Summary
From the pixelated visuals of its debut game to the current-gen mobile and VR installments, theResident Evilfranchise has consistently terrified gamers in various ways. While virus-infected people and creatures alone can frighten many players, this list delves deeper to uncover some ofthe most chilling moments in the franchise’s history—whether through encounters with enormous zombified monsters or phobia-inducing scenarios.
Despite the multiple changes in the franchise’s direction and gameplay style, there is one thread that connects everyResident Evilgame: Horror. Although the games differ in how much they succeed in scaring players, every title has at least one or two moments that will have most gamers reaching for their pillow.
Updated on June 28, 2025, by Mohsen Baqery: Horror is a core element of all Resident Evil games, making it difficult to determine the scariest titles in the franchise’s long history. Nearly every RE game features at least one terrifying moment that can make players want to quit. However, the following list highlights the Resident Evil games that manage to scare players multiple times—games that can keep the heartbeat racing throughout the playthrough. The current update rearranges the list to better rank the scariest RE games and includesinteresting scientific datato support why the number one spot deserves to be crowned the scariest Resident Evil game of all time.
There are multiple encounters with Ustanak inRE6. However, the initial encounter should be the most intense. Just as Jake Muller realizes how big of a threat this giant beast is, he is chased by it in a narrow corridor. Following the chilling chase, Jake must finally confront Ustanak, which feels like fighting both Nemesis and Mr. X at the same time—Ustanak just won’t go down no matter what.
According toResident Evil 6’s lore, Ustanak was the subject of experimental tests on the C Virus, which resulted in his transformation. What makes this monster scarier is his high intelligence. Unlike most othergiganticResident Evilcreatures, Ustanak can make his own weapons and make dreadful decisions when facing his targets.
To be fair to other entries on the list,Resident Evil 6does not create many scary moments. The enemy designs are rather stereotypical, seemingly aimed at attracting more FPS fans who may not have enjoyed previous games. However, the outcome fell short of satisfying hardcore fans of the genre and was not as financially successful as expected.
Capcom’sResident Evil 5struggled to live up to the extremely high expectations that were placed on its shoulders long before the game was even announced.Resident Evil 5is certainly not a bad game though, exemplified by its impressiveMetascore of 86 on PC.
In terms of the game’s fear factor, it’s not a particularly scary game, though it does have its scary moments, such as the section in Chapter 3 - 1, where players must traverse crocodile-infested water.
Resident Evil
Imagine it’s 1996, and a teenage gamer is about to fire up a game on their PS1 that everyone’s buzzing about:Resident Evil. The initial cinematics are spine-chilling enough to tempt them to eject the disc and retreat toCrash Bandicoot. Nonetheless, they muster the courage to dive in. Following a few hours of gripping gameplay that’s left their eyes widened and palms sweaty, they’re confronted with their ultimate dread: Fighting a colossal spider in a claustrophobic underground tunnel. That’s true fear.
The pixelated visuals of the firstREgame might not look scary now. But back when the survival horror genre was in its baby stage, those “funny-looking” zombies could easily give someone a heart attack—especially if they had no idea what jumpscare is. The arachnophobia-inducing Black Tiger boss battle inResident Evil 1996is destined to stand as an iconic “hair-raising” moment in video game history. Its impact goes beyond the inherent creepiness of giant spiders; it inspired numerous horror games to exploit gamers’ phobias in the most sadistic ways imaginable.
One ofthe spin-off titlesfrom Capcom’s flagship horror franchise wasRevelations 2, a game that brought back fan favorites such as Claire and Barry and introduced new characters like Moira and Natalia, which a second player could control.
Along with new characters, there are a host of new enemies, including the terrifying revenants, and grotesque monstrosities of sewn-together body parts that are infected with the Uroboros virus. During the exploration of the mansion, one sneaky revenant falls down from the ceiling right at the player’s feet, resulting in acheap but effective jumpscare.
The remake of Capcom’s classicRE3saw players returning to the virus-ravaged streets of Raccoon City as the unstoppable Nemesis tenaciously hunts down Jill Valentine, one of the few survivors of the Spencer Mansion incident.
Through her explorations of the city, Jill experiences many terrifying events, such as running away from Nemesis, mutated dogs, or the dreaded drain deimos. Said to be infected with fleas, these insects, unfortunately, are not flea-sized and are large enough to present a threat. The most horrifying thing about these creatures is that they can grapple Jill and infect her with parasites that are a death sentence unless she can cleanse herself of them.
Resident Evil: Code Veronicawas the first main series ofResident Evilgames to be released after the original trilogy. The game was notable for its visuals, which were a significant improvement from the game’s predecessors.
The visuals were considered to be movie-like at the time of the game’s release. This made the game all the more frightening, as audiences hadn’t seen such realistic horror visuals in a video game before.
Scariest Moment: Yawn Boss Fight
Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles
RE-IMAGINE LIFE IN OUR HANDSSwarms of undead creatures and mutated terrors rule the streets, pestilent hordes born of Umbrella’s botched bio-warfare research. Now, the mysterious corporation must prepare itself for the oncoming apocalypse. You have no choice. Gather your firepower, prepare to face horror, and uncover the dark truth that could take Umbrella down forever. Succeed, or there is no future.• Wii Remote™ - Using the Wii Remote as a gour, experience combus di dynamite first-person perspective.• Wii Zapper™ - The Wii Zapper allows for more immersive light-gun action.• Interractive paths - Choose various routes and pathways throughout the game, creating multiple levels of gameplay• New location Umbrella’s stronghold reveals secrets to events throughout the RESIDENT EVIL series.• An arsenal of weapons to choose from- pistols, submachine guns, rocket launchers, the trusty knife, grenades and more!
Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicleswas the first game in the franchise to be released after the iconicResident Evil 4.This put a ton of pressure on the on-rails shooter, and sadly, it failed to live up to the hype, scoring alackluster 75 on Metacritic.
Much likeResident Evil 5,the amount of hype aroundUmbrella Chronicleswas more of a curse than a gift. The initial disappointment clouded what was a solid on-rails shooter that made excellent use of theNintendo Wii’s motion controls. The on-rail mechanic is what grantsUmbrella Chroniclesa spot on this list, as players have no choice but to follow their characters who are constantly heading directly into danger.
TheResident Evilseries' fifth main installment was released in 2002. The game didn’t perform badly with critics, though it was seen as a drop in form from the incredible run of games that Capcom was on leading up to its release. Criticisms were predominantly directed at the game’s lack of innovation, particularly in terms of its fixed camera, which seemed outdated at the time.
Resident Evil 0earns a spot on this list for its atmosphere. The improved hardware of the GameCube allowed Capcom’s developers to create more meticulously detailed environments than ever before, which greatly helped the game’s unsettling elements pop.
The Nintendo 3DS doesn’t seem like the most natural place for an action-horror title, but Capcom was able to make it work withResident Evil: Revelations.The game performed particularly well with critics, exemplified by itsimpressive 82 Metascore.
Resident Evil: Revelationsoffers a unique horror experience thanks to the Nintendo 3DS' capabilities. The 3D functionality made the game’s scariest moments far tenser and made the horror feel closer than ever.
As mentioned previously, Capcom made the bold decision of reinventing its iconicResident Evilfranchise with the sixth main series iteration. The risk certainly paid off, asResident Evil 4breathed new life into the series, and it quickly became recognized as one of the best games of all time.
The game sacrificed some of the series' iconic horror in favor of more action-packed gameplay, though there are still a few frightening moments. Such moments include the fight against Del Lago, the firstencounter with a Regenerador, and the fight against Verdugo.
