There are a total of 30 Resident Evil Games, eight of which are part of the mainline, with the ninth being Requiem. Resident Evil Requiem will take players back to Raccoon City, making it heavily connected to past in-game events. Unfortunately, if you are new to the franchise, it is simply not possible to play all 30 games before playing Requiem. But not playing any would leave you completely in the dark. So, here are the Resident Evil games you must play before starting Requiem in their correct order.
Resident Evil
If you want to start understanding the story before you play Resident Evil Requiem, then you should start at the very beginning. Resident Evil introduces players to Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield, two of the main protagonists of the franchise, while also revealing Albert Wesker and Oswell E. Spencer, who are considered the main overarching villains that started everything.
Here you will learn about Umbrella Corporation’s initial experimentation for creating bio weapons that started the entire zombie epidemic. The characters in this game constantly appear or are referenced throughout the franchise, so definitely check it out if you don’t want to be lost while playing.
Resident Evil 0 (Optional)
Resident Evil 0 is not the first entry of the franchise, but it shares the story events before the first Resident Evil. The incidents of Zero happen slightly before the main story of Resident Evil, when Chris and Jill first appear at the Spencer Mansion.
This game fills the plot holes of the first Resident Evil and is, overall, a good starting point. However, it is not a requirement to understand the main storyline, so you can essentially skip it.
Resident Evil 2
Resident Evil 2 is the first game where Leon is the protagonist, and it starts everything for the iconic hero. If you are planning to play Resident Evil Requiem, I highly recommend you try out Resident Evil 2 first.
The game introduces Leon, Clair Redfield, and is the first game where Ada Wong appears. All of the game’s shenanigans take place in Racoon City, and it eventually sets up the entire story for Requiem.
Resident Evil 3 (Optional)
The events of Resident Evil 3 take place simultaneously with Resident Evil 2, both happening at the iconic Raccoon City. This game has Jill Valentine as the main protagonist, who is constantly chased by the Nemesis. Although you don’t really need to play RE3 to follow Leon and Grace’s story, it is still tied to Racoon City and is, in general, one of the coolest games in the franchise.
Resident Evil Outbreak (Optional)
Resident Evil Outbreak is a PlayStation 2 game that follows the story of multiple characters who are trying to survive the initial T-Virus outbreak in Raccoon City. The core reason you should try out this game is the appearance of Alyssa Ashcroft, a reporter who is investigating the Umbrella Corporation.
Alyssa is Grace’s mother, who is one of the protagonists of Requiem, and she will play a big role in the story. However, the game is only available on PlayStation 2, so it’s better to read a summary of the story events or watch a video instead of playing it now.
Resident Evil 4
Resident Evil 4 is the second mainline game where Leon is the protagonist. This is the first game where Leon is the solo protagonist, and this is when he truly becomes one of the fan favorite characters in the franchise. RE4 is arguably the best Resident Evil game, and its recent remake is equally amazing.
Here you will learn how Leon has started working for the government and will again get to meet Ada Wong. If you want to get a complete Resident Evil experience, then RE4 is the best game to try out.
Resident Evil 6 (Optional)
Resident Evil 6 is the most ambitious game from Capcom for the franchise. The game brought all the major Resident Evil characters together and had four interwoven campaigns, one of which followed Leon. Now, the story itself doesn’t have direct connections with Requiem, but it is still vital to the overall lore. This is also the longest game in the franchise, so if you are short on time, I suggest that you skip it.
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
Resident Evil 7 Biohazard introduced the first faceless protagonist, named Ethan. The story of Ethan is highly relevant to Resident Evil lore, and you shouldn’t skip it if possible. Here, you will be introduced to the Baker Family and a fungus that infects humans named the Mold.
This is relevant to Requiem because a newspaper note revealed that Alyssa Ashcroft was investigating the Baker Family. So, the story of Resident Evil Requiem can be connected to RE7.
Resident Evil Village
Resident Evil Village is the last entry in the franchise, and it is a direct sequel to RE7 Biohazard. This game also follows Ethan and introduces us to Mother Miranda, a new antagonist. Long story short, Mother Miranda was the person who mentored Oswell E. Spencer, the founder of Umbrella Corporations. It was the Mold that Oswell used to create all the bio weapons. Resident Evil Village is a must-play game in the franchise if you want to understand the full context of the game’s story.
So, these are the Resident Evil games you must play before Resident Evil Requiem. The franchise is one of the longest and most interconnected in gaming history, and even if you don’t play them all, you should at least go over the storyline. Did we miss out on any must-play games that connect to Requiem? Let us know in the comments.
