In this list, we're ranking our Top 5 Resident Evil Games in preparation for the new release of Resident Evil: Village. Ranked by our resident Resident Evil guru and blog contributor, Justin.
#5 - Resident Evil 4
Coming in at number Five we have Resident Evil 4. Yeah, that’s right. My reasoning for this is pretty simple. It changed the genre and not for the better. With its over-the-shoulder camera view and Hollywood-style action sequences, Resident Evil 4 began the long journey of a lost identity. No longer are we met with creepy claustrophobic forced camera perspectives, puzzle-solving sleuthing, or limited resources; here we have a linear progressive story with heart-pumping adrenaline quick-time-events. Overall the game is decent, but if we’re talking true-to-form, it’s no Resident Evil.
#4 - Resident Evil 3
Why is Nemesis my number four? Well, it was a tough call in all honesty. Resident Evil 3 WAS an exceptional entry into the series, but it just wasn’t that memorable. Don’t get me wrong here! The added sense of a ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ mixed in was a solid choice as the game’s replay value increased. The fact you’re being hunted down by an enormous monster at every turn kept players on the edge of their seats definitely adding to the horror! However, to me, this game was too short. I feel Capcom could’ve fleshed out this game a lot more adding a deeper and flavorful aspect into Jill’s story. We could’ve learned more about her and who she was. I get this was showcasing how she responded to an emergency situation/outbreak, but why not dive deeper and extrude more out of a perfect opportunity?
#3 - Resident Evil: Code Veronica
Here we are at number three! Code Veronica was what Resident Evil 3 should’ve been in terms of story and length. This showed us who Claire Redfield really was! I won’t go into details as I don’t wish to spoil anything, but if you haven’t played this entry yet then go do it! Sadly this was the last official main entry of the series to utilize fixed-camera perspectives, but Code Veronica executed as well as its predecessors had. Not only was this a long game, well worth the money, but man was it hard! With all kinds of threats lurking about you’re left literally surviving on bare minimum resources. For first-timers, this game was at the height of Resident Evil’s difficulty when it came to surviving a nightmare!
#2 - Resident Evil
What? Resident Evil is my number two? Yeah, man! I love this game with a passion; from its digitized eerie string quartet to its horrible voiceovers, Resident Evil is a classic! Even though this game pathed the way of a beautifully crafted series (up to a point) it, unfortunately, falls shy of my number one. I’m sure you can guess which entry that will be. So anyway, Resident Evil is basically what gave birth to the survivor horror genre. As mentioned in a previous article I wrote, Resident Evil wasn’t the only horror-style game, but it did jump-start that survival horror style! It honestly was a tough call between this and my number one choice, but my number one I just love too much!
#1 - Resident Evil 2
Wow! Who could have seen this coming? I mean let's face it here. How often does a sequel outperform its predecessor? It’s pretty dang rare, right? Resident Evil 2 was all that and a bag of chips! This game did everything Resident Evil did right and improved upon it. The biggest thing this game had to offer was how replayable it was! I mean not only do you get to choose between two characters, Claire and Leon, but they each had two stories to complete! You could play this game four times before it was considered finished; in addition, this game had more to offer with extra modes too! I mean Capcom, come on! Please, buy me dinner first before blowing my mind! I was left more than satisfied with this entry. As a kid, this game was just phenomenal and this isn’t just nostalgia talking here either. As an adult, this game is still just as good as ever! Listen, if you have never played a Resident Evil game in your life and don’t care about chronological order then definitely put Resident Evil 2 in your life!