9 – Resident Evil – Code: Veronica – PS2, 2001
At the time I was really excited. Capcom had finally stepped back from their Nintendo exclusivity and we were getting games again. Yay!
Weird name aside, CV took the first steps away from the old style as the camera started to follow Claire Redfield along corridors. But it suffered from two main issues.
Firstly everything looked as though it was made from plastic. Having neither the cruder pixels of the original games or the realism of later entries left it in an odd spot. The bigger problem was the story. Claire isn’t the biggest draw for me, and bringing Wesker back as someone from The Matrix leaves me with mixed feelings.
Oh, and there’s Steve Burnside. Stupid gold Lugers.
8 – Resident Evil 4 – PS2, 2005
For me this is where it all started to go wrong. RE4’s success with floppy hair, QTEs and Las Plagas paved the way for the series to move away from its roots. I’m not blind to the fact that the series needed an injection of energy, and RE4 did indeed feature many a situation where I felt truly panicked; I distinctly remember feeling panicked as I climbed onto rooftops, fumbling around for head shots.
Perhaps I’m rebelling against the feeling that so many people think it’s such a great game when I think it’s merely decent and shouldn’t be up on such a high pedestal. Zombies had always been intrinsically linked with the games and taking them out didn’t sit well with me.
It looked good and the controls were a huge improvement, but no thank you. This isn’t Resident Evil to me, even if it was more interesting than some of what had come before.
7 – Resident Evil: Revelations – Xbox 360, 2012
Initially released as a 3DS game, I first played Revelations when it made the impressive jump to home consoles. I’d played 4 and 5, and was extremely pleased to see not only a return to surviving, but that we could finally move and shoot at the same time! For highly trained individuals it always seems a bit odd that they’re movement was so limited. Being able to back away slowly and fire off a few rounds was very satisfying. It seemed like the old and new were coming together to make something more.
I’ll always enjoy seeing Chris and Jill together (bit of a spoiler for later entries there), so it was on decent ground immediately.
The Queen Zenobia proved an eerie setting in a game that may not have reached the highest echelons of survival horror but was a very positive step in the right direction. Faith partially restored. It seems a bit harsh to have Revelations in the bottom half of the list to be honest.
6 – Resident Evil 5 – Xbox 360, 2009
I’m almost as surprised as you are to find RE5 this high up the list. When I started I assumed it would be near the bottom like its sequel. But there are things two that saved this game. Co-op and Chris Redfield. Did you know that he’s had enough of your bullshit?!?
Despite hating this game at points it always comes up in conversations with my friend Keith. It may not have been a classic Res experience but it was a great two player experience. We had a lot of fun and I’ve grown to appreciate over time just how much joy we found in taking down BOW’s together. Even when I had to stand in the corner whilst he dealt with the puzzles, or when I accidentally took the sniper rifle and proceeded to suck with it, we had a good time.
Or I could just tell you that CHRIS REDFIELD PUNCHES A MOTHERFUCKING BOULDER. That should be enough on its own to justify its placement.
5 – Resident Evil: Revelations 2 – Xbox 360, 2015
Pre RE7 this was the closest the series had come to its roots since the original Raccoon City trilogy had ended. Unique for its episodic nature, this new way of releasing the game had pros and cons. The pacing wasn’t always great, but it was enjoyable to take on chunks at a time and then look forward to the next part.
The biggest selling point was finally getting to play as series legend Barry Burton. Capcom didn’t hold back on giving him awful jokes, whilst they further delved into the fatherly instincts that got him into so much trouble in the past.
Higher quality dialogue amidst the shooting and solving stayed with me too; a good balance between natural conversation and the usual nonsense that comes up in these games. Rev 2 isn’t perfect but it’s a good modern Res game.
Originally published June 16, 2018. Updated July 27, 2024.
