This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UNCO chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.
Spoiler Warning For Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, Resident Evil Village, and Resident Evil Requiem
Resident Evil has been a favorite of mine since I first got into video-game horror. With captivating puzzles, suspense, and substantial lore, the franchise and its many beloved characters have made waves online, which is why I was particularly excited when Resident Evil Requiem was announced.
Now, after finishing the game, I’ve set out to reveal my personal rankings on the past three games: RE7, Village, and Requiem. All three games contain substantial differences but are tied together with a “new-wave” of Resident Evil games reviving the franchise.
MY RESIDENT EVIL RANKINGS
- Resident Evil Village (2021)
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Possibly a controversial start, but as much as I love Resident Evil Village, it has to come last for me. The game follows protagonist Ethan Winters, following the events of Resident Evil 7, as he searches for his newborn daughter in a village in Romania. Village has its strengths, particularly in the first two sections of the game with the villains, Lady Dimitrescu (a strong start as a stalker enemy) and Donna Beneviento, and with the horrific baby chase scene (if you know, you know).
However, the rest of the game falls a little flat with an extremely linear plot. There’s no room for variation or change. Most of the time, I felt like I was just playing exactly how the directors of the game wanted me to play, not how I would’ve played.
Along with this, the ending of Village is extremely emotional – Ethan Winters sacrifices himself so his daughter can survive – but the emotion is slightly ruined when they make you play as Chris Redfield, whose military skills and tools upset the flow of the game.
Although I criticize Village, I still think it’s a great game, and its beautiful setting gives it great replay-ability.
- Resident Evil Requiem (2026)
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Going into the newest installment in the franchise, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised.
Having split perspectives between the new Grace Ashcroft and fan-favorite Leon Kennedy gavean interesting mix of intense survival horror and action gameplay. I especially found Grace’s sections fun (and horrifying) as I was forced to sneak around enemies, particularly around Marie (The Girl).
However, I found the majority of Leon’s parts dragged. It felt like I was trying to find bomb detonator parts for hours, and the enemies I was given didn’t make it a fun challenge but instead just more annoying. I loved Leon going back to RPD, and seeing Mr. X (The Tyrant) again was a full circle back to running away in fear when I played Resident Evil 2. I wish they kept the Tyrant as a stalker enemy for longer, since it would’ve made the tension as Leon much higher.
Requiem is a fantastic game that’s emotional, tense, and has amazing polish. If you’re a Resident Evil fan who hasn’t gotten to RE9 yet, it’s well worth a play.
- Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (2017)
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Resident Evil 7 is the scariest game I have ever played. The story follows Ethan Winters, a new character in the franchise, as he sets out to Dulvey, Louisiana to find his missing wife Mia.
To me, Biohazard is what survival horror should be. The home is set far away from Raccoon City or any typical Resident Evil shenanigans, giving it a gritty realism that’s terrifying. Each boss (Jack, Marguerite, and Lucas Baker) feel separate and distinct but don’t have the separation that Village‘s villains have.
Biohazard also introduces a deeper level of sadness to the franchise. The Baker family (minus Lucas) are infected by a mold outside of their control, and it turns their loving and caring family into creatures set out by the true villain, Eveline, to kill.
Like all games, Biohazard is not without its flaws. After Ethan leaves the Baker house and goes to the cruise ship, the game takes a slight nosedive, and its final boss is extremely easy to fight. Way too easy. However, RE7 contains such a strong start and revives the franchise so heavily from the action-based turn that the previous games were taking. I believe it deserves the #1 spot.
So those are my (extremely personal and biased) ratings of the past 3 RE games. I prefer horror to action, so that’s what manifests itself in most of my rankings. However, if you enjoy survival horror, all 3 games are fantastic, and worth a play. (Or a replay!)
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