Every mainline Resident Evil game, ranked by how high it scores on Metacritic

Resident Evil continued its remake winning streak this last week thanks to its remastering and rerelease of Resi 4 being released to universal acclaim. The franchise has pretty much always remained consistent in its relevancy and acclaim – but which games performed the best with the critics? Here are all the mainline Resident Evil games, ranked by their critics score on Metacritic!

In the interest of fairness, where possible I’m going by the PlayStation score. 

15. Resident Evil 6 (74/100)

At the bottom of the pile is Resident Evil 6, described by Metacritic as “the first game in the main series that failed to receive a positive reception from game critics.” Most of the criticism of this one is that it focussed more on being a shooter than the series’ survival horror roots – but positive reviews still class Resi 6 as being a bit of a rollercoaster romp nonetheless.

14. Resident Evil 3 [2020] (79/100)

The lowest ranked of all the Resident Evil remake games, 2020’s Resi 3 failed to hit the heights of the other remakes critically. Jill Valentine’s hair is so iconic it deserves an 85 for that alone! IGN loves it and gave it a 9/10, but a lot of other critics thought it felt rushed as the campaign went on.

13. Resident Evil Zero (83/100)

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All aboard the choo choo of the Resi Evil Express! Resident Evil: TRAIN came out on Gamecube and at the time critics lapped up its spooky graphics. The gameplay switch ups in this one had a mixed reception, though – and whilst I’m judging this score based on the original Gamecube score it’s worth noting the remasters and ports did not go down very well critically.

12. Resident Evil [HD 2015] (83/100)

There are three versions of the first Resident Evil here, and the lowest ranked of the games is the most recent – the 2o15 remake that released on PC, PS4 and Xbox One. Most reviews just tended to say this one was a solid remaster of a classic but that not all aspects of the game have aged that well for a 2010s audience.

11. Resident Evil 5 (84/100)

Whilst the complaints about Resident Evil 5 were declared unsubstantiated, the game never shook off its allegations of racism due to its depiction of Africa and departure from survival horror into a more action horror blockbuster approach. Whilst graphically gorgeous, with Harrer and Pichlmair in 2015 writing on Resi 5 that it’s “yet another moment in the history of commodity racism, which from the late 19th century onwards allowed popular depictions of racial stereotypes to enter the most intimate spaces of European homes”.

10. Resident Evil Village (84/100)

Try not to say mummy challenge!!! On a personal note, I just love the aesthetic and feel of Resident Evil 8 so much. It really succeeded in making iconic horror characters that will have a lasting impact on the gaming world and I think that’s so cool. The praise for Village was for how successful it is at having multiple different horror ideas in different set pieces throughout the game’s story.

9. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (86/100)

Every visual I ever see of this game knocks me sick – I just KNOW it stinks! Resident Evil 7 was acclaimed for its return to the survival horror roots of the franchise and being truly scary and unnerving, it also switched the franchise to first person as players navigate the Baker family’s horror plantation as Ethan Winters.

8. Resident Evil 2 (89/100)

The thought of having to play a Resi game in the old style with the fixed rendered locations and camera angles scares me so much. The Raccoon City exploration and terror, atmosphere and graphics were praised heavily on release.

7. Resident Evil (91/100)

The way these little pixel zombies scared us all to death in 1996 is so iconic. Resident Evil, the original, is the blueprint for this massive franchise. I love that it all takes place in a mansion compared to the scope of the rest of the series, and at the time Resi 1 was acclaimed for its terror, sound and gameplay.

6. Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (91/100)

Jill Valentine slays a bit too hard in the outfit in this game if you ask my humble opinion. This game introduces Nemesis, a rampant Tyrant who feels so daunting and unkillable that it makes playing this game completely suffocatingly terrifying. Resi 3 was acclaimed for its rich city graphics and the unpredictable appearances of Nemesis.

5. Resident Evil [2002] (91/100)

Kicking off the top five highest ranked Resident Evil games on Metacritic is the 2002 GameCube remake of the first game in the franchise. The graphic upgrade here is just obviously unbelievable – even if it maintains the fixed renders of the OG game.

4. Resident Evil 2 [2019] (91/100)

This game is just an atmospheric tour deforce of terror. This remake was a huge critical and commercial success, outdoing the original on both counts – it’s sold more copies. A celebration of the heyday of survival horror recrafted for a 2019 audience and generation. Love it.

3. Resident Evil 4 [2023] (93/100)

The latest in the remake saga is Resi 4 getting the update treatment, and it’s shot right in as the third most acclaimed game in the entire franchise history. No mean feat. IGN gave it a flawless 10/10 review!!!

2. Resident Evil – Code: Veronica (94/100)

The Dreamcast is a fever dream console, but in rocked Code: Veronica and became the second highest critically acclaimed of all the games in the Resident Evil franchise ranked here. Random. I’ve never played this one but happy for its success. Its ‘X’ port got HD remastered.

1. Resident Evil 4 (96/100)

Taking the top spot on Metacritic Resident Evil games ranked is the original Resi 4 for the GameCube. The culty romp through Spain as Leon seeks to rescue Ashley was acclaimed at the time for its fresh take on the franchise and the game still holds up to this day as one of the best games of all time.

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