Highlights
- Capcom excels at using music to build tension and intensity in games like Resident Evil 3 and Resident Evil 4.
- Resident Evil 0's haunting soundtrack is a highlight, showcasing a range of melodies that enhance the eerie atmosphere.
- Resident Evil 2's iconic soundtrack brings every area to life, with memorable tracks that enhance the cinematic experience.
Music plays a huge part in the survival horror experience, as it's one of the main tools developers will use to create a sense of dread and anxiety during the player's adventure. In the case of Capcom, they've proven countless times that they know exactly how to use a music track to full effect, as seen in games like Devil May Cry and Street Fighter, but the Resident Evil series might just be the biggest and most prolific example of this.
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These games have become admired for their unsettling yet also peaceful and ambient soundtracks, which help to make the experience of playing them all the more memorable. There isn't a single entry in the series which contains a bad OST, but when it comes to impact, and how memorable they are overall, these games below are often said to contain the best tunes Resident Evil has to offer.
6 Resident Evil 3
Oppressive Industrial-Style Music Adds To The Game's Tension
The presence of Nemesis in Resident Evil 3 created a sense of lingering anxiety which would carry through to the end of the game. This is partly reflected in the fast-paced and chaotic gameplay, but the music also goes a long way in ramping up the intensity. Jill's theme at the beginning of the game, for example, has a very militaristic and action-heavy intensity to it which thrusts players right into the heat of the story.
After Nemesis inevitably shows up to confront Jill, the music only starts to become more oppressive from there, with haunting tracks like "Is There A Way Out?" keeping players on their toes while venturing through Raccoon City. Of course, there's also the loud and bombastic "Nemesis Theme," which acts as a warning sign to the player whenever the behemoth starts getting a little too close for comfort.
5 Resident Evil 0
Many See Resident Evil 0's Haunting Soundtrack As The Highlight Of The Game
While not everyone was a fan of Resident Evil 0's ambitious dual-protagonist gameplay, one thing that really stood out to a lot of them as a highlight was the music. Though this game sticks to the slow and ambient music which the series had become known for at the time, it also showed a lot of range, which really helped to make the soundtrack feel fresh and varied. The chaotic and high-octane melodies on the train, for example, are contrasted by the more somber Training Facility theme, which might just be one of the creepiest tracks in the series.
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Resident Evil 0 also stands out for its gothic inspirations, with a lot of the music featuring plenty of harrowing choir harmonies and harsh piano keys which feed into the game's wider aesthetic. A prime example of this is James Marcus' theme, which does a lot to make him seem like a truly menacing antagonist when he shows up near the end of the adventure.
4 Resident Evil
The Very First Game Uses Minimalistic Tracks To Create A Big Impact
The first Resident Evil game, and its remake, don't utilize music quite as much as the later games would, but this just means that when a track does play, it immediately stands out as being intentional and effective. This not only goes for the room themes, which add to the uneasy atmosphere, but also the character and monster themes, which give little hints as to who these people really are, and how players should feel about them.
Wesker's theme, for example, is mysterious and subdued, while the Tyrant always has a spine-chilling track which plays on the numerous occasions where he shows up in the story. Of course, the minimalistic Save Room theme has also become iconic for how simple yet powerful it is as a comforting tune of safety. It's still nice to have the peace and quiet of the mansion's main hall, but Resident Evil has such a fantastic array of musical tracks that it really is worth exploring every room possible, even just to hear what interesting songs are out there.
3 Resident Evil 4
The Action Gameplay Of Is Complimented By A Dark And Unforgettable Soundtrack
Many people consider Resident Evil 4 to be somewhere between a horror and an action game in terms of gameplay, but when it comes to music, it leans all the way into the former genre, almost even more than its predecessors. Resident Evil 4 has a very dark, dreary, and chilling soundtrack, but there's another reason why it stands out for so many people. In this game, music is programmed to switch off every time enemies in proximity disappear after being killed by Leon.
A lot of the time, enemies will be positioned just out of range, which leaves these melodies playing over and over again, adding an immense sense of dread, even if there's only a single Ganado left standing. Resident Evil 4 can also get pretty relaxing with its tracks, such as with "Serenity," which plays in a select few safe rooms throughout the game, along with the typewriter melody that triggers when saving a game.
2 Resident Evil CODE: Veronica
Features A Staggering Range Of Musical Variety Throughout The Story
Resident Evil CODE: Veronica is radically different from the games that came before it, with its non-Racoon City setting and gothic aesthetic, but those weren't the only big departures, as the music also experienced a big change with this entry. Rather than only inserting it at certain intervals, music is constantly playing in Code Veronica, and it sounds much more lively and noticeable this time around thanks to the mixture of melodies and instruments.
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What also helps is how much range there is between the tracks. One moment, players will be treated to a vampiric piano and violin combo with "The Suspended Doll" in the Private Residence, before then hearing a genuinely heartbreaking track that accompanies the death of Steve's father. Many also argue that CODE: Veronica contains the best save room theme in the series, which is certainly saying something given the astonishing tracks it's going up against.
1 Resident Evil 2
Feels Big And Bombastic Thanks To Its Now-Iconic Soundtrack
Resident Evil 2
- Platform(s)
- Dreamcast , Nintendo 64 , Nintendo GameCube , PC , PS1
- Released
- January 21, 1998
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
After the enormous success of Resident Evil in 1996, it was clear Capcom wanted to be much bigger and bolder with the sequel. The end result ended up feeling a lot more theatrical, not only in its story, but also the soundtrack. Resident Evil 2's music brings every single area to life. Whether it be the dark and gloomy corridors of the RPD, the murky slums of the sewers, or even the final fight through the laboratory, all of these sections contain a medley of appropriate tracks, many of which have gone down as iconic in the series' history.
The classic Front Hall melody, for example, is a tune no longtime fan can ever forget, along with the comforting save room theme, and the incredibly dark song which plays during the creepy escapade through the police station basement. In line with the more cinematic angle of the game, Capcom also added a lot of emotional songs like "One More Kiss," which added a lot of weight to certain character deaths, and really hammering home just how sad and distressing the Raccoon City incident really is.
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