Resident Evil Games Ranked By How Long They Take To Beat

Resident Evil has long reigned supreme in the realm of survival horror and zombie action, establishing its dominance in the genre since its initial release in 1996. With each passing year, the franchise continues to captivate fans with fresh narratives and horrifying encounters against iconic foes.

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The duration required to complete a full playthrough of a Resident Evil game often varies, whether that involves a simple, linear campaign or multiple character scenarios. While some experiences may be relatively brief, others immerse players in prolonged bouts of terror.

Updated July 21st 2024, by Mara Cowley: Resident Evil owes its popularity to its fun, frightening gameplay, incredible monster designs, the hall of heroes that regularly rotate through the games, and the fact that the games never outstay their welcome. Despite this, there are certainly some titles longer than the others, with one rising as the longest Resident Evil game. This article has already delved into all of its main entries, answering questions such as how long is Resident Evil 3 remake, but there are forgotten spin-off titles that have now been added, to give a comprehensive list of all the games, and how long players need to beat them.

27 Resident Evil: Survivor 2 - Code Veronica

1 Hour

• Platforms: PS2, Arcade
• Release Date: November 8th, 2001
• Developer: Capcom, Namco, Nextech, SIMS Co Ltd
• Genre: Shooter

Following the events covered in Code Veronica, in which Claire Redfield explores Rockfort Island while searching for her older brother with the help of Steve Burnside, Survivor 2 is a light-gun shooter that was released originally for arcade machines in Japan before it was given a PS2 version.

As expected of an arcade game, Survivor 2 - Code Veronica is a very short experience only meant to provide some fun shooter gameplay rather than enthrall players in a immersive horror story. This makes this game the shortest entry in the expansive library of Resident Evil games.

26 Resident Evil: Survivor

2 Hours

• Platforms: PC, PS1
• Release Date: August 30th, 2000
• Developer: Tose
• Genre: Shooter

Capcom aren't always the mind behind their flagship zombie title, as sometimes they trust in other developers to create another great entry into a hallowed franchise. One of such titles is Resident Evil Survivor, a light-gun shooter for PC and PS1. The game follows an amnesiac helicopter pilot who must now face overwhelming odds to survive, and hopefully recover his memories.

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By  Chris Harkin

It is a short experience that players can't expect to spend much time in, taking only about 2 hours to complete on average. Not every game needs to be long, and it may be for the best a fun experience such as Survivor doesn't outstay its welcome.

25 Resident Evil: Uprising

2.5 Hours

• Platforms: Mobile
• Release Date: September 9th, 2009
• Developer: Beeline Interactive Inc
• Genre: Survival Horror

There have been many reimaginings of Capcom's classic trio of games; the first Resident Evil, RE2, and RE3. Uprising is just another one of these games detailing Claire and Leon's struggle to survive the zombie-torn streets of Raccoon City. Rather than choosing one of the heroes, players can take turns controlling both of them, but there is no AI system in place to take control of the other character.

The isometric perspective and the dual protagonist system are both unique in the world of Resident Evil, and it is an experience that is short-lived. On average, players will only spend 2 and a half hours playing through the campaign from start to finish.

24 Resident Evil: Dead Aim

3 Hours

• Platforms: PS2
• Release Date: June 17th, 2003
• Developer: Cavia
• Genre: Light gun shooter

Dead Aim is a wholly unique entry in the Resident Evil library, ditching fixed cameras, third or first-person POV smothered with a tight atmosphere, and instead being a light-shooter game. Set 4 years after Resident Evil 2, an ocean liner has become the latest breeding ground for the T-virus. A few unlucky people are sent to the ship in order to put a stop to the outbreak.

As a spin-off game and a light-shooter, Dead Aim was never going to be a long experience, clocking in with an average completion time of just three hours. But, those who want to achieve 100% completion will see their time upped by at least another additional hour and a half.

23 Resident Evil - Confidential Report

4 Hours

• Platforms: Mobile
• Released: September 2006
• Developers: Capcom
• Genre: Survival Horror

Mobile gaming is a very lucrative business, and even though Capcom aren't in need of the extra dollars, that didn't stop them from devling into the world of mobile gaming, resulting in the development of the Confidential Report Files. Unlike previous Resident Evil titles, it features turn-based gameplay and a grid system, offering a completely new experience for fans.

As one might expect for a mobile game, fans can't expect to sink as many hours into these games as say, Resident Evil 7. But, if they choose to play through all four files, they can expect a rough completion time of about 4 hours, which is impressive for a mobile game.

22 Resident Evil Gaiden

4 Hours

This one particular RE game was released for the Game Boy Color back in the early 2000s, favoring a top-down perspective that switches to first-person for combat, making it unique from most of the other RE titles. The game is considered non-canon, depicting series protagonists Leon Kennedy and Barry Burton onboard a passenger ship that is the site of a viral outbreak.

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As a handheld game not considered part of the canon storyline, it is not as lengthy as the games, with an approximate 4-hour-long campaign. But every player's mileage may vary, depending on how slow they like to take their games and their levels of exploration.

21 Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City

6 Hours

This squad-based shooter game took place during the Raccoon City outbreak, featuring a total of twelve playable characters split into two separate sides: the Umbrella Security Team and the United States Special Ops team, with various changes to the campaign depending on whom the player chooses to play. There is even a multiplayer element, allowing four players to play through a cooperative mod against the Special Ops or Security Team.

As Operation Raccoon City is mostly a fun gun game without a strict story like the other RE games, it has a relatively shorter completion time of approximately 6 hours, which feels like the perfect length for this kind of game.

20 Resident Evil 3 (2020)

6 Hours

The Resident Evil 3 Remake is one of the shortest games in the Resident Evil series, and has proved to be quite disappointing among fans - quite a bit of content was cut that resulted in the game having a rather underwhelming runtime.

The game's story only takes 6 hours to complete, which left fans feeling like the game was cut short. Various locations and boss fights were cut from the original game, making the remake's story incredibly concise.

19 Resident Evil 2 (1998)

6 Hours

Resident Evil 2

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Survival Horror

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Released

January 21, 1998

Developer(s)

Capcom

Platform(s)

Sega Dreamcast, Nintendo 64, Nintendo GameCube, PC, PS1

Genre(s)

Survival Horror

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One of the shorter games in the Resident Evil franchise, Resident Evil 2, is set two months after the original game and follows Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield as they fight their way out of the Raccoon City outbreak.

Both characters have their own storyline where they explore the abandoned streets of Raccoon City and the mysterious corridors of the Raccoon City Police Department. The game received plenty of praise from critics for its gameplay, story and environments, and even got its very own remake in 2019.

18 Resident Evil 3: Nemesis

7 Hours

The original Resident Evil 3 clocked in a longer runtime than its remake, with an extra half an hour of content. This game introduced the iconic Resident Evil villain, Nemesis, to the franchise, and popularized the use of stalker-like enemies in the Resident Evil franchise.

The game follows Jill Valentine as she is pursued by the relentless villain through Raccoon City, at the same time as the events of Resident Evil 2. The game provided a different perspective on the tragedy and brought Jill back to the franchise once more.