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For the closest in-story order, play the 2002 Resident Evil remake, begin Resident Evil 3 (2020), pause during its hospital section when control shifts to Carlos, play Resident Evil 2 (2019), then finish Resident Evil 3 and play Resident Evil 4 (2023). The pause is optional: Capcom confirms that RE2 and RE3 overlap, but does not prescribe a mid-game switch.
Choose between chronological order and uninterrupted campaigns
There are two sensible ways to play the early remakes. The chronology-first approach places the Raccoon City stories alongside one another; the simpler approach lets you finish each campaign before starting the next.
| Approach | Order | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chronology-first | Resident Evil (2002 remake) → opening of Resident Evil 3 (2020) → Resident Evil 2 (2019) → rest of Resident Evil 3 → Resident Evil 4 (2023) | Players who want the Raccoon City events aligned as closely as practical. | You must stop and resume RE3; the suggested breakpoint is editorial guidance, not a Capcom rule. |
| Finish each game | Resident Evil (2002 remake) → Resident Evil 2 (2019) → Resident Evil 3 (2020) → Resident Evil 4 (2023) | Players who prefer a simple list and uninterrupted campaigns. | RE2 starts after RE3 has already begun in the story chronology. |
If you do not want to interrupt a campaign, use the second order. It is a practical play order, not a claim that RE2 happens entirely before RE3.
Why Resident Evil 2 and 3 overlap
Capcom’s official Resident Evil timeline dates the Mansion Incident in Resident Evil to July 24, 1998. The Raccoon City outbreak stories follow in September: RE3 begins September 28, while RE2 is dated September 29. Capcom says RE3 Remake “starts one day before RE2: Remake and ends during the final days of Raccoon City.” These are concurrent accounts of the same outbreak, rather than two cleanly sequential incidents.
#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.
For a chronology-oriented run, GamesRadar’s March 18, 2026 chronological guide recommends playing the first portion of RE3, then RE2, then returning to RE3. It suggests pausing around the hospital sequence, when control changes to Carlos. That is a useful optional marker, not an official division set by Capcom. If it disrupts your enjoyment, complete RE3 in one sitting instead.
Where the other remakes fit
Resident Evil (2002 remake)
The remake retells the Mansion Incident, dated July 24, 1998 on Capcom’s timeline. It comes before the September outbreak in Raccoon City.
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.
Resident Evil 4 (2023 remake)
After the 1998 stories, the timeline places Resident Evil 4 in autumn 2004. Capcom describes the 2023 release as a remake of the 2005 game; its announcement gives a March 24, 2023 release date. See Capcom’s RE4 remake announcement.
Do you need to play the original games first?
The remakes retell corresponding incidents and preserve the broad chronology, but the available official descriptions do not establish that every scene or story detail matches the originals exactly. Capcom calls its 2019 Resident Evil 2 a reimagining of the 1998 game and its 2023 Resident Evil 4 a remake of the 2005 game. The sources do not define a formal pair of separate “original” and “remake” continuities, so it is safer not to treat “two timelines” as an established official rule.
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- 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.
You can approach the remakes as retellings without first playing the original releases. Playing the older games is a choice for historical comparison, not a prerequisite established by Capcom. Capcom’s announcement for the 2019 RE2 identifies it as a reimagining and gives its January 25, 2019 release date.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Buying the remakes as a set
Capcom lists a digital Resident Evil Remake Trilogy bundle for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC (Steam). It includes Resident Evil 2 Deluxe Edition, Resident Evil 3, Resident Evil 4 Gold Edition, and additional content such as Resident Evil Resistance, the RE3 Classic Costume Pack, and RE4 The Mercenaries. Capcom warns that RE4 Gold Edition is not compatible with Xbox One and advises checking each storefront and avoiding duplicate purchases of items sold separately. Consult Capcom’s Remake Trilogy bundle page and your platform’s store for current listings.
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.
For Switch 2, Capcom’s September 10, 2026 announcement schedules digital editions of RE2 Deluxe Edition, RE3, and RE4 Gold Edition for October 16, 2026, with physical editions scheduled for January 29, 2027. Those dates are future-dated relative to the announcement, so check Capcom’s Switch 2 release announcement and the local storefront for current availability.
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