The best Resident Evil game is Resident Evil 4, whose 2005 original still holds a 96 on Metacritic and reinvented action-horror. Its 2023 remake (93) and the Resident Evil 2 remake (91) lead the modern run, and 2026’s Resident Evil Requiem (88) is the best-reviewed new mainline entry since RE4. This ranking follows critical consensus across the series.
Resident Evil swings between slow survival horror and blockbuster action, and the best entries nail one or the other. Here is the full ranking by review scores.
96
Resident Evil 4 (2005), the highest score
93
RE4 remake, the best modern entry
88
Requiem (2026), best new RE since RE4
1996
The original that created survival horror
The best Resident Evil games, ranked
The mainline series and its remakes, ranked by Metacritic and critical consensus.
#
Game
Year
Metacritic
1
Resident Evil 4
2005
96
2
Resident Evil 4 (remake)
2023
93
3
Resident Evil 2 (remake)
2019
91
4
Resident Evil (REmake)
2002
91
5
Resident Evil 2
1998
89
6
Resident Evil Requiem
2026
88
7
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
2017
86
8
Resident Evil 5
2009
86
9
Resident Evil Village
2021
84
10
Resident Evil (original)
1996
Genre-defining classic
11
Resident Evil 3 (remake)
2020
79
12
Code: Veronica
2000
Fan-favourite entry
The top Resident Evil games by Metacritic — RE4 and its remake lead.
How we ranked them
This list follows critical consensus, led by Metacritic. That puts Resident Evil 4 and the modern remakes at the top, where scores sit in the low-to-mid 90s. Requiem’s 88 makes it the best-reviewed new mainline game since RE4 in 2005, though it lands just behind the RE2 and RE4 remakes. The 1996 original scores lower by modern standards but invented the genre, so it ranks on influence. Spin-offs and light-gun games are left out.
The essential Resident Evil games
Four games that define the series.
🧟
Resident Evil 4
2005 · 96
The action-horror landmark — the highest-rated in the series
#1
🔪
RE2 Remake
2019 · 91
The remake that relaunched the series — peak modern horror
Best remake
💀
Resident Evil 7
2017 · 86
First-person reboot that brought back true survival horror
Scariest
🏕️
Resident Evil Requiem
2026 · 88
The best-reviewed new RE since RE4 — 2026’s top game so far
The remakes are the easiest way in — modern controls, no series knowledge needed.
👆
The best entry points
Start with the Resident Evil 2 or 4 remakes for the modern series at its best, or Resident Evil 7 if you want the scariest first-person horror. All three stand alone — you don’t need to have played the older games to follow them.
Best Resident Evil games FAQ
What is the best Resident Evil game?
By critical consensus, Resident Evil 4 — the 2005 original holds a 96 on Metacritic and reinvented the series. Its 2023 remake (93) and the Resident Evil 2 remake (91) are the best of the modern era.
Is Resident Evil Requiem good?
Yes — at 88 on Metacritic it is the best-reviewed new mainline Resident Evil since RE4 in 2005 and the highest-rated game of 2026 so far. It scores just below the acclaimed RE2 and RE4 remakes.
Which Resident Evil should I play first?
The Resident Evil 2 remake is the ideal starting point — modern, terrifying and self-contained. Resident Evil 7 is the best pick if you want first-person horror, and the RE4 remake is the top action-horror entry.
Do I need to play Resident Evil games in order?
Not really. The plots connect loosely, but each game works on its own. The remakes and RE7 are all newcomer-friendly, so you can jump in with any of them.
What is the scariest Resident Evil game?
Resident Evil 7 is widely considered the scariest, thanks to its claustrophobic first-person view. The original Resident Evil and the RE2 remake are close behind for classic survival-horror dread.
đšī¸
Stay updated with Gaming
Follow EverythingEdinburgh for gaming reviews, guides and news
