10 Resident Evil Games - Ranked From Worst To Best
4. Resident Evil (1996 Original)
The quintessential survival horror, Resident Evil has
enjoyed decades of praise and celebration since it was released back in 1996.
The series has certainly evolved considerably since then, and recently devolved in terms
of overall quality, but you really can’t fault the very first entry in the
series. I mean, it defined the term survival horror, and though there were
games of a similar ilk that existed long before it, it will always be remembered as the defining
example of the genre.
In the game, players take control of either Chris Redfield or Jill Valentine, two members of Raccoon City’s elite Special Tactics and Rescue Services, tasked with the investigation of a series of unexplained, gruesome murders. Arriving on the outskirts of the city, the team is quickly attacked and separated, forcing them to take shelter inside a nearby mansion, which unbeknown to them is actually the source of the infection.
Cheesy, laughable, and often downright absurd in places, Resident Evil has influenced everything from Dead Space and Silent Hill, to Fatal Frame and The Evil Within. It certainly has its own influences, but in terms of lasting cultural appeal, the game has no equal. It wasn’t the first survival horror, and it may no longer be the best, but it is perhaps the most important.