An introduction to Resident Evil

There is no right answer here. The shapeshifting nature of the series means there’s no such thing as a ‘definitive’ Resident Evil game. It also depends on what you're looking for in your first Resident Evil experience. Check our recommendations above on where to start.

The horror aspect is incredibly important to Resident Evil’s appeal, but there’s so much more to its enduring success. 

Each new Resident Evil game introduces memorable new heroes and monstrous new villains. It brings back favorites in surprising and inventive ways and adds more depth to a world that has continued to twist, turn and evolve over the decades.

If you really want to know everything about the world of Resident Evil, sure, but while there’s definitely a connective narrative tissue between each game, they all tell complete stories in isolation. 

You can always bank on Resident Evil games to help you play catch-up, be that with introductory recaps, environmental storytelling, in-game notes and diaries, or good old expositional dialogue.

Resident Evil games present a stiff challenge without ever feeling unfair. Survival requires skillful and strategic use of your weapons, which sometimes means knowing when not to use them. 

There are plenty of times when firing away is unavoidable, but as you start to learn how to weave through enemies and discover shortcuts, you’ll be able to conserve ammo for when it really matters.

Zombies really are the tip of the iceberg when it comes to danger. Resident Evil has a nasty habit of throwing increasingly deadly and disgusting creatures at you, such as the Hunters with their elongated limbs and reptilian hides, and the Lickers with skinless bodies and exposed brains. 

There’s also a host of human villains who are usually responsible for the grotesque creatures you encounter and are, more often than not, hiding a horrifying secret of their own.