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For most newcomers, play Resident Evil 2 remake first, then Resident Evil 3 remake, and finish with Resident Evil 4 remake. That path moves from exploration, puzzles and limited resources to a more direct Raccoon City pursuit, then to the series’ most action-oriented game in this three-remake run.
There is no requirement to complete all three in that order. Resident Evil 4 remake is self-contained enough for an action-first player, while Resident Evil 3 remake makes the most sense when you already understand Resident Evil 2’s outbreak setting. The choice depends on whether you want the best introduction, a shorter and more linear Raccoon City chapter, or the fastest combat momentum.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Resident Evil 2 - PlayStation 5 | $15.19 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Resident Evil 2 Remake PS4 | $23.49 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Resident Evil 2 Remake - PS5 - UK PAL | $24.75 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Resident Evil 3 - PlayStation 5 | $18.13 | Buy on Amazon |
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The short answer: start with Resident Evil 2 remake
Capcom’s own beginner guide gives the clearest answer: “If you’re a new player, start out with Resident Evil 2 (2019). It’s a great jumping-on point for the series.” The recommendation was published by Capcom USA on October 18, 2024, and it fits what the game teaches: navigating an unfamiliar place, solving environmental puzzles, deciding when to fight, and managing scarce resources while using an over-the-shoulder perspective.
Resident Evil 2 remake is also the first release in this particular sequence. Resident Evil 3 remake follows the same broader Raccoon City outbreak through Jill Valentine’s and Carlos Oliveira’s perspectives. Resident Evil 4 remake then takes Leon S. Kennedy away from Raccoon City for a rescue mission in rural Spain, expanding the combat spaces and emphasizing sustained action. Playing in release order lets the mechanics and tone evolve rather than asking a new player to work backward from the most modern combat design.
#1 Best Overall
- TERRIFYING ZOMBIES WAITING AROUND EVERY CORNER -- Driven by insatiable hunger, these creatures act on instinct, gnashing their teeth, ripping at flesh, and devouring their victims. The new immersive camera lets you feel their fangs as they sink into your flesh.
- RACCOON CITY, REBUILT IN INTRICATE DETAIL -- The characters, environments, and story have all been rebuilt from the ground up to create a terrifying world that feels both nostalgic and new.
- NEW FOR PLAYSTATION5 – Upgraded features new to the PlayStation5 version of the game include a higher frame rate, 3D audio, added ray tracing, and engaging DualSense support for Haptic Feedback and Adaptive Triggers.
What each remake is designed to do
Resident Evil 2 remake (2019): the balanced introduction
Resident Evil 2 remake reimagines the 1998 game for a modern audience. Leon S. Kennedy is a rookie police officer, while Claire Redfield is another central protagonist; both are caught in the Raccoon City outbreak. The game combines exploration, puzzles, third-person combat and resource scarcity instead of making any one of those elements the entire experience.
That combination is why it works as a first Resident Evil game. Exploration establishes the series’ habit of asking you to learn a threatening space. Puzzles make observation and route planning as important as shooting. Limited resources create decisions about whether a confrontation is worth the ammunition or supplies it may consume. The third-person camera provides a contemporary control model without removing the tension created by uncertainty and restricted resources.
It is not simply an older game with sharper graphics. The remake is a new presentation and gameplay interpretation of the 1998 original, so a player does not need to have played that version to understand the story setup or the systems.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsResident Evil 3 remake (2020): the Raccoon City follow-up
Resident Evil 3 remake returns to the same outbreak period and centers Jill Valentine and Carlos Oliveira as they face Nemesis. Its presentation and gameplay derive substantially from Resident Evil 2 remake, which makes the transition easy after you have learned the preceding game’s controls and survival priorities.
The remake also takes substantial liberties with the original Resident Evil 3’s structure. That matters when setting expectations: this is not merely an additional campaign built on an identical template. It is a distinct, more directed chapter in the same crisis. If you want to stay with the Raccoon City storyline and see how another pair of protagonists confront the disaster, it is the natural second game.
Compared with Resident Evil 2 remake, it is the better fit for someone who prefers a shorter, more linear-feeling chapter and a story focused on Jill, Carlos and Nemesis. It is less useful as a first exposure to the series’ full range because its value is strongest after you already know the setting and design language established by Resident Evil 2.
Rank #2
- Based on the release of 1998 but completely rebuilt for a deeper narrative experience
- new over the shoulder camera mode and modernized control scheme
- a more modern take on the survival horror experience
- RE engine, Resident Evil 2 delivers breathtakingly photorealistic visuals in 4K
- zombies are brought to life with a horrifyingly realistic wet gore Effect.zombies react in real time taking instant visible damage, making every bullet count.engage in frenzied combat with enemies, explore dark menacing corridors & solve puzzles.a terrifying constant fight for survival.enjoy separately playable campaigns for both Leon and Claire
Resident Evil 4 remake (2023): the action-forward finale of this run
Resident Evil 4 remake follows Leon to rural Spain, where he is tasked with rescuing Ashley Graham. Its over-the-shoulder shooting remains familiar to players of the earlier remakes, but the structure places greater weight on larger combat encounters, movement and forward momentum. The result is the most action-forward of these three games.
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That does not make it a poor starting point. A player who wants combat first can begin here, and the rescue premise is sufficiently self-contained to support that choice. The trade-off is that you encounter the series after its design has shifted toward larger encounters and modernized systems, rather than learning the slower exploration-and-resource-management balance first.
The remake also has Separate Ways, an additional story starring Ada Wong. The RE4 Gold Edition bundles the remake with that content, so it is the relevant edition for anyone who specifically wants Ada’s side of the operation.
Recommended order and the reason behind it
- Play Resident Evil 2 remake. Use it to learn the series’ blend of exploration, puzzles, scarce resources and third-person combat. It is the explicit Capcom recommendation for new players.
- Play Resident Evil 3 remake. Continue the Raccoon City outbreak through Jill and Carlos, with Nemesis as the central threat. Familiarity with Resident Evil 2 makes its setting and mechanical inheritance easier to appreciate.
- Play Resident Evil 4 remake. Treat it as the action-oriented next step: Leon’s mission moves to rural Spain, combat encounters become larger, and modernized systems carry more of the moment-to-moment experience.
This is a recommended progression, not a continuity rule that blocks access to the later game. It follows release order—Resident Evil 2 in January 2019, Resident Evil 3 in 2020, and Resident Evil 4 on March 24, 2023—while also following the broad shift from enclosed exploration toward sustained combat.
Is Resident Evil 3 remake worth playing between 2 and 4?
Choose it when you want the Raccoon City thread completed
Resident Evil 3 remake is worth placing between the other two when Jill Valentine, Carlos Oliveira and Nemesis are part of the appeal. It gives the outbreak a different set of viewpoints and continues the setting established by Resident Evil 2. Playing it second also means you can recognize the design relationship between the two Raccoon City remakes instead of treating RE3 as an unrelated action game.
Move directly to RE4 when you want variety or combat
You can reasonably skip from Resident Evil 2 remake to Resident Evil 4 remake if your priority is a larger change of setting and a stronger action emphasis. RE4 leaves Raccoon City and sends Leon to rural Spain, so it provides a clear tonal and structural reset. It is also the appropriate choice for someone who wants the three-game run to reach its most combat-focused entry quickly.
Rank #3
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Skipping RE3 means giving up its Jill-and-Carlos storyline and Nemesis-focused perspective; it does not make RE4 incomprehensible. Conversely, playing RE3 does not require you to treat it as a mandatory bridge. The decision is about which part of the series you want to experience, not about avoiding a story contradiction.
Choose your first game by priority
| What you want | Best first choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Best all-round introduction | Resident Evil 2 remake | Capcom recommends it for new players, and it teaches exploration, puzzles, resource management and third-person combat together. |
| A Raccoon City follow-up focused on Jill, Carlos and Nemesis | Resident Evil 3 remake | It continues the outbreak through different protagonists and builds substantially on RE2 remake’s presentation and gameplay. |
| A shorter, more linear-feeling Raccoon City chapter | Resident Evil 3 remake | Its directed structure suits players who want to move through the outbreak with less emphasis on the broader introductory balance. |
| Most action and combat momentum | Resident Evil 4 remake | Leon’s rural-Spain rescue mission uses over-the-shoulder shooting and larger combat encounters. |
| Ada Wong’s additional story | Resident Evil 4 Gold Edition | The remake’s Separate Ways content stars Ada Wong. |
| The strongest introduction to the series’ survival-horror habits | Resident Evil 2 remake | Its combination of exploration, puzzles and scarce resources establishes the decision-making that defines the earlier part of this sequence. |
How the tone and combat change from game to game
The three remakes are connected, but they do not ask you to play the same kind of game three times. Resident Evil 2 remake places uncertainty and navigation beside combat. You are learning how spaces, puzzles and limited supplies interact, so the pressure often comes from deciding what not to spend or which route to investigate.
Resident Evil 3 remake uses that foundation while directing attention toward Jill, Carlos and Nemesis. Its connection to RE2 is practical as well as narrative: the remake derives much of its presentation and gameplay from the preceding title. Players who enjoy the first game’s perspective and controls can transfer that knowledge immediately.
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Resident Evil 4 remake pushes the balance toward combat momentum. Leon’s rescue mission is built around over-the-shoulder shooting and larger encounters, with modernized systems supporting a more action-forward rhythm. Calling it “more action than horror” is fair as a comparison within this group, provided you understand that it remains a Resident Evil game rather than a conventional shooter. The meaningful distinction is emphasis: RE4 asks you to engage with bigger fights more often, while RE2 makes exploration, puzzles and resource decisions equally central.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Story connections and what newcomers need to know
You do not need prior knowledge of the wider Resident Evil series to begin with the 2019 remake. Its premise is direct: rookie police officer Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield are caught in the Raccoon City outbreak. Starting there gives you the context needed for the next game, which revisits the same broader event with Jill Valentine and Carlos Oliveira.
Resident Evil 4 remake changes location and immediate objective. Leon is no longer responding to the Raccoon City crisis; he is traveling to rural Spain to rescue Ashley Graham. That change is why RE4 can stand alone for a player whose main interest is its action design. Playing the first two remakes first still adds value by showing how Leon’s role and the series’ gameplay presentation develop across releases, but the game does not depend on you having completed every earlier title.
Rank #4
- CLASSIC RESIDENT EVIL GAMEPLAY -- Overcome chilling encounters in a relentless fight for survival that ratchets up the intensity through nail-biting exploration and gripping puzzle-solving.
- EXPLORE RACCOON CITY FROM A NEW PERSPECTIVE -- Get even closer to the action with an over-the-shoulder camera and updated control scheme, drawing you into every bloodcurdling encounter.
- SURVIVE TOGETHER IN THE MULTIPLAYER MODE -- Bring up to four friends into the carnage with Resident Evil Resistance, a multiplayer survival horror experience included in the Resident Evil 3 package. Available as a PlayStation 4 title compatible on all PlayStation 5 devices. Includes code necessary for redemption, requires additional download not on disc.
- NEW FOR PLAYSTATION5 – Upgraded features new to the PlayStation5 version of the game include a higher frame rate, 3D audio, added ray tracing, and engaging DualSense support for Haptic Feedback and Adaptive Triggers.
Ada Wong’s Separate Ways story is optional additional material rather than a prerequisite for the main RE4 campaign. Select the Gold Edition if that specific perspective is a deciding factor.
Release dates and Nintendo Switch 2 availability
The remakes arrived in sequence: Resident Evil 2 in January 2019, Resident Evil 3 in 2020, and Resident Evil 4 on March 24, 2023. Those dates support the recommended release order, but they should not be confused with a requirement to own the games on their original platforms.
Capcom’s September 10, 2026 notice lists Nintendo Switch 2 editions for Resident Evil 2 Deluxe Edition, Resident Evil 3 and Resident Evil 4 Gold Edition. As of October 18, 2026, the digital versions released on October 16, 2026. The physical versions are scheduled for January 29, 2027. If you are choosing a Switch 2 purchase now, digital availability is current while the boxed releases are future-dated.
| Game or edition | Original launch | Switch 2 timing listed by Capcom |
|---|---|---|
| Resident Evil 2 remake | January 2019 | Deluxe Edition digital October 16, 2026; physical January 29, 2027 |
| Resident Evil 3 remake | 2020 | Digital October 16, 2026; physical January 29, 2027 |
| Resident Evil 4 remake | March 24, 2023 | Gold Edition digital October 16, 2026; physical January 29, 2027 |
A practical first-play plan
If this is your first Resident Evil game
- Begin with Resident Evil 2 remake rather than jumping to the most action-heavy title.
- Pay attention to how exploration, puzzles and limited resources shape your decisions; those systems are the foundation for understanding the first two remakes.
- Continue to Resident Evil 3 remake if you want the Raccoon City outbreak from Jill and Carlos’s perspective.
- Finish with Resident Evil 4 remake when you are ready for larger encounters and a stronger shooting focus.
If you already know the series
- Choose Resident Evil 3 remake when Nemesis and the Raccoon City follow-up are your priority.
- Choose Resident Evil 4 remake when you want Leon, rural Spain and action-forward combat immediately.
- Choose RE4 Gold Edition when Ada Wong’s Separate Ways story is part of your plan.
Why these remakes remain a useful starting point
Capcom reported 213 million cumulative Resident Evil game sales as of June 30, 2026, showing the scale of the larger series rather than a sales forecast for any individual remake. Its September 10, 2026 release notice also cited more than 20 million cumulative units for Resident Evil 2. Those figures do not determine which game suits you, but they explain why these remakes are treated as major entry points rather than niche updates.
The important distinction for a new player is design clarity. Resident Evil 2 remake presents the broadest introduction in this trio. Resident Evil 3 remake concentrates on a particular outbreak chapter and its protagonists. Resident Evil 4 remake delivers the most combat momentum and a new setting. Once you identify which of those experiences you want, the starting choice is straightforward.
Verdict
Start with Resident Evil 2 remake, follow with Resident Evil 3 remake if you want the complete Raccoon City sequence, and then play Resident Evil 4 remake for the action-forward conclusion. Start with RE4 only when combat momentum matters more to you than learning the series through exploration, puzzles and resource management. RE3 is worthwhile between them for Jill, Carlos and Nemesis, but it is an optional middle chapter rather than a barrier to understanding RE4.
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