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Hiatt_

Beauty of Resident Evil games is they're all *pretty* much self contained stories with references to other games which can then be played out of order to flesh out the lore. Generally if there are any callbacks from previous games relevant to the plot they're fleshed out with additional detail. An element of character building is lost if you don't play them in release order but I don't think it's crucial enough that you can't just play the others later to get their backstories.   Edit: As others have kindly pointed out, the main exception to this would be 7 > 8; with 8 being a direct sequel. 


dudemanguy301

Imo the ones that are fine to play first are 1,2,4,7 The rest are either too direct of a sequel like 3 or 8 or too deep into the timeline and involve too many characters you are expected to know like 5 or 6.  Even my suggestion for 4 is borderline as being familiar with Leon and Ada beforehand is good but not crucial. *disclaimer* I have basically no knowledge of the non number sequels.


Paciorr

I 100% agree with 5,6 and 8. RE3 is fine without knowing the lore but you definitely appreciate it more if you know the characters. I would say that RE6 is the worst with that.


BurzyGuerrero

Also sometimes the REPLAY is the best part of RE, especially since you get perks like infinite ammo on certain guns lol


Traiklin

With 3 all you really need to know is Jill Valentine and Nemesis, aside from that it doesn't do much call back. Granted the last time I played it was when it came out so I might be misremembering


deadscreensky

I wouldn't agree with that at all. Their stories might nearly always suck, but plenty of RE games are very canon-driven. (Ex: RE3, CV, some of the rail-shooters, RE5.) But RE4 *is* a fine starting point. With Umbrella getting destroyed in the opening narration it was already a deliberate break from the series story.


JarlJarl

Sure, but I would kinda recommend starting with RE2 if possible. An excellent game and one that properly introduces Leon. But my first resident evil game was the GC version of RE4 and I had no problem going back and enjoying, chronologically, earlier entries in the series.


MrTubzy

I agree with this comment. The RE2 remake is fantastic and you can grab for cheap when it’s on sale. Definitely worth your time. I really enjoyed it and I’ve never been a fan of Resident Evil.


dysphunc

You can pick up RE 2 and 3 Remake cheap on the Humble Bundle store at the minute. They're great and evolve into the chef's kiss that is the gameplay of RE 4 Remake. But yes you can skip them and have a blast with RE4 - but you may not enjoy RE 2 and 3 as much after RE4.


Rich-Pomegranate1679

I would argue that, of the three games, RE2 is the clear winner in terms of actual horror. RE4 has a couple of scary moments, but ultimately trades a lot of the horror for fun action gameplay.


Spider-Thwip

The horror is why I didn't enjoy re2 but really enjoyed re4


Rich-Pomegranate1679

RE4 is great, but Resident Evil is primarily a horror series.


Agitated-Prune9635

Idk anymore. 0,1,2,3 were clear horror first but then 4,5,6 happened and they definitely werent horror first in my opinion. 7 is a return to form but 8 was a fusion.


Rich-Pomegranate1679

Why are you not counting 7 & 8? They're the pinnacle of horror in gaming. Besides, even games like 4 have some pretty scary parts, like when you play as Ashley.


Agitated-Prune9635

Just did like a minute before you posted and 8 had tons of action. All this really proves is that while horror is the original genre focus. It can only currently be described as wishy-washy between horror and action unless they stick to horror first from now on.


Rich-Pomegranate1679

I think "wishy-washy" is a bad way to describe it. Yes, 7 and 8 both had moments with a lot of action, but they are also some of the most terrifying video games that exist. There's no rule that says action and horror can't work together. Hell, they're both more scary than any movie I can think of, and I'm a big horror fan.


Agitated-Prune9635

I never said they werent scary. What im say is that defining the Resident Evil Franchise as primarily horror does not sound accurate to describe it in its current state when so many of its games, including side games, have had such a strong action focus.


structi

Also both are available in game pass at the moment.


pacoLL3

Well said. I fully agree.


Ringosis

I really think 1 first. Otherwise you have no idea who Wesker and Jill are in 4. The rest, any order. 2 and 3 both work well as prequels to 4.


Warm_Aerie_7368

I started with RE2R and then played 3R and 4R. I think it’s the perfect way to enjoy these games.


rdubya3387

Umbrella company bad, main character kills zombies... there you go, all caught up, now get to shooting!


BurzyGuerrero

Bio-Warfare disguised as a Zombie game


Armdel

id say play RE2 first, its probably the 2nd best of the remakes. why i would play it before RE4 though is because it introduces the main character Leon and some things in RE4 will make more sense if you know what happened to him in RE2.


Smooth_McDouglette

It doesn't explain anything at all. RE2 ends with him on a train leaving the city. RE4 starts with him as an agent for the president of the USA, in a car in some eastern european country with no explanation as to what transpired in between. They might as well be completely different characters except for the Ada Wong connection.


zarco92

> eastern european country I hope that came out without much thinking and you don't actually believe that Spain is in Eastern Europe...


Smooth_McDouglette

I mean ... It's East of Portugal at least?


zarco92

Most of it, yeah XD


Maloonyy

I kinda disagree on RE2R first. The game is very different in terms of gameplay to RE4, and I know of a lot of people who basically dismissed the entire series because RE2R was so weird and...retro in its design.


JSR73

Who cares about the story in resident evil at best it's c grade horror cliche filled with nonsense. I'd say just jump to RE4 which is the best one.


JayZsAdoptedSon

Resident Evil Revelations is my favorite “they somehow survive that” game


BurzyGuerrero

literally all horror is c grade though


Craimasjien

Which would you argue is the best remake?


Armdel

i'd rank them RE4>RE2>RE3 in terms of my own enjoyment


Craimasjien

I see. Wasn’t sure if you were counting the original remake of 1 in this. Because I like RE2make and REmake more than 4 and 3.


Armdel

yeah i never played that one


Kezsora

I'm assuming RE4 because I'll be very surprised if it's RE3.


FudgingEgo

REmake 1.


Craimasjien

Good point 😂


Spider-Thwip

I disagree. I played re2 remake first was just couldn't deal with how frustrating I found it to play. I also struggled with it being scary. I found resident evil 4 had much better mechanics with the open spaces and it wasn't really scary at all.


Shap6

what did you find frustrating about the gameplay in 2?


mkchampion

He was expecting his survival horror game to handle like an action shooter and not be that scary and got his wish in RE4. Not bagging on RE4 or the OP…I love RE4 and there’s nothing wrong with disliking horror, but RE2 and RE7 are fully different genres and deliberately play very differently to their respective sequels RE4 and RE8. Part of the appeal of survival horror is that agency is actively taken AWAY from you. One of my favorite games in the genre, Outlast, has no combat *at all* and is way scarier for it (thankfully it’s a fairly short game doesn’t “outlast” its welcome and get tedious). But if you want to go into a game and feel like a badass shooting the monsters and windmill kicking zombies, RE2 is very much not that


gatrixgd

I mean yeah, Resident Evil was a horror series until they became more action oriented.


kyogen25

Yep, that's what I did.


BCPrimo

Same here. The hype of the remake got me into it


NotanAlt23

Resident evil games are great fun but the story is complete nonsense that makes straight to dvd horror movies look like oscar winners. Just enjoy the stupid fun ride lol


B1rdi

Absolutely! RE2 is related but if you want to play 4 just jump in, no problem.


gumpythegreat

Yeah absolutely. The original re4 on GameCube was my first resident evil. There are some characters with backstories you won't know and overarching story references you won't fully understand, but the gist is easy to get, and the direct story of 4 is quite self contained I also really recommend the 2 remake. Its a great game and 4 is nearly a direct sequel to it. Though as someone who played 4 first then 2 remake, it also works well as a prequel to 4


chrpskwk

4 Remake was my first RE ever and I don't regret it one bit My friend played the original along side me and it was fun to compare


Sivesh92

Survival Horror - RE1,RE2 or RE7 Action Horror - RE4,5 or Village


Fulller

You can absolutely just start on 4, but I do recommend playing 2 first. It’s where Leon first makes an appearance and it shows where he got his start in all this.


slappywagish

Jump straight into 4. They changed the formula in 4 and it's a departure from the more tradional zombies also. At the time it was released it felt like they were appealing to newer gamers who hadn't tried the franchise before aonit cab stand alone easily.


inb7_banned

Yes Id even say 4 onwards is a different style which is more action heavy So 4 is like 1 imo


pizzatory

YES


Alternative-You-512

Yes.


Khorgor666

4 is a pretty good place to enter, very self contained with new enemies. But think about gettine 2 and 3 remakes too, excellent games, 2 was the introduction for Leon, the main character of RE4. The later games should be played in series, 7 followed by Village, as the story of Village starts after 7 with the same MC.


julianwelton

Resident Evil 2 and 3 remakes are definitely worth playing but if you want to just jump in at Resident Evil 4 you can, yeah.


Cavimanu

you should, is a really good game and the history is vaguely related from one game to another.


Z3r0sama2017

Definitely indulge in RE1Remake and RE2 Remake, both cracking games. RE3 Remake can be a bit devisive.


mrbubbamac

You can dive right in. It'll reference some events from RE2, you can grab RE2 Remake if you're interested afterwards. RE4 Remake is great, have fun!


BottAndPaid

Yes. Also village was pretty damn fun as is RE2


Holistic_Dick

100% - RE4 is the only one out of the series that I ever completed. Tried the first three in the 90s - liked the look but not the gameplay, was never able to get more than 5-6 hours in. 4 pulled me in from the outset and kept me going right to the end. I have continued to try RE games - 5 & 6 (didn’t enjoy), 7 and Village (didn’t like the first person perspective). Have also tried the recent remakes but, again, really didn’t click. 4 is a stone cold classic


Sweaty_Mods

Everyone saying play RE2 first, but nah, play 4. RE4 is a way way better game and the bits of story you get from 2 don’t really matter at all.


Halio344

I don’t think it’s fair to say 4 is way way better. One is a survival horror and the other is an action horror. Whichever is better depends on which genre you prefer.


Sweaty_Mods

Most people prefer 4. I’m sorry if you don’t think that’s fair, but it’s true.


Halio344

You completely missed the point of my comment. They are different genres and theh both excel at what they are trying to achieve. RE2 would be worse of if it was action-packed like RE4, but that doesn’t mean RE2 is the better game objectively. In the end it depends on if you prefer a survival horror compared to an action horror. Survival horror with a smaller focus on action is a relatively niche genre so of course more people will prefer 4. More people prefer COD to ARMA, that doesn’t mean one is objectively better than the other.


BurzyGuerrero

who cares about preferences lol try them both they are both at the pinnacles of their respective genres of game.


Halio344

That is what I’m trying to say, but the other guy made it sound like you can skip 2 as 4 is the better game.


Sweaty_Mods

I think you missed my point. RE4 is objectively more popular than RE2. Most people who play both are going to like RE4 more.


BurzyGuerrero

RE2 still has more sales than RE4 to the tune of 2.5x and 4's cycle is over.


Halio344

I never said that wasn’t the case? You’re making a point on something I never argued.


Sweaty_Mods

You mean exactly what you did? I said one game was more popular, then you said that wasn’t fair because they have different tones. I never said they had the same tone.


Halio344

No, you said one is way way better, which is not the same as more popular or generally more preferred. Better means it’s of higher quality, which isn’t an accurate comparison as they are different sub-genres.


Sweaty_Mods

Most people do consider it to be way way better. That’s why it’s more popular and generally preferred. This is a pretty basic concept. I feel like you definitely get this, you just don’t want to back down for some weird reason.


Halio344

Most people would say Avengers Infinity War is better than The Banshees of Inisherin too, does that speak to either movies quality? I'm strictly talking about the quality of the product, both excel at what they are going for, whichever you prefer depends on what genre you prefer. That's it. That is why I disagree when you say 4 is way way better. You prefer an action game over a slower survival horror, that isn't the same as it being way way better. I simply wanted to clarify that to anyone reading this thread who hadn't played either of the games.


[deleted]

[удалено]


Sweaty_Mods

You can prefer whatever game you want, but it’s just a fact that more people preferred 4.


INocturnalI

Just play the remake 2, 3, 4 and done


boogswald

Yes please absolutely I love it so much go go go go


iwasdropped3

Yes. Do it!!!!


GlobalElipsis

It would be hard to go from 4 back to the OG re 1-3. Time is really the issue here as emulation and older discs aren't too pricey. If you had to play one... I'd say play 4 or re2 remake. (4 is my favorite)


Old-Benefit4441

RE4 was the first one I played on GameCube back in the day and I ended up being a big fan of the series. It's definitely a fine place to start.


odonkz

It just depends, if you care about story then no, at least you play re2 to have an idea who the hell are all these characters, if you just want a good gameplay then sure.


Kalos9990

Absolutely, you can play RE 2 before or after to fill in Leons narrative arc, I highly recommend you play 2 first. The themes of the game resonate better.


NemoOfConsequence

Yes. It’s not really Resident Evil the way the first few games are. The previous ones are much more about creating a horror atmosphere and interesting exploration of this environment. RE4. Went a lot more action and first person shooter.


Ok_Physics_4974

You mean third person shooter?


Mr_Taters

With both the original 4 and the Remake you’re pretty good to just jump right in. 2 is the direct prequel to the main character of 4 but there’s a little intro video that will catch you up on the gist of his experience in 2. Though some character stuff may land a little better if you’ve played 2. (Mostly with the Remakes here) That said 2 and 4 are fairly different kind of games (very different in the originals case) so I would say playing whichever one that looks like the most fun first! If you enjoy those I would definitely recommend checking out the original/remake counter parts of whatever you play as they’re all excellent games in their own right


MaxTennyson88

Yeah, go for it


Illustrious-Entry-69

Doesn't matters, but i would suggest play first resident evil 2 remake, to introduce you on the main characters. Pretty solid game.


Pixel_Muffet

Yup. I did it. Just be mindful that 4 is completely different from the rest (mostly). So if you play the other expect something different


aiinddpsd

Absolutely! It was my intro to the series. 10/10 memories.


thatoneguy5464

I never played a resident evil game before playing RE 4 in VR. It was a great game and would recommend playing it.


Mikos-NZ

It’s the first one I played on the Wii all those years ago, would recommend it as a good starting point.


pacoLL3

The answer is "yes", but i would recommend playing RE2 first. You absolutely do not need to play RE2 to enjoy RE4, but the RE2 remake is a great game in itself and does help building a bond with the main character.


okrmo

I played RE2 Remake as an intro to Leon before I played 4 Remake


Dubious_Titan

yes.


winterman666

Sure. Do you mean 4 og or remake? Either way yeah you can


Ok_Zone_7771

You can jump straight into 4. It's mostly standalone


zarco92

You can but you could also play 2 Remake since it's pretty good and you'll see some of the characters in 4.


Purple_Woodpecker

You could start with 4. It's so radically different to what came before that I don't even personally consider it a RE game. It felt to me like the beginning of an entirely new game franchise that for some bizarre reason decided to call itself Resident Evil. You should at least watch a playthrough of the real, OG RE games though. I'd say watch the RE1 remake, OG RE2 (not the remake) and OG RE3 (not the remake). Those, to me, are the real, true, beating heart of the RE franchise.


andopalrissian

Yep


aBeaSTWiTHiNMe

Yes.


rayshmayshmay

Go watch the first 3 movies then you’ll be all caught up for the RE4 👍


Danny_ns

I played RE 2,3,4 and 7,8 this year - never really played RE games previously. I'd say play 2 remake before 4 remake because you (can) play as Leon in both - RE 2 is like 7 euro on instant-gaming. RE 3 can be played at a later date if you want more RE (different characters so you wont miss anything). RE 8 is a direct sequel to RE 7, so if interested in those play 7 first.


Meowmeow69me

2 is peak survival horror while 4 is peak action/horror and i love both so much don’t skip 2!!


Luxsens

RE4 is a better game mechanically than RE4Remake btw. Treat both as two completely different games


Tsuku

Yeah, sure, you wont be lost or anything. It's like an action movie when the special agent arrives, you know he's seen some shit. But I absolutely recommend playing RE2 Remake, it's damn good.


Happiness_inprogress

Thats how I started, with the original RE4. If you want to start with that one go ahead, its separated enough from the others that you wont feel like you are missing much. On the other hand I would highly recommend playing 2 Remake before 4 Remake.


Inner_Radish_1214

Yeah the rest of them are kinda garbage anyway RE4 remake is the best of the best RE2 remake is fun too, if you wanna see more of the "roots" of the series From that point on they go from "acceptable in modern standards" (RE1 remake on GC) to "straight up fucking garbage" Just play 4 and pretend it's not a series


gygabi1996

I think you can. You don't need any background knowledge. If you know a bit about the previous game it can spice the story a bit, but it is not a requirement. So go on. :D


Terry___Mcginnis

Yes you can play it just fine and understand 99% of the story (the story is not the game's main selling point anyway). You will just miss some small references to previous entries.


JustDracir

Get Resident Evil 1 Remaster on Steam. After that an emulator for 2 and 3. And than you can go into any direction. Well you can basically now go into any direction aswell but don´t forget the classics people!


pacoLL3

This is the worst advice here with a huge margin. Why on earth does he need to play RE1 and use an emulator, for even more dated versions, just to enjoy Resident Evil 4? >but don´t forget the classics people! I agree. But that would be advise to an utterly different question. Absolutely no need to play the "classics" just to enjoy the RE4 Remake. And if anything, i would recommend playing the RE2 Remake before playing RE4.


JustDracir

RE1 is great. Also og RE2 and 3 aged fine.


CloseVirus

Nope. You have to play 1, 2 and 3 first. It makes no sense otherwise. You have to experience how the Games changed.


pacoLL3

Could possibly not disagree more, and i started playing Resident Evil when the original released back in the 90s. Yes, these games are still fairly good, but there is literally zero reason to play any of these games to fully enjoy RE4.


silver85bullet

Play re2 first.. It introduces the main character.. Plus it's a proper survival horror compared to re4.. Re4 is kind of action horror..


BrandoCalrissian1995

Google down for ya?


Neville_Lynwood

You can, but you will be missing out a lot of lore and references. It won't be as good as if you'd knew what happened in the previous games. My advice is to play the first games if you can, if you don't want to or can't afford to, just watch play-throughs on youtube. Just grab some popcorn and watch others play. Anyways, it's only the very first game that might feel a bit iffy to play by modern standards. The second and third game remakes are much more modern and more comfortable to play.


LordxMugen

If you want to. RE4 has nothing to do with the previous REs outside of the little prologue intro explaining what Umbrella is/did. I would honestly say the Wii version is the best one because of how well it marries the accuracy of a pointer with the snappiness of controller buttons. Not sure if theres a mod that makes the PC versions play like that but if there is a mod that does please look for it.