Original release: Nintendo GameCube, PlayStation 2 (2005)

Play it now on: PS4/Xbox One (2016) for the graphics, or Wii (2007) for the superior controls

Asserting that Resident Evil 4 is the best game of the series may be a tad controversial as far as hardcore fans are concerned, since many blame it for triggering the franchise’s slide into a more action-oriented cul-de-sac. However, it’s a magnificent effort which is routinely cited as one of the best games ever. 

The last Resident Evil game directed by series creator Shinji Mikami, it pioneered the “over-the-shoulder” third-person viewpoint, and bombarded players with loads more mutants than previous games, shaking up the survival-horror genre with an extra dash of third-person shooting. 

Protagonist Leon Kennedy also acquired a very useful kick for when mutants got too close. 

A stone-cold classic, it was subsequently ported to the PS3, Xbox 360 the Wii and, most recently, the Xbox One and PS4. Play the current gen version if you want the best graphics, but the Wii version has arguably the best controls.