With the latest entry in the Resident Evil franchise taking us all the way back to Raccoon City with the return of some fan favorite characters, there’s no better time to catch up on the series. While playing in release order is still the recommended route in most cases, tackling Resident Evil chronologically can help get a better understanding of the major outings in the series, or at least how they all fit together.
This list does not include non-canon entries like Resident Evil Operation Raccoon City, Resident Evil Gaiden, or the series’ multiplayer-only spinoffs.
Even if the mainline Resident Evil games follow a simple numbered structure, there are plenty of spinoffs, prequels, or overlaps that can make the storyline more than a little difficult to follow at times, or even know where to start. Even if you don’t plan on replaying through Resident Evil in chronological order yourself, knowing the clear series of events helps Resident Evil and its evolving narrative feel a little more connected.
1
Resident Evil 0 – July 23-24 (1988)
Where it all begins
Acting as a prequel to the original Resident Evil that started it all, Resident Evil 0 follows S.T.A.R.S officer Rebecca Chambers, making an unlikely alliance with an escaped convict to survive the apocalyptic nightmare they both find themselves in.
Despite being first chronologically, Resident Evil 0 isn’t often recommended to start with due to its difficulty and the fact that it spoils the original Resident Evil 1.
Setting up the origins of the early Umbrella experiments and offering more context leading up to the Spencer Mansion incident, Resident Evil 0 is far from a bad place to start with the series if you want a clearer picture from the get-go.
2
Resident Evil 1 – July 24-25 (1988)
Where it all begins… again
Being the game to kick off the series, it’s not too surprising that Resident Evil 1 is one of the first games chronologically, setting up both the premise and several major characters for the franchise with Jill Valentine, Chris Redfield, and the infamous Albert Wesker.
Covering the S.T.A.R.S. team’s investigation of the Spencer Mansion over a string of cannibalistic murders, Resident Evil 1 not only set up the foundations for the formula of the series but also establishes the origins of the viral outbreak that would become even more apocalyptic down the road.
3
Resident Evil 3 – September 23-October 1 (1988)
STAAAARRRS
Even though the ending of Resident Evil 3 takes place after its predecessor’s ending, Jill Valentine’s perspective of the Raccoon City disaster starts days prior to the actual incident, but involves a timeskip that puts the events closer to the final moments of its apocalyptic storyline.
“Resident Evil 3 doesn’t add too much to the overarching storyline of the series.”
Even though Resident Evil 3 doesn’t add too much to the overarching storyline of the series, it still further establishes the final days of Umbrella’s infection and their overall objectives within Raccoon City itself, unleashing even more bioweapons like Nemesis to cover up the tragedy by any means necessary.
4
Resident Evil 2 – September 29-30 (1988)
We need to get outta this city
Jumping forward a few months after the original Spencer Mansion incident, Resident Evil 2 focuses on a full-scale outbreak of the experimental virus, with its two survivors, Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield, thrust into surviving the apocalyptic urban nightmare of Raccoon City.
Expanding Umbrella’s role as far more than an overly ambitious pharmaceutical company into a full-blown bioweapon manufacturer, the original Resident Evil 2 and its enhanced editions show how catastrophic a city-wide outbreak would look like.
5
Resident Evil Outbreak 1 & 2 – October 1 (1988)
Resident Evil: City Folk
Going even further than Leon and Claire’s surprisingly adept survival story, both Resident Evil Outbreak 1 and 2 showcase an even more ordinary civilian perspective on the apocalyptic incident.
Adding even more depth to the Raccoon City outbreak, the appropriately named Outbreak series fits around the latter half of Resident Evil 2 with its overlapping missions, alongside a cast of more relatable characters that are being made relevant again with the latest Resident Evil Requiem.
6
Resident Evil Survivor – November 22-25 (1988)
Survivor? I barely know her!
Taking place nearly a month after the events of Raccoon City’s destruction, Resident Evil Survivor follows a private detective attempting to navigate yet another Umbrella outbreak isolated on Sheena Island, expanding the scope of the series beyond its initial settings.
Even though the consensus about Resident Evil Survivor is that it’s an optional spinoff and not a relevant entry in the series, its events were directly referenced in the opening of Resident Evil 0.
7
Resident Evil Code: Veronica – December 27-28 (1988)
Code Veronica? I barely – oh wait I just did that one
Being next in line for a new remake, Resident Evil Code Veronica is a direct continuation of Claire Redfield’s story after the events of Resident Evil 2 to find her lost brother, while introducing the insidious Ashford family and their internal power struggles.
Highlighting more of the masterminds behind Umbrella’s viral outbreak and deepening the lore of the virus itself, Resident Evil Code Veronica is an essential part of the series, both for better understanding its lore and the character arcs of both Chris and Claire Redfield, respectively.
8
Resident Evil: Dead Aim – September (2002)
You forgot this existed, admit it
While it’s often overlooked due to its development as a light gun controller game and not having much of an effect on the overarching storyline as a whole, Resident Evil: Dead Aim is still a canonical entry in the series that often gets overlooked by most players.
A few years after the destruction of Raccoon City, Dead Aim follows Bruce McGivern attempting to retrieve a cruiser containing a leaked sample of another Umbrella virus to prevent a similarly catastrophic incident, while facing off against even deadlier mutated bioweapons with the help of a Chinese agent named Fongling.
9
Resident Evil 4 – Autumn (2004)
Everybody’s gone to bingo
Following up with Leon S. Kennedy and his years of training as a government agent, Resident Evil 4 sees the backflipping hero traveling to an infection-filled village in Spain to rescue the President’s abducted daughter, Ashley Graham.
Introducing both a new antagonist faction and showcasing a brand-new type of virus with the maddening Las Plagas, Resident Evil 4 explores a whole new kind of infected monstrosities outside an urban setting, while also seeing the return and development of a few more familiar faces from the series.
10
Resident Evil: Revelations (2005)
Finally, some answers
Moving far behind the 1988 setting of the last few games, Resident Evil Revelations takes place 16 years after the Raccoon City incident as Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield investigate a new bioterror threat on an infected cruise ship.
Resident Evil: Revelations Episode 3: Ghosts of Veltro takes place during the summer of 2004, prior to the events of RE4.
Introducing a new era in the series with bioterrorism expanding far beyond the scope of Umbrella alone and the area around Raccoon City, Resident Evil Revelations marked a more action-focused shift for the series while returning to cramped corridors similar to Resident Evil 1.
