Resident Evilis one of the longest-running video game franchises in the industry. Beginning in 1996 on the original Playstation, the horror juggernaut now has around 30 games, with a highly awaited 31st entry coming in 2023 withResident Evil 4 Remake. Capcom has experimented withResident Evilover the 26 years it has been in production and some games feel vastly different than others.
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One staple ofResident Evilis its replay value. The games have always prided themselves on replayability and multiple playthroughs have been encouraged ever since the first game in 1996, where players could choose to play asJill Valentineor Chris Redfield and see different storylines unfold in each. This dedication to replay value shines more in some games than others, but it remains a staple in the modern era ofResident Evil.
10Resident Evil 5
Resident Evil 5looked to play on the immense success of its predecessor,Resident Evil 4. The game controls nearly identically to the previous main installment, but players were treated with a huge graphical upgrade thanks to the game’s release on Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.Resident Evil 5’scampaign was alsoplayable with a friend.
Both Chris andShevahad unique fighting animations and each could unlock special weapons if specific weapons were upgraded fully on that character. Extra campaigns were added with DLC as well. If this isn’t enough,Resident Evil 5offered a fully fleshed-out Mercenaries side mode that was also co-op, and the Mercenaries Reunion DLC added even more characters to play.
9Resident Evil (2002)
Some fans might think that Capcom’s recent train of remakes started with the stellar 2019 remake ofResident Evil 2.The originalResident Evilwas remade in 2002 forthe Gamecubeand was by far the closest anyResident Evilremake has stayed to the source material. The 2002 remake is nearly identical to the 1996 original, and unlike some other remakes, no content is cut.
The game maintained fixed camera angles and even allowed players to toggle between modern controls and tank controls. It remade the entire Arklay Mansion and added new areas and bosses as well. It still sported two unique campaigns with Chris and Jill but also added more difficulties, including an invisible enemy mode. For true completionists,Resident Evil2002 stands as one of the most replayable titles in the series thanks to all of these additions.
8Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles
At first glance, the 2007 Wii-exclusiveResident Evil: The Umbrella Chroniclesmight seem like one of the worst games for replay value in the series. It isan on-rails light-gun shooterthat brings players through the events ofResident Evil 0, Resident Evil, and Resident Evil 3, as well as several unique campaigns and side stories. While the game itself might be linear in terms of movement, there is actually a ton of replayability to be found with this title.
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Each campaign has parts in the story where the path branches and players must choose where to go. Alongside a quickened on-rails version of three mainline games,Umbrella Chroniclesalso offers tons of side missions where players take control of famous characters like Rebecca Chambers, Albert Wesker, and Ada Wong. While the gameplay itself is linear, the sheer amount of content makes this game a surprisingly fun and replayable entry in theResident Eviluniverse.
7Resident Evil 2 (1998)
Widely considered to be one of the best survival horror games of all time, the originalResident Evil 2had two campaigns for each main character. Players can take Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield through both A and B scenarios that change starting locations, enemy spawns, and item availability.
Playing through these scenarios also gave players a cool window into the story of the game and how each character’s actions affected the other’s story. For example, if one took a machine gun in the RPD’s basement, the other character in the B scenario wouldn’t find a machine gun there. These scenarios plus some unlockable bonus modes makeResident Evil 2a solid entry for replay value.
6Resident Evil 6
Despite its sales,Resident Evil 6is commonly seen as the black sheep of the series. That said, the game has a ton of content. It sports four campaigns with two unique characters for each. Each character has unique combat animations and weaponry. The game is excellent when it comes to replay value thanks to the sheer amount of content in each campaign.
When the campaigns become stale,Resident Evil 6offers the best Mercenaries mode to date. The Mercenaries has been a bonus mode inResident Evilsince the third installment, but 6 perfects the formula thanks to awesome combat mechanics. Again, it’s a fantastic action game… Just not a very goodResident Evilgame!
5Resident Evil 4
Depending on who’s asked,Resident Evil 4is either one of the best games of all time, or it is the game that led the franchise astray. Regardless of opinion, it is pure fact thatResident Evil 4is one of the most influential games ever created. On top of this hefty accolade, the game also retains the spirit of replayability thatResident Evilis known for.
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Resident Evil 4sports one of the longest campaigns of anyResident Eviltitle. The game takes Leon through a terrifying village, a massive castle, and an action-packed military island. There aretons of different weaponsto use and upgrade throughout the game’s lengthy story. Once the story is completed, players gain access to Ada Wong’s campaigns as well as Professional difficulty and the Mercenaries mode. Players are eager to see whether the upcomingResident Evil 4 Remakewill have as much content as the original.
4Resident Evil 2 (2019)
Unlike the 2002 remake of the firstResident Evilthe 2019 remake ofResident Evil 2completely rebuilds the game from the ground up. There are no fixed camera angles or tank controls and players instead fight in a modern behind-the-shoulder view. This remake was good enough to be a contender for Game of the Year in 2019 and offered its players tons of content.
The A and B scenarios weren’t as connected as the original but the remake offered several free updates called the Ghost Survivor modes. In these side stories, players go through short tense levels. These free content updates added to an already fun game with plenty of content to chew through, making the 2019 remake just as replayable as the 1998 original.
3Resident Evil 7
On launch,Resident Evil 7didn’t hold as much replay value as some older titles. This is partially because the game was a soft reboot for the series after the waves of negative feedback thatResident Evil 6received. LikeResident Evil 5& the 2019 remake of 2, this game’s replayability was boosted by DLC.
One particular mode called “Ethan Must Die” introduced soft roguelike features to the game as protagonist Ethan Winters had to go through a smaller modified version of the main game with randomized item spawns and pickups. This naturally lends itself to multiple playthroughs because each time will be just a little different!
2Resident Evil Outbreak (Files 1 & 2)
The Capcom developers behind theOutbreakgames were years and years ahead of their time.Resident Evil Outbreakreceived mediocre reviews thanks to the fact that the games were meant to be played online at a time when online play was in its infancy for console players. Most Playstation 2 owners couldn’t play these games online.
The games offer dozens and dozens of characters with unique stats and starting items as well as a bunch of highly unique levels that all play like miniResident Evilgames. These games gave players meaningful things to unlock through multiple playthroughs using different characters for each level. This level of replay value went underappreciated for years thanks to the games mostly being only available to offline players, who struggled with poor AI and extremely challenging puzzles.
1Resident Evil 3 (1999)
The originalResident Evil 3is one of the deepest titles in the series, despite its poor reputation. The game has tons of variety with enemy placement and type, as many rooms can have different kinds of enemies based on rolls that are made as soon as a new game file is made. Jill can become better at crafting throughout the game, and she can even make new weapons should all the right parts be found.
Players can take different paths and are presented with a number of crossroads where decisions must be made. The game supports a number of RPG-like elements for being a rushed-out Playstation survival horror title. The original stands as one of the deepest games in the series, offering something different on every replay.
