Summary
- The Resident Evil series evolved from fixed cameras to over-the-shoulder gunplay.
- Some games, like Umbrella Corps, veered too far from the series' roots.
- Games like RE4 set a blueprint that reshaped survival horror gaming.
For a franchise that practically defined survival horror, Resident Evil has constantly reinvented itself — sometimes in brilliant ways, and sometimes in ways that had fans wondering if Umbrella had started producing game design documents. Over the years, Capcom’s obsession with third-person perspectives has morphed from fixed camera angles in tight hallways to over-the-shoulder tactical gunplay and even full-blown action blockbusters.
22 Best Survival Horror Games Of All Time, Ranked
Sometimes in a game, just surviving to the end is the goal. These are the best survival horror games of all time.
These third-person Resident Evil games are the ones where players see their characters nervously shuffle through corridors, awkwardly reload pistols while backing away from something unspeakable, and dive headfirst into biological nightmares with nothing but a grenade and a prayer. Some embraced the series’ survival horror roots, others strayed way too far from the formula, but each one has its own undead fingerprint in the franchise’s history.
10 Umbrella Corps
"Why Does This Feel Like Paintball With Zombies?"
Umbrella Corps
- Released
- June 21, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Game Experience May Change During Online Play, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4
- Genre(s)
- Shooter
- OpenCritic Rating
- Weak
There are curveballs, and then there’s Umbrella Corps, which felt like Capcom threw the Resident Evil brand at a wall just to see what stuck. Released in 2016, this multiplayer-only spin-off was a tactical, squad-based shooter where players faced off in tight maps filled with enemy teams and AI-controlled zombies — and yes, it had a third-person perspective, but it might be the only time in Resident Evil history where players could use zombies as meat shields.
Set vaguely after Resident Evil 6, Umbrella Corps tried to build lore around scavenging secrets from virus-ravaged hotspots, but what it really built was confusion. The controls were clunky, the movement was janky, and the infamous "Brainer" melee weapon just made everything worse. It lacked the atmosphere, tension, and even the jank charm that older RE titles leaned on. Most fans have mentally filed this one next to Resident Evil Survivor — in the "we don’t talk about that" category.
9 Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City
Operation: Missed Opportunity
Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City
- Released
- March 20, 2012
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter
- OpenCritic Rating
- Weak
On paper, a squad-based shooter set during the Raccoon City outbreak sounds like a goldmine. But Operation Raccoon City turned out to be more like someone accidentally detonated a Licker inside the design document. Developed by Slant Six Games in 2012, this third-person shooter put players in the boots of Umbrella Security Service agents tasked with covering up the outbreak, which mostly meant shooting everything that moved, including beloved RE protagonists like Leon and Claire.
The camera perspective was standard third-person fare, but it lacked precision. Gunplay felt floaty, enemy AI bordered on non-existent, and the story barely held together. Yet, there were sparks of potential buried under the wreckage. Playing through iconic Raccoon City locations during the outbreak had promise, and some fans still remember it fondly as a mindless co-op shooter. But in the grand hierarchy of third-person RE titles, this one never quite escaped the blast radius of its own ambitions.
8 Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D
Practice Makes Mercenaries
Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D
- Released
- June 28, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M
- Developer(s)
- Tose
- Platform(s)
- 3DS
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter
Less a full game and more a souped-up bonus mode, The Mercenaries 3D was Resident Evil boiled down to its most arcade-like form. It launched on the 3DS in 2011 as a standalone experience, built entirely around the series’ long-running Mercenaries mode, where players had to rack up points by killing enemies within a time limit. It included stages and characters pulled from Resident Evil 4 and 5, but stripped away narrative, exploration, or any kind of campaign structure.
Its third-person camera worked surprisingly well for a handheld system, offering full control over aiming and movement in a way that was rare on 3DS. Being able to move and shoot at the same time was a first for RE at the time, and it felt great, but without a story or real progression, the novelty wore off fast. The controversial decision to make save data permanent (effectively killing second-hand resale) didn’t help its reputation either.
7 Resident Evil: Dead Aim
Zombies On A Cruise Ship. Yes, Really.
Resident Evil: Dead Aim
- Released
- June 17, 2003
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- m // Blood and Gore, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Capcom Production Studio 3
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 2
- Genre(s)
- Shooter
Dead Aim is weird in the best possible way. Released for the PlayStation 2 in 2003, this entry mixed third-person exploration with first-person shooting, and somehow ended up being better than it had any right to be. Players controlled Bruce McGivern, a U.S. Government agent fighting off a bioterrorist outbreak on a massive luxury ship — think Resident Evil meets Die Hard on the water.
Third-person movement let players navigate the ship’s corridors, while switching to first-person for shooting gave a surprising amount of precision. It was one of the better light-gun-compatible RE titles and had a spooky, isolated vibe thanks to its confined setting. Sure, the voice acting was rough, and the plot was as cheesy as a grocery store pizza, but Dead Aim had atmosphere — and in retrospect, more charm than anyone expected from an experimental spin-off.
6 Resident Evil 6
The One That Turned RE Into An Action Movie
Resident Evil 6
- Released
- October 2, 2012
WHERE TO PLAY
This was the game that tried to be everything. Resident Evil 6 had multiple overlapping campaigns, each with its own tone, from Leon’s zombie-laden throwback horror to Jake’s high-octane bioweapon brawls. It featured co-op, QTEs galore, vehicular chases, and explosions that would make Michael Bay blush. Released in 2012, it was technically impressive and visually stunning, but as a Resident Evil entry, it left fans split down the middle like a perfectly sliced Crimson Head.
The over-the-shoulder third-person camera returned with expanded melee options and fluid movement, but tension took a backseat to spectacle. There were moments of brilliance — the cathedral in Leon’s campaign still stands out — but they were buried under bloated pacing and a script that couldn’t decide if it was horror or action schlock. It’s a fascinating mess that some players defend to this day, if only because it tried so hard to do so much.
5 Resident Evil 3 Remake
Gorgeous, But Missing A Few Organs
Resident Evil 3
- Released
- April 3, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Horror
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
When Resident Evil 3 Remake launched in 2020, it had the impossible task of following RE2 Remake — and it showed. Built in the RE Engine, the game looked and played beautifully, with a responsive third-person camera, cinematic visuals, and explosive action beats. Jill Valentine’s reimagined escape from Raccoon City was tighter and punchier than ever, but also way shorter. And missing huge chunks from the original.
Iconic locations like the Clock Tower were gone, the branching paths were scrapped, and Nemesis was reworked into a scripted antagonist that lacked the terror of his 1999 counterpart. Still, the dodging mechanic was sharp, the pacing (what was there) flew by, and Jill’s redesign made her one of the most compelling RE leads yet. If RE2 Remake was the perfect remix, RE3 Remake felt more like a highlight reel — thrilling, but incomplete.
4 Resident Evil 5
Punching Boulders Never Felt So Good
Resident Evil 5
- Released
- March 5, 2009
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
- OpenCritic Rating
- Fair
Forget horror — Resident Evil 5 was where Capcom leaned fully into action. Following up on RE4’s mechanics, this 2009 entry added co-op as a core feature, putting Chris Redfield and Sheva Alomar in the middle of a bioterrorist crisis in Africa. The over-the-shoulder third-person camera returned, but this time players could bring a friend, and together, they’d punch zombies, manage shared inventory, and yes, eventually square off with Wesker in a volcano.
Criticized for its tone-deaf setting and shift away from horror, RE5 still delivered tight gameplay. The third-person perspective gave a full view of the chaotic battles, and enemy design — including axe-wielding Majini and terrifying Reapers — kept the tension alive. Co-op made it a unique outlier in the franchise, and while it might not scare anyone, it’s still one of the smoothest third-person shooters Capcom ever made.
3 Resident Evil 2 Remake
This Is How You Remake A Masterpiece
Resident Evil 2
- Released
- January 25, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Intense Violence
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Horror
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
The 2019 remake of Resident Evil 2 didn’t just modernize a classic — it redefined how remakes should be done. Raccoon City Police Department became a labyrinth of death rendered in photorealistic horror thanks to the RE Engine, and the new third-person camera offered a fresh but still terrifying way to experience the nightmare. Leon and Claire’s campaigns were rebuilt from the ground up, with expanded puzzles, new areas, and a Mr. X who stalked through hallways like a trench-coated apocalypse.
Best Games Like Resident Evil
Capcom's Resident Evil is the most well-known horror franchise, and fans are likely to enjoy these games.
It captured the spirit of the original but carved its own identity through its presentation, gameplay, and attention to detail. The lighting was oppressive, the gore was next-level, and the sound design made every creak of floorboards a warning. For many players, this wasn’t just a great third-person Resident Evil game — it was the best Resident Evil game in decades.
2 Resident Evil 4 Remake
An Almost Perfect Retelling
Resident Evil 4
- Released
- March 24, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
In any other timeline, Resident Evil 4 Remake would’ve topped the list. Released in 2023, it took one of the most influential third-person shooters of all time and gave it a full overhaul. The village, the castle, and the island were rebuilt with brutal attention to detail. Leon’s hair was too good. The knife parry became a mechanic that could save or break a run. And Ashley, for once, didn’t need babysitting every five seconds.
The third-person combat was heavier, more reactive, and far more dynamic than the original’s tank controls allowed. Enemies swarmed, flanked, and adapted. The game respected the source material while trimming the camp just enough to ground the story, and then sprinkled in new surprises for longtime fans. It was a masterclass in balancing nostalgia and innovation, even if a few fans missed some of the sillier aspects from 2005.
1 Resident Evil 4
The Blueprint That Changed Everything
Resident Evil 4
- Released
- January 11, 2005
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
There’s before Resident Evil 4, and then there’s everything that came after. Released in 2005, this was the game that reinvented not only Resident Evil but the third-person shooter genre itself. The over-the-shoulder camera was revolutionary, allowing players to aim with precision while feeling locked into every panicked moment. The village ambush in the opening minutes? Legendary. The pacing? Relentless in the best way.
Leon’s journey to save the president’s daughter was full of grotesque enemies, creepy cultists, and unforgettable boss fights — all of it layered with just enough camp to be iconic. Whether it was suplexing Ganados or getting hunted by Regeneradors, the mechanics never stopped evolving. And while some fans missed the horror of older entries, RE4 struck a new balance — one that reshaped gaming for years to come.
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