All 7 main Resident Evil games, ranked

Since then, the series has changed with the times, for better and worse.

Resident Evil 6 featured multiple storylines with characters from across the series, but they all added up to an uneven, convoluted story.

Resident Evil 5 drove the series hard into action territory, which was made even more unpopular by an uncooperative AI companion.

The game also rightfully drew criticism for the extremely dodgy optics of its white protagonists gunning down Black zombies in an impoverished African village.

Resident Evil 3 introduced the Nemesis — a hulking monster that stalked players throughout the entire game.

While the Nemesis was an interesting concept, and there's nothing particularly bad about Resident Evil 3, it's not particularly great either.

Resident Evil's gameplay feels dated now, but it's easy to see how it caught on with players at the time.

The original Resident Evil has the most grounded story of the series and its tense atmosphere still holds up today.

Resident Evil 7 moved the series to a first-person perspective, giving it a new way to terrify players (especially in VR).

It also focuses on a new character, Ethan Winters, whose story is totally separate from the main Resident Evil plotline.

Resident Evil 2 isn't a huge departure from the original game, instead refining and expanding on its foreboding atmosphere and resource management.

It gives players a larger environment to explore with characters who would become favorites throughout the series.

Resident Evil 4 left behind the fixed camera, swapping to an over-the-shoulder perspective that allowed for more action-heavy gameplay.

In both gameplay and story, Resident Evil 4 is constantly surprising, making it worth trying for the first time or revisiting today.