evil’ Franchise Ranked
With Resident Evil games 26-11 now behind us, it’s time to tackle the meaty Top 10 best Resident Evil games. Plenty of familiar favorites to be found here, but in what order will they appear? Read on and find out!
The Resident Evil Franchise Ranked: Part One
10. Resident Evil Revelations (2011) Multi
Another Resident Evil set largely on a boat (there’s more on boats than in mansions) and another handheld gamble on a Nintendo handheld.
Portable Resident Evil definitely paid off here. So much so that Resident Evil Revelations has since been ported to home consoles for the last two generations.
Chris and Jill return to dual lead duties for the first time since the original Resident Evil and we get some new ocean-themed monstrosities (though sadly not much variety in them). Best of all, this took the series back to the happy medium of survival horror as the mainline series drifted further away.
It’s an underappreciated spinoff that did at least get a sequel. Barebones Resident Evil, but it is still closer to the core ideas of Resident Evil than many of the entries here.
9. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (2017) Multi
Just when the franchise looked to be on its way down and out, Capcom pulled it from the fire and threw it back into a creepy homestead.
That wasn’t all. Resident Evil 7 switched to a first-person viewpoint (probably because horror games had really been successful from this perspective in the years leading up to it) and it brought a fantastic marriage of Resident Evil old and new.
The stars of the show are the Baker family. This unhinged and infected family unit is cruel, taunting, and in some cases, literally monstrous. A personal favorite is Baker matriarch Marguerite, who transforms into an appalling beast and has one hell of a potty mouth. The family’s tragic transformations and the reasons behind them are akin to the stories of Lisa Trevor and William Birkin in classical Resident Evil tragedy.
The final hour or so is largely a letdown, unfortunately, but the revelations of the final minutes (and the game that came before that point) do make up for it.
8. Resident Evil Code: Veronica (2000) Multi
Resident Evil departs Raccoon City and gets its first visual upgrade here just a year after Nemesis and Code: Veronica ended up being a rather divisive entry for many reasons.
The downsides for many fans were typical ones. The new setting, the new characters, and the fact it was made exclusively for the Sega Dreamcast. All minor quibbles over time (though certain characters are more annoying than theatrical). The game did also end up on PS2 the year after, expanding its audience.
Code: Veronica is the true sequel to Resident Evil 2. Sony bagged rights to call Nemesis Resident Evil 3, so history views Code: Veronica as the spinoff when it was actually Nemesis.
In reality, Code: Veronica was a breath of fresh air for the Resident Evil series. The Gothic horror atmosphere, the new locations (Antarctica!), the double dose of Redfield with Chris and Claire as protagonists (alongside newcomer Steve Burnside), the return of Albert Wesker, and the mad, mad tale of the Ashcroft family.
All of this adds up to a massively underappreciated survival horror that effectively laid down the path for a more European horror atmosphere that bled into Resident Evil 4.
7. Resident Evil: Village (2021) Multi
After Resident Evil 7 managed to right the good ship Resi, and the remakes of 2 and 3 gave classic Resi ideals to a new generation, there was much anticipation surrounding whatever came along next.
Riding on a meme-worthy hype train inspired by new vampiric villain Lady Dimistrescu, Resident Evil VIII (or Village as it’s now commonly referred to) made a big splash, and possibly no Resident Evil game since Resident Evil 4 has better encapsulated what the Resi experience has been in the quarter of a century of games that led to this point.
There’s melodrama, conspiracies, gore, outlandish monsters, and some genuinely terrifying moments (all I can say is the sound of a baby crying is monumentally disturbing to me now). Some were sour that Lady D was broomed early on, but the sheer variety that came after that point made for one of the more memorable rides in the series.
6. Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (1999) Multi
Essentially this is Resident Evil 2.5, a side-story to the events of Leon and Claire’s escape from Raccoon City. It does bring Jill Valentine back though (in a rather daft outfit for a zombie apocalypse), and the wretched Hunters return in a particularly tense hospital section.
It also brings the titular Nemesis. This hulking mess of muscle, skin, and tentacles wrapped in leather takes inspiration from Clock Tower’s Scissor Man and Resident Evil 2’s Mr. X and then blends in a terrifying amount of the Terminator’s unstoppable stalking power.
For many, Nemesis presented the first time they felt the panic of being chased by a seemingly relentless walking tank in a video game, and the T-Virus monstrosity really helped elevate what could have been a simple ‘more of the same’ semi-sequel into its own individual story that remains a high point for the series.
5. Resident Evil (1996) PS One, Saturn, PC
The original is not the best, but there’s no understating the importance of what it brought to the world of video games, and how it defined Survival Horror. Resident Evil is cherished in a manner reminiscent of so many schlocky horror film classics in that it’s remembered not only for its impeccable structure and iconic scares (the dog through the window!), but also for its endearingly daft plot, dialogue, and characters.
Zombies arguably got their revival thanks to the shuffling husks found in the Spencer Mansion, but the real star of Resident Evil is the mansion itself. A sprawling puzzle box of death that did wonders for environmental storytelling in the medium. When the game decides to leave this spectacular spookhouse and unveil the other side to it, it’s a bittersweet moment.
Resident Evil arrived at a time when video games were truly starting to evolve, and Shinji Mikami’s classic, dated as it is now, was a massive part of that shift in how games were made and perceived.
To think it all came about thanks to an unrelated movie tie-in game.
4. Resident Evil 2 Remake (2019) Multi
With more than 20 years of nostalgia to battle against, Resident Evil 2 Remake faced an uphill struggle to be the kind of successful remake of a beloved Resident Evil that the 2003 reimagining of the first game was. That it actually succeeded is perhaps its greatest achievement.
The core beats of the original Resident Evil 2 are interwoven with a modern set of mechanics and structuring. There’s always a familiar air of that old menace even though there are redesigns to all the key locations and set-pieces.
The biggest, most impactful change from the original is an earlier, more prominent, arrival of the trenchcoat-wearing behemoth that is Mr. X. He stalks our poor protagonists relentlessly and ends up being the natural evolution of what Nemesis did so well all those years ago.
A fine blend of lessons learned from Resident Evil 7 and an understanding of what made Resident Evil 2 such a cherished title.
3. Resident Evil 4 (2005) Multi
Resident Evil 4 can be viewed both as the greatest entry into the entire series and the reason it went so terribly downhill after. A fine example of a company taking the wrong lessons from its successes.
After Code: Veronica’s attempt to refresh the Resident Evil formula didn’t quite stick the landing for many, Resident Evil 4 essentially rebirthed the franchise with its massive overhaul of mechanics (over the shoulder camera replacing the fixed ones of old) and style (closer to a 70’s style Euro-horror than the American-styled opening trilogy). This came after much frustration and experimentation that saw the game begin almost from scratch after an early build tested poorly.
Leon Kennedy made his second series appearance here, and we got the first mainline Resident Evil with just one playable protagonist throughout (Resident Evil 3 had a brief non-Jill section).
Leon’s trip to the Spanish countryside to rescue the President’s daughter sees him caught up in a new kind of viral outbreak, a parasitic one dubbed Las Plagas that made quick, vicious, and disgusting foes of the town’s residents.
From there he endures chainsaw-wielding brutes, an almost literal Spider-Man, and a lake monster with a healthy appetite. Of course, that’s just the tip of the Las Plagas iceberg, as there’s plenty of crazy goings-on during this rollercoaster adventure.
Capcom took the more action-heavy side of Resident Evil 4 as the driving force behind the next two games but missed the excitingly eccentric horror that made that game such a complete package
2. Resident Evil Remake (2002) Multi
In the short limbo between Code: Veronica and Resident Evil 4, Shinji Mikami and company decided to revisit the first game and completely overhaul it for Nintendo Gamecube.
Remakes weren’t really a big thing in games at this time, and it was unprecedented for the original creator to redesign their own work. Yet this is what they did, and the results were astonishing.
Resident Evil Remake retains many of the locations and set-pieces of the original but adds whole new areas and monsters to the mix. Plus the visual upgrade means it holds up to this day.
The Crimson Head zombies (re-reanimated zombies who are faster and deadlier) added uncertainty and paranoia when coming back through areas you’d already been through, never knowing if that twice-dead corpse was going to get up a second time and tear your throat out with its razor-sharp talons. They weren’t even that fond of other zombies either.
Then there’s the Lisa Trevor story. Added to Remake, it was leagues above anything in the original. A tragic and frightening tale that came to life in the horrific form of Lisa herself.
Not only is Resident Evil Remake one of the finest video game remakes of all time, it usurps the original and keeps the legacy alive in a far more accessible form. This is especially true of the HD version which has the option for more modern controls.
1. Resident Evil 2 (1998) Multi
While you could lay many of the criticisms of the first Resident Evil at the door of the second (how it’s aged visually especially), Resident Evil 2’s more epic sprawl of a night from hell holds up better. Plus it doesn’t have a remake out yet to upstage it (soon enough though!).
Rookie cop Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield, sister of S.T.A.R.S. member Chris Redfield, arrive in Raccoon City just as everything going to shit thanks to the outbreak of the T-Virus. The pair gets split up and must find their way out of the city before it gets blown to smithereens.
What follows is an amplified version of the original game’s formula, where regular locations are skewed by the mystery and horror that surround them. Once again a greater conspiracy is afoot, and our dynamic duo wants nothing more than to get the hell out of it.
You never get to feel comfortable in Resident Evil 2. The citywide outbreak means this is survival horror on a greater scale, yet the game still cleverly pushes and prods you down the paths it wants you to go. It’s a masterclass in keeping things tight whilst upping the perceived size of the play area.
The escalation of enemy types also plays a major part. The zombies are a tad more varied, and the new beasties are horrifying upgrades on the established ideas of what to expect. The Licker reveal is up there among the most iconic moments in the series, and the many stages of the tragic William Birkin’s transformation pepper the narrative.
Resident Evil 2 is a superior sequel, and in so many ways, it’s the high point of the entire Resident Evil series.
What’s your favorite Resident Evil?
College kids, strippers and vampires—those were Donald P. Borchers’ only requirements when he approached Richard Wenk about writing and directing a movie for New World Pictures. As requested, Wenk cooked up Vamp (1986), a tailor-made blend of the decade’s teen movie craze as well as its horror boom.
Grim and earnest stories were still very much a part of the ’80s horror landscape, yet Vamp is something of a comedy. One difference between it and, say, Saturday the 14th, though, is the former avoids using schtick. Wenk’s movie proves that horror comedies also don’t have to subtract thrills from their recipes. Of course, it takes a minute before reaching that point; college antics and culture shocks preface this one macabre misadventure.
Vamp‘s initial setup is apt for a typical college-set, sex-driven comedy; to bribe their way into a fraternity house, two pledges (Chris Makepeace, Robert Rusler) go looking for some adult entertainment. Without wasting time on any further exposition, the characters embark on an all-in-one-night trip that quickly detours into terror.
To procure their elusive MacGuffin—a stripper willing to gyrate for some frat boys—Keith (Makepeace) and AJ (Rusler), plus a third wheel named Duncan (Gedee Watanabe), trade the safety of their remote college campus for the seediness of some unnamed city. The setting is recognizably L.A. by day, but as soon as night falls, downtown, along with the characters, slips into a kind of surreal universe. Director of photography Elliot Davis gave this early entry on his prolific résumé an unusual yet distinctive look; that Mario Bava-esque, magenta-green lighting is omnipresent, so much so that it’s almost its own character.
Chris Makepeace and Robert Rusler in Vamp
The faint comparisons to Martin Scorsese’s After Hours are merited, although not just because of Vamp’s distinguishing nighttime aesthetic. Save for the primary characters, the supporting roles in Wenk’s movie are also quite colorful and transactional in their behavior. The difference here, though, is the additional urge to ruin Keith and his friends at every turn. Some of that harm is humorous and tolerable enough, whereas the moment Vamp dishes out its first fatality, it’s abundantly clear how this movie qualifies as horror.
Vamp falls into that category of horror movie that reveals its genre with a scream rather than a series of whispers. The opening scene can function as a hint of what lies ahead—things are not at all what they appear to be—but otherwise, Wenk is more than happy to hold off on the horror. When that time does come, though, it catches the viewer off guard. In addition to the pure shock value is that sudden decision to upend the movie’s foremost feature. Or so it would seem.
If afraid of major spoilage, those new to Vamp would be wise to stop reading here. There’s just no skirting around the fact that the central fellowship in this buddy movie hits a serious snag when AJ is killed. That development causes the story to become more of a “long, bad night” journey for Keith and his romantic interest. So while Wenk scores points for subverting expectations, there is also a touch of sadness in his decision. Because if Vamp does anything well, it’s making the characters likable.
Something that comes easily to Vamp—and other teen horror movies from this same era—is its ability to invent young characters worth caring about, or at the very least, are interesting and not so immediately off-putting. More impressive is how Wenk did all this without actually fleshing out those characters. Still and all, Keith and his kind are a grade above cookie-cutter, and in some cases, aren’t completely devoid of growth.
Grace Jones in Vamp
Vamp appeals with an assorted cast of characters. No two are the same, nor are they operating on the same wavelength. The cinematically extroverted AJ, whose actor conveyed charm and vulnerability in near equal amounts, comes alive when he’s at his most undead. Makepeace then makes the chronically cautious Keith a sympathetic fellow, even as he’s more and more affected by the night’s bizarre events. Meanwhile, Duncan is indeed the designated loser of the whole bunch, but Watanabe still manages to humanize him. As a bonus, the role didn’t require him to pull a Long Duk Dong.
As for Dedee Pfeiffer, she is plain adorable as the mysterious After Dark server nicknamed “Amaretto”. She spends all night fixing her dress strap while at the same time trying to get Keith to remember how he knows her. As their offbeat romance grows, it becomes another highlight of this movie. Whether or not Pfeiffer’s character is really a vampire also creates some welcome tension in the story.
Like a lot of its contemporaries, Vamp went on to become a bit of a cult classic. That current status is determined by several factors, but without a doubt, the casting of Grace Jones is the most considerable. The image of her writhing on that unique-looking chair, a Keith Haring original, springs to mind whenever this movie is brought up.
Chris Makepeace, Billy Drago and Paunita Nichols in Vamp
Prior to that first display of unequivocal horror, local vampire queen Katrina (Jones) took to the stage and delivered a strip show like no other. One would expect nothing less from that renowned model and performance artist. By now reports of Jones’ tardiness on set are no secret, yet it’s also hard to deny her commitment to the part of Katrina. It was, in fact, Jones who took charge of her character’s appearance—on top of Haring painting her body and that now-iconic chair, she had Andy Warhol handle her costuming. And not too many actors could seize a room’s attention without saying a single line of dialogue.
In 2022, Vamp received a retrospective novelization from Encyclopocalypse. This literary union of preexisting source material—Wenk’s original screenplay—and new ideas from author Christian Francis amounts to a more comprehensive visit to the After Dark Club. The basic story there is no different than what’s shown on screen; however, Francis gets creative with the characters’ origins and designs, and he enhances a number of key scenes.
The novelization expands on the urban and social decay of the main setting, and supplies a background for the After Dark Club. Sandy Baron’s character, Katrina’s emcee and familiar, is given ample motivation for sticking around; up until the fiery end, he is loyal to his friend and former business partner “Squeak”, who looks like he was “fed through a combine harvester, and left as nothing more than a heap of mangled remains”. Then there is Billy Drago’s character Snow, the leader of a street gang called The Dragons. His reason for menacing Keith and AJ is more altruistic than in the movie; he and his peers act tough to scare off any potential food for the vampires.
Lisa Lyon in Vamp
If not for all the backstories, Francis’ Vamp would be a hell of a lot shorter. Instead, this tie-in read dives into how AJ met Keith—the orphaned Anthony Joseph hailed from a broken home back in Brooklyn—and how their friendship flourished over the years. Keith’s archership is no longer just an assumed part of his entire being; it’s a confidence-building extracurricular for a boy who got picked on before coming into the protection of the new kid in town. These supplemental, in-depth looks at the protagonists, plus their close connection, are maybe unnecessary. The movie already did a fair and concise job of addressing their platonic intimacy without the need for flashbacks and insights, specifically in that scene where AJ lays it all out as he sacrifices himself.
Where the novelization gets off course is its approach to the minor characters. Intermittently backstorying the likes of Katrina’s indentured servants, Seko (Leila Hee Olsen) and Vlad (Brad Logan), ends up disturbing the flow of the writing. Was it absolutely essential that readers know Vlad was the Grand Duke of the House of Romanov, or how Snow’s accomplice Maven (Paunita Nichols) became so dentally challenged? No, not really. However, one’s mileage with these random biographies may vary.
The novelization is a more substantial experience, but for a movie like Vamp, less is more. And as plentiful as they are, it never simply coasts on its campy charms, either. The character work sits comfortably in that realm between cursory and meticulous, the script is sharper than first realized, and Greg Cannom’s vampire makeup is straightforward yet effective. Most of all, the movie didn’t squander its out-of-the-box concept. Richard Wenk made his vision of a “comic nightmare in which just about anything that can go wrong does” come true, and it is very enjoyable.
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