Ranking Every Iconic Resident Evil Setting: Which One Reigns Supreme?

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Resident Evil is one of the most outstanding survival horror franchises of all time, and its settings are a big part of this sterling reputation. Each Resident Evil game lives and dies on the back of its environmental context, which informs both tone and moment-to-moment gameplay, though some backdrops have endured the test of time better than others.

There are a few key components that make a Resident Evil setting work well. One of them is originality: iconic locales like the Spencer Mansion helped form the backbone of both Resident Evil and survival horror as a whole due to their unique aesthetic and structure. But layout, cohesiveness, and visual design are all important factors to consider as well, and the franchise has experimented quite a bit over the years, toying around with these puzzle pieces in different ways. Not all of this experimentation has been for the best, though.

The following list will only feature major Resident Evil releases: minor spin-offs like Darkside Chronicles and mobile games will be omitted. The list will also focus exclusively on the dominant location of each game, ignoring settings like the ubiquitous third-act laboratory.

S-Tier: Resident Evil’s Cream of the Crop

  • The Baker House: Resident Evil 7
  • Spencer Mansion: Resident Evil
  • Raccoon City Police Department: Resident Evil 2 & Resident Evil 2 Remake

The best Resident Evil settings have a few important things in common. They all retain a strong central identity, usually carried by a core theme or contextual element, they are all visually interesting, and, perhaps most importantly, they all facilitate hard-hitting survival horror gameplay mechanics. As such, this tier favors those games that take place in one core location rather than several. The Baker House, Spencer Mansion, and Raccoon City Police Department all retain a strong visual and tonal identity throughout, but they also uphold the puzzle-box gameplay that defines Resident Evil.

Moving through the Spencer Mansion or RCPD is an exercise in constant backtracking and clue-hunting, with the games urging players to form a mental map of each area. It’s within these settings that core design principles like inventory management are at their best, as players can engage in strategic thinking about which items to collect and when. Familiarity can also service horror, as the games can subvert player expectations, as seen with stalker enemies like Mr. X and Jack Baker.

In simple terms, Resident Evil 7 was designed to be both a fresh beginning and a return to the franchise’s roots, and its setting in deep-Louisiana (modeled after the Spencer Mansion) played a significant role in achieving these objectives.

A-Tier: Good Old-Fashioned Resident Evil

  • The Village: Resident Evil Village
  • Spain: Resident Evil 4 & Resident Evil 4 Remake
  • Raccoon City: Resident Evil 3 & Resident Evil 3 Remake
  • Rockfort Island: Resident Evil: Code Veronica
  • The Queen Zenobia: Resident Evil Revelations

This tier is home to some truly incredible locales, including the rural Spain of Resident Evil 4 and the unsettling titular village of Resident Evil Village. Such settings are certainly visually striking and jam-packed with secrets, not to mention terrifying, but they are held back from being the best of the best for various reasons. In the case of RE4, it’s the linear and transient nature of the Spanish setting, while Village‘s vaguely European backdrop isn’t as well-defined and memorable as something like the impeccably recreated Louisiana of its predecessor.

The Queen Zenobia is a nice spin on the traditional Resident Evil escape room premise, putting players on a luxury ship instead of a gaudy mansion, and Rockfort Island’s decidedly isolated position makes up for its relative lack of visual flair. Then there are the streets of Raccoon City that Jill explores in Resident Evil 3, which are a breath of fresh air (literally) but not as cohesive as something like the RCPD or Spencer Mansion. Ultimately, while these locations hit all the right notes and definitely have unique elements, they fall just slightly short of the series’ best.

B-Tier: Solid, Non-Spectacular Resident Evil Settings

  • The Arklay Mountains: Resident Evil 0
  • Baltic Island: Resident Evil Revelations 2

Resident Evil 0 just barely misses getting an A-Tier ranking. By far, the greatest strength of 0‘s setting is its pure originality: most of the game takes place on a moving train, which makes for a lot of visually and mechanically interesting moments. However, the train itself can often be frustrating to navigate, and the novelty wears off before players get back on solid ground. Once they do get off the train, the other settings are derivative and uninteresting by comparison.

The nondescript Baltic Island of Resident Evil Revelations 2 has similar issues. The story kicks off in a decrepit prison, which does a great job of establishing the game’s identity and focus on fear as a tangible concept, but the subsequent areas aren’t nearly as captivating. They aren’t bad by any means, but certainly more forgettable and bland.

C-Tier: Disappointing Resident Evil Locales

  • Africa: Resident Evil 5
  • Globe-Trotting: Resident Evil 6

Resident Evil 5 often gets a bad rap despite its many clear strengths, particularly with respect to the action part of the action-survival-horror equation. However, the game fumbles a bit with its African setting, which is astonishingly ugly when viewed today. It is defined by the gray and brown tones that dominated the games of its era, though this color-grading is especially bad in RE5, as zombies will blend into the environment. This, coupled with the game’s tendency toward linear design, makes Africa among Resident Evil‘s weaker settings, which is unfortunate.

Resident Evil 6‘s myriad locations aren’t quite as visually offensive as RE5‘s, but they certainly feel unfocused. This game takes players all over the world, through a series of linear and short-lived environments, which never get the time or attention they need to establish their own identity. RE6‘s setting is essentially the antithesis of those in the S-Tier, which are consistent, dense, and mechanically interesting.

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2025-03-18 19:28