Which Resident Evil Games Should a Newcomer Play?

The Geekiary: "The Resident Evil or Biohazard game series have six numbered installments and a lot of spin-offs. It can be tough to filter out which ones actually add to the canon and which are even worth playing."

[Hoffmann]

Part 1 on the Playstation of course.

[NukaCola]

I agree. I do think the original game controls are little archaic nowadays, so players will have to be able to adapt to those classic styles, but definitely worth experiencing the game. I also think if you can get a hold of a Gamecube, to play RE0 which is one of my favorites.

[Reibooi]

I loved RE0! It would be awesome if Capcom did what they did for the REmake for RE0. The game is equally if not more beautiful as the remake and giving it the same treatment would allow a ton of people to play this overlooked gem.

Capcom make it happen.

[bananaboats]

The 1st without a doubt.

[higgins78]

Resi 4 is the best and most accessible - in my opinion. Not just the best Resi but arguably one of the best games of all time...a stone cold classic. Best 'traditional' Resi - not to upset the self-proclaimed 'hardcore', probably Code Veronica - again, in my opinion...I've not played EVERY Resi Evil. So, to recap, played today, Resi 4, Gamecube version if possible, Code Veronica, Dreamcast version, or Resi Remaster HD, PC version.

[Mechanism]

If you haven't played every Resident Evil, then I don't think you are one to be giving newcomers advice..

Anyhow, if someone is interested, and is looking to start a franchise, I would say to start from the beginning.. I wouldn't tell someone who is about to start a trilogy of films to start from the end..

Pretty straight forward to me..

[PoSTedUP]

id say RE2 considering it is a good intro to the franchise for not being the first one, and it's open to the streets and different areas. its has the least back tracking from what i remember. its not too tedious, not as much as 1&3 imo. and just has the coolest areas overall in any RE game, imo.

@higgins- you got disagrees because many ppl including fans understand that RE4 is where RE took a step away from RE. it was an Amazing "game", but not so much a true RE. it would be a horrible place to start, and would probably cultivate gamers into fans of RE5 &6 thinking they are playing a resident evil game...

[jambola]

why 4 on the gamecube?
didn't the wii/ps2 version have more?
and a remaster on the ps3/xbox 360?

[higgins78]

Resi 4 on the Gamecube because that is how it was designed/intended. Still (for me) looks the best - or at least as good as the Wii version - but particularly playing it on a Gamecube controller just feels right for it, rather unsurprisingly. The Wii version is probably the best overall package and the control scheme brilliant and tight but (perhaps) making the game a little less tense.

[GokuSolosAll]

Resident Evil 1, 0, 2, 3, Code Veronica in that order, then if you're forgiving, 4, Revelations, Outbreak. 5 & 6 if you're emotionally detatched from the series and can enjoy them for what they are (which isn't Resident Evil). Stay away from most others unless you're a RE junkie or something.

RE7 needs to return to its roots. Tank controls, jump scares, puzzles.

[VJGenova]

Although RE4 was a break from tradition, it was still a good game that merits a play through. Outbreak, 5, 6 and all the peripheral ones, dead aim, revelations, etc. I agree should be avoided.

I don't recall loving 0 and RE 2 was/is my favorite so I think we're generally on the same page.

[higgins78]

Some people truly forget the cons of past games, even 'classics' such as Resident Evil. Tank controls were not as intentional as you pretend, jump scares few and far between - Resi 4 had "jump scares", and 'puzzles' which were usually poorly designed ways to pad things out.

[CorndogBurglar]

Who cares about "jump scares"? Sure they are fun here and there, but the older RE games were scary the whole time. Just the atmosphere alone made the entirety of the games scary.

And what exactly do you mean the tank controls "weren't as intentional as we pretend"? What do you mean they weren't intentional? The devs made the controls like that on accident? lol

The fact that you had limited abilities at your disposal made the game that much more creepy because there was only so much you could do if you came across an enemy. Sure, i realize that tactical police should be able to combat roll and all that, but from a gameplay/game design perspective, it was brilliant and actually ADDED to the game to limit what the player could do, rather than hindered it.

Even though you clearly consider RE4 and beyond to be the better games (and thats fine, its your opinion), it still boggles my mind why you would recommend a newcomer to start playing a franchise on the 6th main game to be released, lol.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVED RE4, but it wasn't a good representation of the greatness of the RE franchise.

[Gears_President]

I started with two, but since you can play 1 in all its glory why not start there?

[Nerdmaster]

RE 2. It's not as hard as the first one, you can actually dodge zombies, it doesn't have the awful crimson heads from RE Remake and it's not as ugly as the original PS1 version.

And it always pains me when I see Code Veronica being considered a spin-off. It was made to be RE 3, while RE Last Escape, which was the one being made as a spin-off, was renamed as RE 3 only because PSOne had more owners.

[hemmo1986]

Resident evil 3 was meant to be a spin off but Capcom had to honor their contract with Sony to make another numbered title on playstation. Sucks really, code veronica should have been number 3

[EmperorDalek]

I found the first 3 painful to play for the first time (which was recently). 4's the only one you need to play.

[loganbdh]

Kids...

[EmperorDalek]

I'm just saying that from a newcomer's perspective. We don't have the nostalgia that fans of the first 3 do. 5 was average and 6 was garbage, so its not just because its more recent.

4 is one of the best games ever... And its actually still good after 10 years, unlike the first 3.

[traumadisaster]

They where to much for me back in the day. Obviously I'm not hardcore but it was just frustrating and ended up being work rather than fun.

No disrespect for the tough guys who could plow through it, I just cant get to that state of mind.

[hemmo1986]

Loved the Tyrant from the second but I would suggest playing from the resident evil remake and than go from there if you can handle the dated feeling 2,3, veronica and 4 have.

https://www.youtube.com/wat...

[Shineon]

Resident evil 2 I remember beating that game countless amount of times. love it on PS1

[loganbdh]

@EmperorDalek I was about to say "hey I understand nostalgia blah blah" whatever but you took it there "4 is one of the best games ever... And its actually still good after 10 years, unlike the first 3" umm, son back in 06 I was playing this shit like crazy, 01234 and Code Veronica on the GameCube version... but you know when you jumped in on to 4 bro, and they were like 6 games in to the franchise by then so you don't get the story, dialog, or atmosphere all you knew then was action, zombies, and Leon and Ashley. it's apples and oranges and since you don't know what apples are you sure as hell shouldn't be talking about oranges too.

[higgins78]

@PoSTedUP

Yes, probably I did get so many disagrees because I dared suggest Resi 4 may be a good place to start in the canon of games, like only the more 'traditional' Resident Evil's are so very better. Let me put it this way, and you may disagree - probably will, that's what the angry do these days - or not, but remember Metroid? The idea before Prime that a Metroid game going 3D had 'fans' up in arms, half of them probably having never even played a Metroid game before...then what happens? Turns out change or a new direction can on occasions turn out to be just what a soon to become irrelevant franchise needed.

I'm a huge fan of both 'traditional' and more Resi 4 - NOT 5, or 6, urh! I'm also a huge fan of Metroid 2D and 3D. You can be both you know without having to pick just 1.