Capcom Studios has been a true titan of the gaming industry since 1979, behind such great franchises as Street Fighter, Devil May Cry, and one of our favorites, Resident Evil. It’s probably the first game that pops into people’s minds when they hear about zombie-themed video games. Since the first Resident Evil release, the series has gained movies, crossovers with other franchises, and video games.
And, what to say, RE is one of the most discussed topics among sci-fi fans. Resident Evil stands out from other games that exploit the zombie theme. It is mainly because the focus is on bioterrorism and zombie virus management. Behind all these changes and outbreaks of disease are always people, represented by mad scientists. Even a resource like Bollywood casino has a slot about Resident Evil.
Technically, there are only eight original games. Still, Capcom has released countless spin-offs and extra episodes to diversify the series and add more unexpected plot twists, branches, connections, monsters, and characters. We’ll tell you about the best Resident Evil games you can play on P.C. and not only.
Resident Evil (1996)
We all know the story (or at least we should): agents of the S.T.A.R.S. Special Unit go to investigate a series of murders on the outskirts of Raccoon City. Soon after arriving, a pack of rabid dogs traps the group in a mansion, where more horror awaits them, created by our favorite sinister organization. Players can control S.T.A.R.S. agents Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield, whose main task is to destroy the facility.
Resident Evil was a bestseller at launch, selling 5 million copies on PlayStation alone. Later the game was released on other platforms, including Windows. It was also awaited for re-releases:
- A remake of Resident Evil for the GameCube console was released in 2002, where new enemies, puzzles, and endings were added.
- The mansion was expanded.
- Graphics were improved.
The remake formed the basis for the Resident Evil H.D. Remaster, which was released in 2014 on PS3 and Xbox 360 and in 2015 on M.S., PS4, and Xbox One.
Resident Evil Outbreak (2003)
The outbreak is valuable because it shows the events in the chaos-plagued Raccoon City from the point of view of ordinary citizens caught unprepared by the zombie epidemic. The game’s action unfolds in parallel with Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis scenarios. The main characters are not trying to unravel the plot but to survive at any cost. They have a few days before the city is wiped off the face of the Earth by a nuclear bomb. Each character has unique features, and using them is the key to survival.
Resident Evil 4 (2005)
Resident Evil 4 departs from the events of the original series for the first time and tells of a new threat, the Las Plagas parasite, which controls the human mind. The primary mission is to rescue the president’s daughter, who has been kidnapped and is supposedly being held by Spanish sectarians. Unfortunately, they are trying to infect her so that she will give the Las Plagas virus to her father. That way, they can control him and gain world domination.
People infected with the Las Plagas parasite do not turn into zombies. They are pretty functional, but they become insanely dangerous and ready to kill everyone and everything in the name of their puppeteer. The infected can handle weapons, can drive a chainsaw into your chest, set traps, and even anticipate some of your attacks.
The gameplay is consistent with the overall atmosphere but, at the same time, provides players with mechanics that go far beyond shooting slow-moving zombies, which isn’t surprising since the game had many concepts involving many different scenarios: one with an invincible protagonist or a haunted house, for example. One of the new concepts eventually became the basis for Devil May Cry, which started an entirely new series.
Resident Evil: Revelations (2012)
The main action of Revelations takes place between the events of RE4 and RE5, telling the story of the bioterrorist organization Veltro and the T-Abyss virus it created, which infects the water. Fortunately, the Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance (BSAA), represented by agents Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield, takes up the cause.
Revelations were explicitly designed for the Nintendo 3DS, and the casino games online version was later ported to other platforms. This installment makes it clear that the Resident Evil franchise is a true titan of bioweapons and all kinds of monsters, regardless of who is developing the series’ games.
Resident Evil 6 (2013)
Resident Evil 6 tells the story of a brand new C-virus that turns world leaders and top agents of anti-terrorist organizations into real monsters. So naturally, the Neo Umbrella Corporation (Neo Umbrella) is involved, with which a veteran of previous installments, Ada Wong may be connected.
It is the first game in the series that brings beloved characters from the franchise together through several story campaigns. Each is available for cooperative play, with movements varying wildly in tone and gameplay, from slow-paced horror to action with Call of Duty-like staging.
The battle between good and Evil intensifies when critical characters in the Resident Evil series become vulnerable to infection by a new C-virus. Again, the game strongly resembles the comic books and The Walking Dead series, especially in that beloved characters are in danger and facing its worst manifestation: death.
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (2017)
The main action of Resident Evil 7 takes place in Louisiana, ten years after the events of Part 6. The outbreak of the C-virus has ended, and the infection has come to a halt. But everything is not quite as it seems at first glance, so a new, in every sense, terribly exciting adventure awaits us.
Like all the other significant projects in the RE series, Part 7 not only lives up to players’ expectations but raises the bar for the franchise to a new level. RE7 moves the story forward, creating a new branch with unique events and characters to the delight of fans.
At the same time, the gameplay also changes: for the first time, the main game in the series is done in first-person, which, surprisingly, is even more immersive in the horror atmosphere.
Resident Evil Village (2021)
Resident Evil Village (the name of the game has a Roman numeral VIII, which is the eighth installment in the series) was a direct sequel to the seventh installment. In the title role – the protagonist of the previous game, Ethan Winters, searches for his wife and daughter in an abandoned somewhere in the mountains of Romania village with its adjoining castle, factory, and other locations.
Not only did the game give us the fascinating Lady Dimitrescu, who became the heroine of many memes, but it also expanded the lore of the Resident Evil universe: it has a lot of connections with the previous parts, and after making the story campaign you will get the answers to some questions that have been lingering since the first episode. On top of all that, it is an excellent game with a compelling story and impressive scenes.
Shortly after the game’s release, Capcom announced the Winters’ Expansion add-on, which expands the storyline with a new chapter. This time the narrative unfolds on behalf of Rose Winters, daughter of Ethan Winters: she will have to go on a nightmarish adventure to deal with her abilities.
The DLC also includes the ability to have a third-person mode in the campaign and adds playable Chris Redfield, Lady Dimitrescu, and Heisenberg to the Mercenaries mode.
