Outdated Drivers Are Slowing You Down
One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchWindows Errors? Fix Them Before They Spread
Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstalliTechGuides is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more
For a remake-focused story run, play Resident Evil 0 (optional), Resident Evil (2002), Resident Evil 2 Remake, Resident Evil 3 Remake, Code: Veronica when its announced remake releases in 2027, and then Resident Evil 4 Remake. If you are playing before the 2027 release, use the original Code: Veronica between RE3 Remake and RE4 Remake, or skip it temporarily and return to it later.
The important complication is that RE2 Remake and RE3 Remake take place during the same September 1998 Raccoon City outbreak. Finishing all of RE2 before starting RE3 is the clearest option; a split playthrough is more chronological but much less convenient.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Resident Evil 2 - PlayStation 5 | $15.19 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
Resident Evil 4 - PS5 | $15.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
Resident Evil 3 - PlayStation 5 | $18.13 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
Resident Evil 7 biohazard Gold Edition - PlayStation 5 | $19.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
RESIDENT EVIL 2 REMAKE COMPLETE STRATEGY GUIDE 2026: Full Leon & Claire Walkthrough, Puzzle... | $36.99 | Buy on Amazon |
The story order at a glance
The order below separates in-universe chronology from release history. Resident Evil 0 is the earliest story, even though it was released after the first Resident Evil. Code: Veronica belongs between the Raccoon City games and Resident Evil 4, but its remake is not scheduled until 2027.
| Order | Game | Where it fits | Version to use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Optional 1 | Resident Evil 0 | Immediately before the Mansion Incident | The available original game; it is the strict-chronology prequel |
| 1 | Resident Evil (2002 remake) | The Mansion Incident involving S.T.A.R.S., Jill Valentine, Chris Redfield and Umbrella | The 2002 remake |
| 2 | Resident Evil 2 Remake | Early part of the September 1998 Raccoon City outbreak | The modern remake |
| 3 | Resident Evil 3 Remake | The same Raccoon City outbreak, overlapping RE2 | The modern remake |
| 4 | Resident Evil Code: Veronica | After Raccoon City and before RE4 | The original until the announced 2027 remake releases |
| 5 | Resident Evil 4 Remake | After the Raccoon City chapters | The 2023 remake |
If you want only remakes that are available before Code: Veronica’s remake launches, play RE0 if desired, then RE1 Remake, RE2 Remake, RE3 Remake and RE4 Remake. That is easy to buy and play, but it leaves a story chapter out of its proper place. The complete chronological route uses the original Code: Veronica as a temporary substitute.
#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.
Why story order and release order are different
Resident Evil 0 was released after the first Resident Evil but depicts events immediately before the Mansion Incident. Starting with it gives you the earliest fictional events, yet it also reveals background that the original release sequence was designed to reveal later.
The 2002 remake is therefore the smoother starting point for many newcomers. It presents the Mansion Incident in a modern version while preserving the role it plays as the foundation for the Raccoon City stories. Choose RE0 first when chronology matters more than the gradual reveal of the series’ original structure.
Resident Evil 4 Remake was released on March 24, 2023. Capcom describes it as “a remake of the original 2005 title.” The 2023 release date describes when the remake became available, not when the story takes place; its events follow the earlier chapters in the fictional timeline.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Step-by-step story route
1. Resident Evil 0: the optional strict-chronology opening
Resident Evil 0 is the earliest entry in this route. It occurs immediately before the Mansion Incident and supplies the direct lead-in to the first game’s crisis.
Play it first if your priority is to experience events in fictional time order. The trade-off is release-and-reveal pacing: RE0 was made after the first Resident Evil, so beginning with it does not reproduce the way the series originally introduced its mysteries.
- Choose RE0 first when: you want the earliest chronological starting point and do not mind prequel information arriving before the first game’s intended reveals.
- Save RE0 for later when: you are new to the series and prefer to begin with the 2002 remake’s presentation of the Mansion Incident.
- Do not treat it as required: the practical remake route can begin with the first-game remake without making the later stories difficult to follow.
2. Resident Evil (2002 remake): the Mansion Incident
Next, play the 2002 remake of Resident Evil. The story follows S.T.A.R.S. members including Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield as the Mansion Incident exposes the danger surrounding Umbrella.
This is the modern version to use in a remake-focused run. It establishes the characters, organization and outbreak context that the Raccoon City games build on. If you skipped RE0, this is the natural beginning; if you played RE0, it is the immediate continuation.
Recommended Free Tools
Rank #2
- Reawaken a Classic – Resident Evil 4 preserves the essence of the original game, now reconstructed using Capcom’s proprietary RE Engine to deliver realistic visuals and additional narrative depth to the iconic story that was not possible at the time of the original release.
- Modernized Gameplay – The team from 2019’s Resident Evil 2 returns to build upon the series’ modern approach to survival horror. Engage in frenzied combat with the Ganados villagers, explore a European village gripped by madness, and solve puzzles to access new areas and collect useful items for Leon and Ashley’s constant struggle to survive.
- Overwhelming Hordes – Face hordes of rabid enemies that threaten to overwhelm Leon with even more diverse methods of attack than in the original release.
- Survive on a Knife’s Edge – Years of intense training have taught Leon new ways to use his knife, helping to even the odds against the unrelenting onslaught of enemies. By parrying enemy attacks, you can avoid debilitating damage and evade lunging enemies seeking to grab Leon and hold him in place. Make smart use of scavenged knives to deliver precise finishing moves on vulnerable enemies, and even use the element of surprise to quietly dispatch unsuspecting foes before they break.
- Survive on a Knife’s Edge – Years of intense training have taught Leon new ways to use his knife, helping to even the odds against the unrelenting onslaught of enemies. By parrying enemy attacks, you can avoid debilitating damage and evade lunging enemies seeking to grab Leon and hold him in place. Make smart use of scavenged knives to deliver precise finishing moves on vulnerable enemies, and even use the element of surprise to quietly dispatch unsuspecting foes before they break.
3. Resident Evil 2 Remake: the beginning of the Raccoon City outbreak
Resident Evil 2 Remake moves the timeline to the September 1998 Raccoon City outbreak. It is the first complete game in the clearest way to handle the overlap with RE3 Remake.
Finish RE2 before starting RE3 if you want a straightforward campaign flow. This avoids repeatedly stopping one game to change to another and keeps each game’s mechanics, map logic and character progression intact.
4. Resident Evil 3 Remake: the overlapping outbreak
Resident Evil 3 Remake takes place during the same outbreak as RE2, not after it in a clean, separate block of time. Its events overlap the Raccoon City crisis and therefore cannot be placed on a perfectly linear whole-game timeline.
The least confusing approach is to complete RE2 Remake and then play all of RE3 Remake. You will encounter some events that occur earlier than moments you saw in RE2, but the campaigns remain easy to follow and you avoid constant switching.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
5. Code: Veronica: the bridge to RE4
Code: Veronica follows the Raccoon City chapters and precedes Resident Evil 4. It is the story bridge between the 1998 outbreak material and the later mission depicted in RE4.
Capcom’s June 8, 2026 announcement says that Resident Evil Veronica is “a remake of the original Resident Evil Code: Veronica, released in the year 2000.” The remake is scheduled for 2027, with its exact date and further details to be announced later.
Until that remake launches, the original Code: Veronica is the available version of this chapter. If you are playing now and want strict story order, place the original between RE3 Remake and RE4 Remake. If you only want modern remakes, skip it for the moment and understand that the gap is intentional rather than a timeline error.
Rank #3
- 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.
6. Resident Evil 4 Remake: after Raccoon City
Play Resident Evil 4 Remake after Code: Veronica in a complete story run. It follows the Raccoon City chapters and retells the 2005 game in the 2023 remake.
Its 2023 launch does not move the story earlier or later in the fictional timeline. Treat the release year as a product-history fact and the game’s position after Code: Veronica as a story-order fact.
How to handle the RE2 and RE3 overlap
There are two sensible ways to arrange the overlapping games. Neither produces a perfectly seamless chronology because the remakes do not expose every event in a single, synchronized sequence.
| Method | Order | Advantages | Drawbacks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whole-game convenience | Complete RE2 Remake, then complete RE3 Remake | One uninterrupted campaign at a time; easiest for a first playthrough | Some RE3 events occur earlier than moments you have already seen in RE2 |
| Approximate strict chronology | Play the first half of RE3, switch to RE2, then return to the second half of RE3 | Places the major outbreak events closer to their fictional sequence | Requires a deliberate stopping point, game switching and tolerance for disrupted pacing |
The convenient route: RE2, then all of RE3
Use this route unless you have a specific reason to synchronize every event. Complete the RE2 campaign, then launch RE3 and finish it normally. It is the simplest whole-game order and keeps the Raccoon City setting and controls from being interrupted.
The split route: RE3, then RE2, then RE3
A more exact arrangement starts with the first part of RE3, switches to RE2, and returns to RE3 after the campaign changes to Carlos. GamesRadar has recommended a split around that campaign change. This is a chronology exercise, not a requirement for understanding the plot.
The remake also removes some material from the original RE3, so no split can turn the two remakes into a perfectly interlocking record of every event. Use the split only if the small chronological improvement is worth sacrificing the smoother rhythm of complete campaigns.
Should you play Resident Evil 0 before the first remake?
There is no universal best answer because the choice changes what you value.
Rank #4
- FEAR COMES HOME -- Fear, combat, exploration, and item management: these are the four pillars of survival horror, a genre that has never been more masterfully executed than in the gameplay of Resident Evil. The horror continues in the ground-breaking Resident Evil 7. Step into the new Isolated View and experience true survival horror in a world created by the all-new RE Engine.
- DEEP IN THE BAYOU - When Ethan Winters opened his inbox, the last thing he expected was to find an email from his wife; she had been missing for three years. The message was simple: "Come get me," and an address in Louisiana. This leads Ethan to a decrepit mansion in the heart of the bayou. The place has a seriously creepy vibe, but Ethan continues his search – until a stranger attacks him and knocks him unconscious. Ethan has no idea what awaits him when he wakes up...for he is now in the clutches of the Baker family.
- A NEW PERSPECTIVE -- In RESIDENT EVIL 7, we're changing the way you interact with the world. For this next major entry in the series, play from a first-person point of view, dramatically increasing your ability to become fully absorbed in the world we have created.
- 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.
| Priority | Start with | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Strict fictional chronology | Resident Evil 0 | It occurs immediately before the Mansion Incident |
| New-player clarity and reveal pacing | Resident Evil (2002 remake) | It introduces the central incident before the later prequel context |
| Remake-only availability today | Resident Evil (2002 remake) | RE0 is not needed to begin the modern remake sequence |
| Completionist route | RE0, then Resident Evil (2002 remake) | You get both the prequel events and the modern presentation of the first main incident |
Whichever opening you choose, do not restart the route simply because you selected the release-and-reveal option. The difference affects pacing and context, not whether the subsequent games fit together.
Where the 2027 Code: Veronica remake belongs
When the remake launches, place it after RE3 Remake and before RE4 Remake. That position remains correct whether you play the original now or wait for the remake.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesCapcom has announced the 2027 release year but has not supplied an exact release date or further details. Until a date is confirmed, the practical choices are:
- Play now: use the original Code: Veronica in the chronological slot, then continue to RE4 Remake.
- Wait for the remake: stop after RE3 Remake, play the new Code: Veronica when it releases in 2027, and then play RE4 Remake.
- Remake-only run before launch: go from RE3 Remake to RE4 Remake, recognizing that Code: Veronica has not yet received its remake.
Do not place the 2027 remake after RE4 merely because it releases later. Release order and story order are different, just as they are for RE0 and the original first game.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What “remake-focused” means for this route
This guide uses remakes where the available data establishes a modern remake and uses the original game where the remake is still pending. That produces a practical sequence rather than pretending every chapter has a current remake.
- Resident Evil 0: optional prequel; no remake is required for the route described here.
- Resident Evil (2002): use the remake as the modern first-game version.
- Resident Evil 2 and 3: use their remakes; their shared outbreak period is the main ordering complication.
- Code: Veronica: use the original until the announced 2027 remake is released.
- Resident Evil 4: use the 2023 remake, which retells the original 2005 title.
The wider numbered series continues beyond RE4, but those later entries are outside this remake-order question. They do not change the placement of the games listed above.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Release-and-reveal order versus strict chronology
Readers often use “story order” to mean two different things. Strict chronology asks when events happen inside the fiction. Release-and-reveal order asks when players were originally expected to learn the information.
| Approach | Recommended sequence | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Strict chronology | RE0, RE1 Remake, RE2 Remake, RE3 Remake, Code: Veronica, RE4 Remake | Players who want the earliest fictional event first |
| Newcomer-friendly remake route | RE1 Remake, RE2 Remake, RE3 Remake, Code: Veronica, RE4 Remake; add RE0 before RE1 later if desired | Players who want the clearest introduction and modern versions first |
| Remakes available before 2027 | RE1 Remake, RE2 Remake, RE3 Remake, RE4 Remake | Players who do not want to use the original Code: Veronica |
| Chronology with the 2027 remake | RE0 if desired, RE1 Remake, RE2 Remake, RE3 Remake, Code: Veronica remake, RE4 Remake | Players willing to wait for the announced remake |
The first two sequences are both defensible. The first is earlier in fictional time; the second preserves a more natural introduction to the series. The RE2-to-RE3 decision is separate: even in a strict route, you can either split RE3 around its Carlos change or finish RE2 first for a cleaner playthrough.
A practical checklist before you start
- Decide whether “story order” means strict chronology or a smoother newcomer route.
- If choosing strict chronology, begin with RE0; otherwise begin with the 2002 remake.
- Use the 2002 remake as your first-game version rather than trying to combine multiple editions.
- Play RE2 Remake before RE3 Remake for the least confusing whole-game sequence.
- Choose between the full-RE3 route and the optional split around the Carlos campaign change.
- Insert Code: Veronica between RE3 and RE4, using the original until the 2027 remake releases.
- Finish with RE4 Remake, released March 24, 2023 and based on the original 2005 game.
Common ordering mistakes
Putting RE3 entirely after RE2 as if there were no overlap
RE2 followed by all of RE3 is a useful convenience, but the games depict overlapping parts of the same September 1998 outbreak. Treat the sequence as a whole-game compromise, not a claim that every RE3 event happens afterward.
Putting Code: Veronica after RE4 because its remake is newer
The announced remake’s 2027 release year says when the new version is expected, not where the story belongs. Code: Veronica remains between the Raccoon City chapters and RE4.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Assuming RE0 must always be first
RE0 is first only under strict fictional chronology. Beginning with the 2002 remake is a valid choice when you want the original release-and-reveal shape adapted to modern gameplay.
Expecting every chapter to have a current remake
The route is remake-focused, not remake-exclusive. Code: Veronica’s modern version is scheduled for 2027, so the original is the available option for a complete chronological run before then.
Final recommended route
For most players starting now, use Resident Evil (2002), Resident Evil 2 Remake, Resident Evil 3 Remake, the original Code: Veronica, and Resident Evil 4 Remake. Add Resident Evil 0 before the first game if strict chronology matters more than release-and-reveal pacing. When the Code: Veronica remake arrives in 2027, replace the original in that same story slot.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
