Summary
Resident Evildebuted on the PS1 in 1996 and it was an instant classic. There were horror games before, but this is the game that truly created the survival horror genre and all its trappings: tank controls, Metroidvania map, puzzles, item scavenging, and more.
That’s why it made sense that Sony’s successor console, thePS2, would get see goodResident Evilcontent added to its library. Are they the best games in the series? Perhaps not, butCapcom deserves some applausefor being experimental on one of the most popular consoles at the time with one of their biggest franchises. With that in mind, let’s rank all theResident Evilgames that joined the PS2’s library based on their overall quality.
Resident Evil Survivorwas a PS1 spinoff that featured an original story in an on-rail shooter experience. The sequel decided to remake an experience instead, which tookResident Evil CODE: Veronicaand turned it into an on-rails shooter calledResident Evil Survivor 2 - Code: Veronica.Players could decide who they wanted to play as, and co-op support was added, which changed the core experience of the original.
That said, most of the story beats were still rangefrom Claire Redfieldfinding her brother Chris to Steve having a wild obsession with German Lugers. The oddest thing about the game was that it was only released in Japan and Europe, which rarely happens in this series save for mobile games. At least it was localized into English in some parts of the world, but it remains hidden for most players in the West.
Resident Evil: Dead Aimwas another first-person shooter, technically in theSurvivorsub-series, but it wasn’t on-rails.Instead, this spinoff was an original story starring Bruce McGivern in his only big role in the series, who wentto investigate Umbrellaon a boat. Players could freely move around like a typical game in the series, but when they wanted to shoot, it resembled classic light gun games. Ammo was unlimited, as that’s part of the appeal of light gun games, so it got rid of the survival aspect of this survival horror series.
Dead Aimwas a solid game at its core, although the control scheme left something to be desired. It can be played with a PS2 controller, a Guncon peripheral, or a PS2 controller with any USB mouse. The latter option was weird, but it was actually the best way to play this game.Overall, it’s clear that the control setup could have been better, which is why perhapsResident Evil: Dead Aimisn’t as fondly remembered as most entries, even though it deserves its place in the sun in all its cheesy glory.
Resident Evil Outbreakwas released in two episodes, but for this ranking, they will be combined since they continued the same story, and one cannot really exist without the other. What made these games unique was their setting and gameplay style. Instead of giving players a notable hero like Chris Redfieldor Jill Valentine, players inhabit the roles of ordinary citizens in Raccoon City. There was a cop character along with a reporter, waitress, handyman, and so on.
Each character had a specific skill that would give them an advantage either in combat or puzzle-solving, from better weapons to lock-picking tools. The game was designed around multiplayer, so four players could go online, provided they had the right adapters for their PS2. If a character died during the game, they would be turned into a zombie. If players went it alone, they would just go to a Game Over screen upon death.Resident Evil Outbreakwas like a harder and slower-paced version ofLeft 4 Deadand was a bit ahead of its time on the PS2, but it was fun, provided players had full co-op support and a good online connection.
Resident Evil CODE: Veronicawas originally released for the Dreamcast in 2000 before getting a port to the PS2 in 2001, and it also got an HD upgrade for the PS3 generation. Even though this game hasn’t received as much love or the number of ports as other series entries, it’s a good game and an important one for those who like the franchise’s lore. It was the first game to reunite Claireand Chris Redfieldafter teasing it for years.
It also advanced the Wesker plot, introducing a more super-powered villain who looked like he visited the set ofThe Matrix. The game overall is a classic entry in terms of gameplay, giving players puzzles to solve and items to gather for survivability. The game was divided into Claire’s section, with her new buddy Steve, and Chris’ section; both campaigns were on one disc in a continuous story, unlike previous entries that divided storylines.It was a turning point for the franchise in many ways, andResident Evil CODE: Veronicadoesn’t get thanked enough for its accomplishments.
Resident Evil 4debuted earlier in 2005 for the GameCube but was released its enhanced PS2 port by the end of that year.It added a few new things like weapons, but overall it was the same experience, and quickly became a phenomenon and a high bar for the series to surpass.Leon S. Kennedymade his triumphant return to rescue the President of the United States’ daughter, Ashley, in a foreign country. Instead of zombies, Leon faced parasitic creatures that burrowed into the citizens of this Spanish-speaking country and turned them into mutated nightmares.
This made the gameplay harder, as these creatures were more aggressive and armed to the teeth, wielding everything from crossbows to pitchforks. Leon was heavily geared up as well, makingResident Evil 4the first game to provide a merchant and a way to upgrade equipment. Leon could also barricade himself indoors, making each gameplay encounter unique for the player.Resident Evil 4was only outdone by its 2023 remake, which enhanced what had come before. Whether players engage withResident Evil 4on the PS2 or PS5, it is a must-play forPlayStation horror fans everywhere.
