Resident Evil Games With The Best Atmosphere

Key Takeaways

• Resident Evil excels in creating iconic, immersive, and eerie environments like the Spencer Mansion and Raccoon City.
• Resident Evil: Revelations 2 on Sein Island showcases an oppressive atmosphere that escalates naturally over time.
• Resident Evil 4 shifted the game design, introducing new enemies and a dark, seedy atmosphere in an undisclosed Spanish location.

Ever since Capcom gave life to its survival horror franchise, Resident Evil has been one of the most influential and successful IPs on the market. Its commitment to horror and atmosphere is commendable, as its exploration of science gone wrong has become one of the industry’s most endearing sagas. And with any great horror franchise comes a key aspect of the genre, which is the ability to create an alluring and sinister atmosphere.

Resident Evil features iconic locations like the Spencer Mansion and Raccoon City Police Department. As Resident Evil often drops the player into a single, evolving environment, it allows for these worlds to feel alive and elicit the type of fear that only Capcom can produce. These games have been ranked on their art direction, music, and world design, as the franchise has prided itself on crafting experiences that combine atmospheric environments and intricate worlds.

7 Resident Evil: Revelations 2

Episodic Horror Game Takes Place On An Isolated Island

By the time Resident Evil: Revelations 2 launched in 2015, it had been fifteen long years since Claire Redfield starred in a mainline title in the series. This episodic adventure is set on Sein Island, an isolated mass of land located in the Baltic Sea. Its sparse, lonely feeling is punctuated by its dark, narrow hallways nestled inside old Soviet military bases while venturing outside into its more open areas adds a sense of environmental evolution that is one of the franchise’s key ingredients.

Revelations 2‘s atmosphere is oppressive and escalates naturally over time, as the stories of Claire Redfield and Barry Burton intertwine organically. Both campaigns rely on the themes of parental responsibility, as navigating the dark hallways of Sein Island sees the vulnerable AI partners of Claire and Barry having to come into their own.

6 Resident Evil 7: Biohazard

Frightening Reboot Set In The Confined Hallways Of The Baker Farmhouse

After Resident Evil 6, Capcom gave their survival horror series a bit of a well-earned break, as the franchise had been veering into a heavy focus on action. It proved to be the right decision, as Resident Evil 7: Biohazard took the series back to its roots, abandoning the globe-trotting action of RE5 and 6 for an intimate first-person horror adventure set in a single, secluded location.

Set inside the walls of the Baker Farmhouse, Resident Evil 7 is a tight, concise horror story that echoes the feelings of isolation and paranoia that the original game used so effectively. Ethan Winters’ journey through the farmhouse is a bleak, truly frightening experience, one that relies on tension and quiet moments to enhance its more horrific moments. The creaking hallways of the Baker Farmhouse are lined with sinister intent, as creeping through trying to avoid Jack and his family leads to some of the franchise’s most harrowing moments.

5 Resident Evil CODE:Veronica

Traditional Resident Evil Game Explores Twisted Family Dynamics

As one of the last traditional games in the franchise to feature fixed camera angles and tank controls, Resident Evil Code: Veronica was released during a fascinating time of change and evolution for the series. Resident Evil 4 was four years away and the franchise was still steeped in its origins. Code: Veronica’s dark, complex tale of family and betrayal was one of the Dreamcast’s most exciting horror experiences.

The environments are expertly crafted, making great use of the powerful Dreamcast hardware. The details within the environments tell their own stories, while the notes and diaries left behind are quintessential Resident Evil, chronicling the twisted bond between siblings Alexia and Alfred Ashford. Their bizarre relationship mirrors that of Claire and Chris Redfield, as the tone and energy of Code:Veronica almost resembles a Gothic horror novel.

4 Resident Evil

Remake Of PS1 Classic Is One Of The GameCube’s Most Affective Horror Games

After teaming up with Nintendo for an agreement that eventually led to the infamous Capcom Five, the two giants signed a deal to bring Resident Evil to the GameCube. But having felt that the original game’s graphics didn’t hold up, series creator Shinji Mikami returned to the series to take the director’s chair, crafting a meticulously detailed, highly compelling remake that is still one of the GameCube’s most spectacular horror games.

The Spencer Mansion has never looked better, brought to life with stunning detail via the game’s incredible pre-rendered backgrounds. They are peppered with a thick, dark atmosphere, as wandering through the halls of the insidious mansion is still absolutely fantastic. The droning, pulsing musical score is the perfect accompaniment, as every element of the game’s sound design and art direction work together masterfully.

3 Resident Evil 3: Nemesis

Final PS1 Resident Evil Game Focuses On Jill Valentine Escaping Raccoon City

Originally conceived as a side story, the third and final Resident Evil game of the PS1 generation was eventually given the subtitle Nemesis and promoted to mainline status. Focusing on Jill Valentine’s desperate escape from the crumbling Raccoon City, Resident Evil 3: Nemesis uses finely detailed pre-rendered backgrounds and has a sense of looming, unfettered dread that filters throughout the entire game.

Jill’s ongoing confrontation with an Umbrella-created killing machine named Nemesis, as this mammoth beast hunts the former S.T.A.R.S. member down with reckless abandon. His presence permeates the entire game, as walking through the streets of Raccoon City feels ominous at all times. Resident Evil 3 does its best to create one of the most uneasy, intimidating atmospheres in gaming.

2 Resident Evil 2

Full Remake Of Legendary PS1 Horror Game Relies On Dark Atmosphere

When it came time to finally remake Resident Evil 2 for modern hardware, Capcom wasn’t interested in a simple touch-up. Rather, they used their new engine, which powered Resident Evil 7: Biohazard in its debut. With its stunning art direction, fantastic musical score, and commitment to what made the original game so special, Resident Evil 2 was one of the most chilling and enthralling horror games of its generation.

Set in the confines of the Raccoon City Police Department and an explosive finale in the NEST lab, Resident Evil 2 relies on a dark, moody atmosphere and some of the most amazing cutscenes seen during the seventh generation. The creaky hallways of the RCPD are thick with tension, as the arrival of Mr. X adds an extra layer of paranoia to the whole affair. Its claustrophobic level design and phenomenal pacing are outstanding, as this densely packed horror experience is still one of the franchise’s most immersive entries.

1 Resident Evil 4

Led The Franchise In A Bold New Direction

To move the franchise forward, expanding beyond what the series had done just one console generation ago, Capcom used the seemingly unlimited potential of new hardware to power Resident Evil 4. Shifting away from pre-rendered backgrounds and fixed camera angles, Resident Evil 4 took the camera directly behind Leon Kennedy and equipped him with pinpoint accurate weapons, changing not just the dynamic of how the series plays, but how it can be experienced.

The shift in game design required new, faster enemies, while also taking the opportunity to relocate the action out of the suburbs, settling into an undisclosed location in Spain. The opening hours of Resident Evil 4 are heavy with a seedy, unfriendly atmosphere, as Leon and Ashley make their way through the creepy villages and abandoned shacks. While Leon arrives in the day, the transition to night makes the whole game feel on edge, as the distant screams of Plagas-infected villagers are enough to make one’s skin crawl. This dynamic carries over into the second half, where the game combines this darkness with more of an action-adventure feel, as this expertly designed masterpiece continues to be one of the most influential games of all time.