An introduction to Resident Evil

Explore the unforgettable games, heroes and villains that make Resident Evil one of the most iconic survival horror series of all time.

What is Resident Evil?

The survival horror genre almost certainly wouldn't be as popular as it is today without Resident Evil.

Back in 1996, Capcom introduced PlayStation players to a maze-like mansion populated by flesh-munching zombies, window-shattering zombie dogs and a menagerie of killer Bio Organic Weapons (B.O.W.s) - and in the process injected survival horror directly into the mainstream.

Resident Evil smartly blended action, exploration and resource management while taking every opportunity to terrify the player - and revolutionized a previously underappreciated genre in the process.

The first game was an instant phenomenon, and has since spawned numerous sequels and spin-offs, as well as forays into cinema, comics and animation.

Resident Evil games available on PlayStation

Where to start
The Umbrella years
World of horror
New era of fear
More to the story

The best place to start playing Resident Evil depends on what you're looking for...

Resident Evil 2

For something that adheres to the franchise’s roots but with modern visuals and gameplay courtesy of Capcom’s RE Engine, go for the remake of Resident Evil 2. It’s a stunning overhaul of an undisputed classic, and with a free PS5® patch, there's never been a better time to face your fear.

Resident Evil 4

2005’s legendary survival horror experience is brought fully up-to-date in this acclaimed remake. Set after the events of Resident Evil 2,  Raccoon City survivor Leon Kennedy explores a secluded European village in search of the US president’s daughter - but what he discovers is unlike anything he has faced before. 

Resident Evil 7 Biohazard

Resident Evil 7 Biohazard marks a new beginning for the series with a change to the frightening and immersive first-person 'Isolated View' player perspective. Journey to the American south and discover horrors never before seen in Resident Evil games.

Resident Evil Village

Set a few years after the horrifying events of Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, Village's all-new storyline begins with Ethan Winters and his wife Mia living peacefully in a new location, free from their past nightmares. But just as they are building their new life together, tragedy befalls them once again.

A corporation engulfed in secrets that brought Raccoon City to its knees.

Resident Evil 0

Find out what happened to the S.T.A.R.S. Bravo Team and discover the truth behind the mansion incident - the catalyst for the entire storyline of the Resident Evil series.

Resident Evil

Chris Redfield leads the S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team through a horror-filled mansion on the outskirts of Raccoon City as they search for the missing Bravo team.

Resident Evil 2

Follow Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield as they fight their way through Raccoon City after a mysterious viral outbreak.

Resident Evil 3

Discover the strange origin of the viral outbreak in Raccoon City while being relentlessly chased by the Nemesis T-Type.

Resident Evil Code: Veronica X

Claire and Chris Redfield’s nightmare continues as they fight to survive Umbrella’s deadly facilities.

Resident Evil goes global, as our heroes combat B.O.W.s around the world.

Resident Evil 4

Leon S. Kennedy searches a small European village for the President's kidnapped daughter, only to find the residents have undergone a grim transformation.

Resident Evil 4 Remake

Experience the genre-defying classic as you've never seen it before. Step into the boots of Leon Kennedy as you attempt to retrieve the President's daughter from a horrifying Spanish cult.

Resident Evil 5

Ten years after surviving the mansion incident, Chris Redfield returns to eliminate a new biological threat in an undisclosed African country.

Resident Evil 6

The truth about the Raccoon City incident is almost out. Featuring both Chris Redfield and Leon S. Kennedy for the first time, Resident Evil 6 documents four intertwining stories on a global scale.

The scares ramp up as the series shifts to an immersive first-person perspective.

Resident Evil 7 Biohazard

Follow Ethan Winters in his search for his missing wife in the Louisiana bayou and escape the clutches of the deranged Baker family. This game is also playable on PlayStation VR.

Resident Evil Village Gold Edition

Take on the village and its residents as Ethan Winters. You’ll once again feel the fear and action from a first-person perspective.

Offshoot games that expand the world of Resident Evil with new stories and scenarios.

Resident Evil Revelations

Set between the events of Resident Evil 4 and 5, join Jill Valentine in a search for her old partner, Chris Redfield, aboard a luxury cruise-liner ghostship in the Mediterranean Sea.

Resident Evil Revelations 2

Taking place between the Resident Evil 5 and 6 stories, escape imprisonment on a remote island as Claire Redfield and Barry Burton.

Experience Resident Evil in terrifying VR

Resident Evil Village VR Mode

Return to the Village in its most pulse-pounding outing yet. Experience the skin-crawling horrors of Castle Dimitrescu, the village and more first-hand, as the PlayStation®VR2 headset brings the terror to life in virtual reality.

Take in the chateau's spellbinding interiors and use the PS VR2 Sense™ controllers to fend off danger in immersive 1:1 VR. It's time to return to the village... if you dare.

Resident Evil 7 VR

Witness the Baker family up close and personal in this sweat-inducing VR take on survival horror. See through the eyes of Ethan Winters as you aim to escape a grizzly end in the Louisiana bayou.

Fight for your life with either the DualShock®4 or the Move controller in a brilliantly immersive PS®VR overhaul of the award-winning horror, or face your darkest fears in the standalone Resident Evil 7 Kitchen VR experience.

Resident Evil 4 VR Mode

Battle the Ganado and Los Iluminados from a new perspective, as Leon Kennedy's grueling rescue mission reaches PS VR2. In this free DLC, immersive 3D audio and intuitive controls tailored for the PS VR2 Sense controllers bring you closer to the iconic story than ever before.

Feel the impact of each shotgun blast thanks to the PS VR2 Sense controller's haptic feedback, and reload in real time using immersive motion controls.

Resident Evil FAQ

There is no right answer here. The shapeshifting nature of the series means there’s no such thing as a ‘definitive’ Resident Evil game. It also depends on what you're looking for in your first Resident Evil experience. Check our recommendations above on where to start.

The horror aspect is incredibly important to Resident Evil’s appeal, but there’s so much more to its enduring success. 

Each new Resident Evil game introduces memorable new heroes and monstrous new villains. It brings back favorites in surprising and inventive ways and adds more depth to a world that has continued to twist, turn and evolve over the decades.

If you really want to know everything about the world of Resident Evil, sure, but while there’s definitely a connective narrative tissue between each game, they all tell complete stories in isolation. 

You can always bank on Resident Evil games to help you play catch-up, be that with introductory recaps, environmental storytelling, in-game notes and diaries, or good old expositional dialogue.

Resident Evil games present a stiff challenge without ever feeling unfair. Survival requires skillful and strategic use of your weapons, which sometimes means knowing when not to use them. 

There are plenty of times when firing away is unavoidable, but as you start to learn how to weave through enemies and discover shortcuts, you’ll be able to conserve ammo for when it really matters.

Zombies really are the tip of the iceberg when it comes to danger. Resident Evil has a nasty habit of throwing increasingly deadly and disgusting creatures at you, such as the Hunters with their elongated limbs and reptilian hides, and the Lickers with skinless bodies and exposed brains. 

There’s also a host of human villains who are usually responsible for the grotesque creatures you encounter and are, more often than not, hiding a horrifying secret of their own.

The best horror games on
PS4 and PS5

Test your nerves or scare your self silly with some of the best horror games on PS4 and PS5.

Play the biggest series on PlayStation