Every Resident Evil Game, Ranked by Which is Scariest

The Resident Evil games are the very foundation for survival horror as we know it — and the thing is, it's been on a bit of a roller coaster with maintaining that horror track record. Some games in the series' catalog are certainly scarier than others, and there are some RE games that managed to outright not be scary at all.

But here's the thing about Resident Evil that many need to remember: when it wants to get scary, it gets scary, with its most recent title being a culmination of all the growth Capcom has done for the franchise.

I've grown up with the Resident Evil games, playing the first four games on repeat since I was seven years old (until I was old enough to buy the other entries on my own) — so I got to watch this growth, and all the twists and turns, first-hand. And with the remakes, it only made the series stronger than ever.

And as more Resident Evil games keep coming out, we've got to wonder: just how scary will it compare with the rest?

13 Resident Evil 5

This is Just Action

Don't get me wrong, Resident Evil 5 is a great game — especially if you're playing with someone else, which should be the standard way to play this game (Sheva's A.I. makes some ... interesting decisions). That being said, would I describe the game as scary? No, not even remotely.

By this point, the Action Horror Era was as strong as ever, so Resident Evil 5 ended up just being an action-packed shooter — a fun one, sure, but nothing truly horrifying about it. The infection is horror-adjacent enough to even keep this game in the survival horror genre, and that's about it.

You'd think for a series that more or less founded the survival horror genre as we know it, there'd be a pretty decent emphasis on the fear factor, even if it's focusing on action-oriented gameplay first.

But no, the only scary thing the game had was making Jill Valentine a blonde.

12 Resident Evil 6

Leon's Section Has Some Creepiness

Resident Evil 6 came out during the height of the Action Horror Era — but the difference between RE6 vs RE5 is the fact that Resident Evil 6 has one horror-centered section: Leon's Campaign. Keep in mind, I say horror-centered pretty lightly, since the action-oriented gameplay is still the focus of the game.

Even still, Leon's campaign has a lot of resemblance to the survival horror games we're used to, with dark, narrow hallways ripe with atmosphere and stumbling, shuffling zombies groaning through an apocalyptic college campus. That atmosphere tends to go quickly, though, because you fight zombies by the horde.

This campaign is the only one with genuine horror elements — both Chris's and Sherry's campaigns are far more action-based. This isn't even considering Ada's campaign, which is a blend of action horror that prioritizes the action. The goal of the game was to try and hit the best of all worlds, but not many appreciated it for what it was.

So while it's got a mild amount of fear factor, it's definitely not a scary Resident Evil game.

11 Resident Evil Revelations: 1 & 2

Creepy, Sure, but Not Really Scary

The Resident Evil Revelations games are divided into two parts, with part one following Jill and Resident Evil Revelations 2 following Claire (as well as one of Barry Burton's daughters, Moira). Both games have their own stories, but are very similar in vibe, including with the fear factor and atmosphere.

Between the maritime horror of the first entry and the deserted island's isolation of the second (speaking of, what is with Claire and ending up on remote islands?), the games know how to be creepy when they want to be, they just don't happen to be scary all the time.

The games aren't scary, but they definitely are moody — and there is an unfortunate number of players who tend to confuse the bunch. Both entries know how to keep you on edge, but they tend to be pretty laissez-faire about all other elements that make something genuinely scary.

Regardless, I'm just glad that we got to see Jill one more time before she was locked away in Capcom's basement.

10 Resident Evil 4

The Beginning of the Action Horror Era

While Resident Evil 4 is often considered its own pillar in survival horror (especially with what it did to gaming as a whole), it's not even remotely close to the scariest the franchise has to offer — even back in 2005. And considering how immensely faithful the Resident Evil 4 Remake is, the fear factor is also the exact same.

Most of the creepy parts come from the first third of the game, while you're in the village. It's moody and has got a solid ambience, especially as you know that things are wrong right away. Yet, by the time you make it to the castle, it's already become mild in the scares department. That being said, creepiness still manages to linger, especially with some of the enemy and boss designs; they're just unsettling and upsetting to look at.

The love of this game is for its gameplay first, and there's no blaming anyone on that, especially as they're finding themselves having fun organizing their briefcase of all things. But when asking any horror fan which survival horror game was the scariest, chances are, they're not going to point to this game.

9 Resident Evil Outbreak: Files 1 & 2

You're Just an Average Citizen

Up until recently, Resident Evil Outbreak (both File 1 and File 2) was relatively niche in the fandom, with many having heard of it at most (at best). However, after its recent tether to Grace Ashcroft, many are diving in to see just how it's all connected — and it's got a freaky pull.

This game takes itself as seriously as a heart attack, and you can tell that right away from the main menu. The fear factor is about on par with this seriousness, focusing on the terrifying implications of something rather than relying overly on jump scares.

The main tension point of the game actually comes from the game's Virus Gauge. If you're bitten by a zombie, you become infected — you don't have any of the plot armour any previous protagonist had — with each bite after increasing your infection level, and you have to watch this meter carefully lest you succumb to the infection.

The creepiness of this game isn't too much (nor is it just outright scary all the time), but it's paced wonderfully in a way that will have you feeling genuine anxiety.

8 Resident Evil Code: Veronica

More Like a Fever Dream

Resident Evil Code: Veronica wasn't the first side game that became canon, but there's no doubt that it is the most infamous ... and is often referred to as the oddest Resident Evil game; many fans (including myself) would be inclined to agree. It makes us wonder how Resident Evil Veronica plans to tweak it for a more modern audience, while still maintaining its authenticity to the original.

That being said, the game is unapologetically quirky, sure, but it's also creepy from start to finish — in all kinds of ways, too.

There's a solid atmosphere to the game, but at the same time, it doesn't teeter too hard into its horror elements. There's a lot of potential there, but developers were taking a more unique and creative approach, so it ended up with a neat identity of its own.

I hope the remake makes this game genuinely scarier, not just freaky.

7 Resident Evil 0

Why Did It Have to Be Leeches?

Admittedly, I'd rank Resident Evil 0 a little higher on my own personal list of which Resident Evil games are scarier, and that's simply due to the existence of infected leeches in this game. You heard that right, the zombies are accompanied by killer leeches, and it's just as gross and uncomfortable as you'd expect.

The idea of being trapped on a train filled with infected leeches is already a terrifying prospect, but the execution of it to get through is even worse (in a good way). The game is freaky, everywhere and all the time.

It doesn't matter if you're playing primarily as Rebecca Chambers or Billy Coen, you're going to be uncomfortable and claustrophobic at the minimum. When you factor in every single leech into the equation, though, it's just hard to play through without feeling like something's crawling on you.

I would have just tried to tuck and roll off the train at that point.

6 Resident Evil 3

Nemesis is No Joke

The original Resident Evil 3 is scary in the sense that it will have your adrenaline coursing through your veins at million miles a second, and that's because of Nemesis. The original Nemesis was unbelievably ruthless, and he'd stop at nothing to make sure that you're dead — even running for your life wouldn't be enough.

While the game isn't traditionally scary in the way the series was normally known for (you start off far more empowered than in previous games, for one example), you get to experience Murphy's Law firsthand with Nemesis. He is faster than you, stronger than you, and wants you dead just about as much as you want to not be dead.

However, the remake didn't manage to capture that same relentless chaos; the game felt like a walk in the park in comparison to the original. It's truly a bummer just how short the Resident Evil 3 Remake is, and just how much Nemesis was toned-down — and because of that, modern audiences weren't remotely as terrified while playing this as they should have been.

Even still, Nemesis is scary enough.

5 Resident Evil

Nothing Tops the Original's Ambience

There is something so, so special about the first Resident Evil game. It set the foundation and the standard for survival horror as a whole, and to this day, its influence can still be felt. It doesn't matter if it's the classic, Director's Cut of the game (like the one I played religiously growing up) or the 2002 GameCube remake – it's the birth of the genre.

The first Resident Evil had an atmosphere that future games never managed to replicate: a true, isolating feeling blended with a chaotic confusion, in what is essentially a haunted house story (just with zombies instead of ghosts). It didn't matter how corny the original voice acting was, the essence of the game had a heart of its own.

It's not the scariest, sure, but it's certainly the creepiest, and by far one of the most intense — especially since you can fly through your health and ammo in this game, you're more afraid to progress due to being wholly unprepared. Yet, there's nothing you can do to prepare yourself, and even if you had the ability, things can still (very easily) go wrong.

This is a game that I hope gets the Modern Remake treatment, especially since so much more can be done with it now vs what 2002's remake offered. Yet, if it never ends up getting one, this might be the only game where that's perfectly fine.

4 Resident Evil 2

Enhance the Fear Factor

Of the classic Resident Evil games, Resident Evil 2 (and by extension, its remake) is by far the scariest of them all — it's got a solid, creepy atmosphere, grotesque monsters and obscene amounts of blood, and wonderfully-timed jump scares. For a series that's known for well-placed jump scares, RE2 had the perfect balance of them.

RPD is a fantastic map, and honestly a masterclass in horror game settings — especially with how the remake takes it one step further by having the area previously be a museum to explain its odd puzzles. It also served as a great reminder: nowhere, not even the most secure areas in Raccoon City, is safe.

Regardless of if you play as Leon or as Claire, you're going to be freaked out while trying to get through the game, and if you're playing the remake and have Mr. X already stalking you, get used to constant anxiety.

The only complaint I have with the remake is that, after a while, Mr. X becomes far more annoying than he does scary, but it's a small price I'm willing to pay for a remake done so well.