Summary
TheResident Evilfranchise has been gradually growing in popularity ever since the very first game, and as a result, newcomers are jumping into this horror-filled universe every single day. The truth is though, not every entry in this beloved survival horror franchise was created with newcomers in mind, with their complex stories, high difficulty, and unique gameplay making them a tough sell if someone were to offer them as a starting point.
That’s not to say that these games are bad; far from it, just that they tend to feel more appropriate to play after trucking through a few of the previous entries first to carry on what has already been established. Needless to say, there are plenty of games in this series that do a great job at easing those new to the franchise into the world and its characters, butthese titles below are the ones thatResident Evilnewcomers may want to avoid, at least until they have a few games under their belt first.
ThoughResident Evil 5will always be a fun co-op experience, regardless of whether the people playing it are fans or not, it’s the story that makes it a rather inaccessible entry in the franchise.Resident Evil 5’snarrative calls back to a lot of plot points set up in previous games, such asChris' rivalry with Wesker, and his relationship with Jill, which are all paid off in this game.
Resident Evil 5also doesn’t paint a very accurate picture of what many veteran fans love about the series. Though its more action-heavy gameplay makes it easy to jump into for a fun playthrough, it doesn’t quite replicate the creepy atmosphere and aesthetic that the older titles were known for and that represents the series as a whole much better.
The Mercenariesis a bonus game mode that first showed up in the third mainline game of theResident Evilseries. Though it started as little more than a fun action-packed side mission to play for a little while after the credits roll, the inclusion of high scores and leaderboards eventually made it incredibly popular, especially by the timeResident Evil 5rolled around.
Capcom therefore decided to treat fans with a standalone game which, while a great handheld title, is much, much different from how many of the mainline games play.Mercenaries 3Dis essentially a third-person shooter action game with no horror elements whatsoever. Additionally, many of the crossovers in the game, such as Claire and HUNK being included, only really stand out for those who know who these characters are. Suffice it to say, it’s better to jump into this one after at least becoming familiar with a separateResident Evilgame or two first.
Operation Raccoon Cityis a non-canon’What if?‘kind of scenario that shows the downfall of Raccoon City from a different perspective. As a result, while the core narrative beats are still there from the original story, there are many events that are twisted around and character deaths that never occur inResident Evil 2and3, which are what this game is based on.
It therefore portrays a pretty skewed and rather vague idea of what actually went down in Raccoon City, and though it does an excellent job at emphasizing the sense of dread and terror of that incident, it’s also not all that relevant to the wider series storyline.Operation Raccoon Cityis also arguably when the games were at their most action-heavy, which isn’t reflective of the series in general.
WhileResident Evil 7is considered a good starting point due to it essentially being a softreboot of the series, the same can’t be said for the sequel,Resident EvilVillage. ThoughVillageended up shedding light on tons of lore within the series that many fans are still talking about even today—including Umbrella’s origins and the purpose of the titular village—this would all go over the heads of those who aren’t quite sure what has built up to these unforeseeable payoffs.
It can also be difficult to connect with Ethan and Chris, two of the main characters in the game, without having seen them in their own respective titles beforehand; especially Chris, who has gone through an entire character arc to get to this point.Villageis a unique entry that blew away many people’s expectations, but it’s definitely one that’s better to get to later down the line.
Resident Evil 0is a very experimental game that purposefully flips many core series mechanics on their heads to create a unique—albeit very difficult—gameplay loop. The game allows players tocontrol Billie and Rebecca simultaneously, both of whom bring their own benefits and drawbacks. For example, Rebecca can heal more but also takes more damage. Because a lot of the game’s obscure puzzles can involve keeping these two alive while also thinking on the spot and dodging zombies simultaneously, it can lead to some very challenging areas to navigate.
Many of the bosses in0, while fun to take on in a boss rush challenge, are infamous for being difficult, especially the giant scorpion and bats, which are both a common cause of game-over screens. It’s a challenging game that can be satisfying to finally beat, but its difficulty and unique mechanics can make it a hard place to start.
Riding the momentum of the first threeResident Evilgames, Capcom decidedit was time to get a little experimental, and the result wasResident Evil: Gaiden. This is an entirely non-canon, and honestly bizarre story that revolves around Leon and Barry—two characters who never meet originally—being stranded on a zombie-infested cruise ship.
Rather than having fixed camera angles, the camera instead follows the player’s every move like a traditional side scroller, while entering combat thrusts players into an FPS arcade-shooter POV that is unlike anything the series has done before.Gaidenbecomes a lot more enjoyable when players can understand just how “out there” it truly is after playing through a few of the mainline titles.
Umbrella Corpsis a spin-off title that many fans agree was Capcom’s attempt to jump on the third-person action shooter hype of the mid-2010s. The game is still a ton of fun to play in short bursts, but for anyone looking to seriously get into theResident Eviluniverse, it’s not a game that will provide any substantial lore or worldbuilding for them to get sucked into.
The game is more of anarcade shooterthat includes plenty ofResident Eviliconography—including environments and enemies—but doesn’t actually build upon the series in any way. It’s far from an essential game to play, and certainly not one that should be used as a starting point.
Resident Evil 6throws players right into the deep end when it comes to its story, with references to old organizations and characters flying around like there’s no tomorrow. This game would be the first time fans got to see many characters interacting in a long while, such as Leon and Sherry, or the long-awaited match up betweenfranchise legends Chris and Leon.
It’s also important to have seen some of the events in previous games to understand the true impact of some of these characters, such as Sherry, who was last seen as a shy young kid in the second game, or Jake, who is the son of the series’ most recognizable villain, Albert Wesker. Even though many fans have warmed up toResident Evil 6over the years, it’s still hard to recommend it for those new to the series when looking at its chaotic gameplay and story references.
