While the release ofResident Evil 4 Remakemarked the return of Leon Kennedy and viciously delightful knife kills in the remaking of gaming’s best escort mission, fans of both classicResident Eviland modernResident Evilmay feel frustrated that theRE4 Remakealso takes the singleplayer-only mantra of its original version. Just like Leon’s first foray in his mission to save Ashley Graham,RE4 Remakedoesn’t have a co-op mode that would let players enjoy taking down zombies with their friends.
Thankfully, otherResident Evilgames allow players to team up and break up heads in the most action-packed ways the franchise can offer. Aside from staple partnerships in mainline titles as well as more competitive game modes, someResident Evilgames are outright multiplayer on the get-go and even feature unique mechanics.
Updated on July 22, 2025 by Rhenn Taguiam:With Leon and Ashley’s adventure inResident Evil 4being the latestResident Eviltitle to get a remake, fans of the acclaimed survival horror franchise are right to speculate that Chris and Sheva’s journey inResident Evil 5is likely the next title in the long-running series to get a much-needed refresh. While news of anRE5remake is yet to be confirmed, Capcom did at least announce a newResident Evilproject is in the works. For fans who want to sink their teeth into moreResident Evilfun, perhaps playing multiplayer sessions with friends can add much-needed thrills while waiting for the new release. However, just what can they expect from other entries in the franchise?
This is a historical piece and containsResident Eviltitles that have had some form of cooperative experience. Some of these games might not have an active multiplayer component anymore, which will be noted under each entry.
Multiplayer Status
2-Player Couch Co-Op, no online option
Lovers of theResident Evilfranchise looking for more character development instead of ahardlineResident Evilstorymay enjoy the anthology of stories offered inResident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles. While the game offers a new perspective of Jack Krauser and Leon Kennedy’s relationship in a mission to uncover more secrets of the T-Virus,The Darkside Chroniclesalso re-explores some iconic moments in previous games.
Such scenarios include a retelling of Claire Redfield and Leon’s journey in protecting Sherry against the monstrous “G” in Raccoon City, Steve Burnside and Claire’s attempt to escape Rockfort Island, and a deeper look into Krauser’s mindset as he accompanied Leon in the main game’s mission. Being a rail shooter,The Darkside Chroniclesis a more linear action experience, with its co-op being available at the onset.
The Darkside Chronicles: How Did It Fare In Co-Op?
Being a rail shooter with an active co-op component,The Darkside Chroniclesplays like a traditional arcade shooter. All chapters are available for multiplayer from the get-go, allowing two players to tackle missions more efficiently to get into story segments much faster. Sadly, the game doesn’t offer much replayability after going through all the chapters with a friend, especially with the limited mechanics that rail shooters offer.
Status Of Multiplayer In Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles (2009)
Unlike other multiplayerResident Evilexperiences,The Darkside Chroniclesis exclusively a two-person co-op experience. It doesn’t support online co-op or LAN-based experiences, and instead only facilitates playing locally. This means players who own the game can grab a second controller and have another person act as Player-2 to their Player-1, where both of them will share a screen in the light rail shooter.
A Quick Look At The Darkside Chronicles
Like theUmbrella Chronicles, gameplay inThe Darkside Chroniclesis that of a light rail shooter. Players configure their controllers from the main menu and start playing through chapters. After a prologue, the characters will start walking independently from a first-person perspective while players point at incoming zombies and start shooting them. The game will sometimes provide quick-time events to avoid damage from certain bosses.
Capcom
Platforms
Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation 3, Wii U, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
Online co-op is available provided there’s a friend who owns the game who can play
After Leon S.Kennedy saves Ashley Graham from the clutches of the Los Iluminados inResident Evil 4, OG protagonists Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield investigate the Queen Zenobia submarine for remnants of a bio-terrorist organization inResident Evil: Revelations.Playing like a typicalResident Evilexperience, players need to outlast countless zombies with limited ammunition and more calculated gameplay.
However,Revelationsoffers a more constrained experience, given the limited space of a submarine. WhereRevelationsshines as a multiplayer experience is its more action-paced Raid Mode, where up to two players try to overcome hordes of upgraded opponents in various modified single-player scenarios.
Revelations: How Did It Fare In Co-Op?
Unlike other recentResident Evilgames with partners as protagonists,Revelationsdoesn’t support co-op in its campaign mode. Much of its multiplayer experience is encountered in the arcade-esque Raid Mode. The end of each level rewards players with loot based on their performance, with Raid Mode itself ending once players get too overwhelmed in the stage they’re in. While technically replayable, Raid Mode may end up being too repetitive for players to enjoy in the long term.
Status Of Multiplayer In Resident Evil: Revelations (2012)
Unfortunately forResident Evil: Revelations, its campaign mode doesn’t support co-op play, nor does it support couch co-op and even LAN play. However, its arcade-inspired Raid Mode lets players use Jill Valentine, Chris Redfield, and the elusive HUNK across stages inspired by the story mode’s levels where they are awarded based on their Performance.
A Quick Look At Revelations
UnlikeRevelations 2, the firstRevelationstitle only had Raid Mode as its multiplayer option. Teams of two can create and customize unique characters they take across various levels, with the intent of surviving as long as possible. Completing levels will reward players with currency they can use to upgrade their arsenal and buy cosmetics.
Active, but its lack of users makes matchmaking difficult
ReleasedalongsideResident Evil 3 Remakeas an online gameplay experience,Resident Evil: Resistancetakes the cooperative nature ofLeft 4 DeadandEvolveand adds a uniqueResident Evilfeel to it. In essence, the game plays like a dungeon simulator, wherein a player mastermind summons enemies and sets up traps for another player team to traverse. Story-wise, the game took place just before the Raccoon City Destruction Incident, where the Umbrella Intelligence Division abducted groups of civilians to test their resilience against the many test experiments of the T-Virus project.
In turn, options for both Survivors and Masterminds in the game take the form of various characters that have some form of relation to Raccoon City and Umbrella Corporation, adding a bit of depth to the franchise’s overall lore. While the gameplay loop of players being able to contend in a wide variety of custom scenarios, the game’s lack of dedicated servers and instead mediocre matchmaking forced Capcom to close support for the system in 2020. Either way, players with a copy of the game willing to grab some friends or deal with the game’s potentially faulty servers may have a blast with this game - especially when they get a match.
Resistance: How Did It Fare In Co-Op?
There’s potential in the 4v1 gameplay ofResistance, but its relentless reliance on time-based rounds can’t give players enough opportunity to appreciate the game’s wealth of unique mechanics. The Mastermind has the unique privilege of laying down traps, summoning monsters, and even locking doors to delay Survivors as much as possible, givingResident Evila unique dungeon-building flair. Meanwhile, Survivors having unique skills on top of being able to kill zombies gives the closestResident Evilgot to being an RPG.
Status Of Multiplayer In Resident Evil: Resistance (2020)
While available as a DLC forResident Evil 3 Remake, Capcom has currently unlistedResistancefrom Steam, and the game won’t be available on search unless redirected from search engine results. The game remains accessible as a multiplayer game mode, although players frequently complain about its online matchmaking. However, players can engage in five-man experiences via a custom game, provided they all have copies ofRE3 Remake.
A Quick Look At Resistance
Should players find a lobby,Resistancewill shuffle players into either one of the four Survivors or the Mastermind. Both sets of players can choose their respective characters, each with special skills to deal with the environment (Survivors) or unique traps and monsters (Mastermind). Players need to find critical items to move through each map when the match begins. They can acquire healing items and weapons to kill the zombie horde and other special bosses. As the Mastermind, the player has to manage their resources to set traps and deploy zombies, which they can sometimes control. Both teams have to separate timers - the Survivors have to escape on time, and the Mastermind has to kill the Survivors within the timeframe.
Active, but low player count makes matchmaking difficult
It’sResident Evil: Umbrella Corpsthat takes a major departure from theResident Evilformula but leans heavily on the action side instead of the more survival horror focus thatRE7took. Whereas most other games try to tie to the overall bioterrorism angle of the core series,Umbrella Corpsis heavily tied to the multiplayer experience. The premise is set in two (2) periods, the single-player “The Experiment,” where Operative 3A-7 is sent to various bioterrorism locations to test anunderground Umbrella Corporation’snew anti-zombie weapons from 2012 to 2013. The multiplayer segment, meanwhile, focuses on 2016, when various smaller bioterror organizations began sending their operatives to retrieve Umbrella’s lost research.
Sadly, the game’s rather mediocre gameplay and inconsistent approach to style made it quite a letdown for many of the players who appreciated the series’ focus on lore. However, players looking for the most multiplayer-leaning entry in the franchise may want to try their hands at the closestResident Evilhas to a co-op shooter. Mechanics-wise, the game introduces a myriad of “anti-zombie” weapons that add a bit of flair to the series, as these are gadgets that offer new ways of killing zombies in the otherwise “shoot the head” gameplay model of the previous titles.
Umbrella Corps: How Did It Fare In Co-Op?
Being able to control a trained mercenary and duking it out against other soldiers is a fantasy fulfilled inUmbrella Corpsgameplay, giving players more weapons to use in cramped spaces that emphasize fast-paced mayhem. Despite replayable chaotic matches with various objectives, however, the game’s overall clunky gameplay loop can ruin its multiplayer potential. For instance, its decent shooter mechanics are hindered by a rather inconsistent cover system as well as other unreasonably powerful gadgets.
Status Of Multiplayer In Resident Evil: Umbrella Corps (2016)
Unfortunately forUmbrella Corps, its thematic faithfulness toResident Evil’s aesthetics can’t make up for a lackluster PvPvE experience. Its poor matchmaking on release had resulted in players quickly dropping the game, with very few players remaining in multiplayer lobbies to facilitate matches in recent times.
A Quick Look At Umbrella Corps
UmbrellaCorpsfocuses on more tactical combat than other multiplayer games in the franchise. Aside from close-quarters melee, players can aim while doing actions such as using tactical shields, opening doors, or even while on ladders. Special Weapons are integral to a player’s arsenal, as they can quickly kill zombies, deflect bullets, disorient enemies, or get zombies stuck. The game has many multiplayer modes, including the team deathmatch-esque One Life Match and free-for-all 4 Survivors.
Nintendo 3DS
Co-op is only available if players use System Link to play while owning copies of the game
Since therelease ofThe Mercenariesmini-gamein bothResident Evil 4andResident Evil 5, which emphasized hardcore action versus story, fans are given a taste of what aResident Evilgame would look like from the perspective of pure gunplay. Owners of the Nintendo 3DS can experience a full version of the gameplay mode inResident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D,essentially a blending of bothRE4andRE5’s missions of the same mode. The Nintendo 3DS brings a lot of technical appeal to the title, with the lower screen providing players with an interactive inventory on top of a rather flexible Skill Point system that customizes their character’s abilities.
While the game’s initial release was met with criticisms for its limited and repetitive content, hardcore fans ofResident Evilcan spend hours of their time constantly one-upping each other as their favorite protagonists whack zombies out of existence. In today’s time, where the Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck have dominated portable gaming, a blast from the past with a co-op Nintendo 3DS game can be worth the while for retro lovers.
The Mercenaries 3D: How Did It Fare In Co-Op?
While the lack of comms can makeThe Mercenaries 3Dquite a drag in multiplayer, the game’s straightforward arcade shooter mechanic makes for a fun experience to play with friends in one’s spare time. Being able to navigate small environments while blasting and dodging zombies can make for a challenging experience when done with a friend, especially with the game incentivizing friendly competition between players.
Status Of Multiplayer In Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D (2011)
Considering its status as a Nintendo 3DS title,The Mercenaries 3Donly supports multiplayer for gamers who also possess the console and the game. The game doesn’t have local and online co-op, but it does support the Nintendo 3DS’s system link functionality. In turn,The Mercenaries 3Dplayers can system link with other Nintendo 3DS owners with the game to attempt to clear the title’s increasingly difficult stages.
A Quick Look At The Mercenaries 3D
When players boot up a match with a partner, they’re taken to the same stage and are affected by the same constraints—a time limit and limited resources. Taking out enemies strategically will extend the timer for both parties, allowing players to maximize their time as both of them can kill more zombies compared to one player.
Co-op only available for players in the same space
While most Nintendo Wii games have received general scrutiny for a rather unsatisfactory approach to its Wii remote gameplay,Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chroniclessets itself apart by offering a compelling story anthology. The premise of the game follows antagonist Albert Wesker narrating the events that led to the downfall of the Umbrella Corporation post-Resident Evil 3, with the game taking players to various scenarios and “untold” events that happened acrossResident Evil 0,RE1 Remake, as well asRE3.
The gameplay ofThe Umbrella Chroniclesis akin to the on-rails shooter, where players can point and shoot at targets and pick up various upgrades and items along the way. The game’s multi-option features provide a bit of versatility to players, with cutscenes containing quick-time events to spice up gameplay. The co-op mode for the game will only appear after finishing HUNK’s “4th Survivor” mission which shows how he survived a perilous mission just hours before the destruction of Raccoon City. What makesThe Umbrella Chroniclessuch a compelling co-opResident Evilexperience is its emphasis on action and storytelling, with friends being able to stay glued to their seats without the frights that often take time to digest.
The Umbrella Chronicles: How Did It Fare In Co-Op?
As with other light gun games,The Umbrella Chroniclesoffers a decentResident Evil-flavored arcade experience fitting for players who want to explore the franchise without the stresses of the main games. Despite lacking in-depth mechanics, the value of each scenario’s story can compensate, especially with the new perspectives they offer in the events of some of the franchise’s major stories. Sadly, this does meanThe Umbrella Chroniclesisn’t a replayable experience for more hardcore players.
Status Of Multiplayer In Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles (2007)
Being a Wii experience,The Umbrella Chroniclesdoesn’t support online co-op and LAN play. However, Wii owners may be able to invite a friend over and play the game via couch co-op, where another controller can become Player 2 of the Nintendo title. Thanks to the game’s light gun-esque mechanics,The Umbrella Chroniclescan simulate arcade box experiences such asHouse of the Dead, where two players work in tandem to defeat hordes of zombies littering the stage.
A Quick Look At The Umbrella Chronicles
As a light rail shooter, players simply need to configure their controllers to select their preferred players and their load-outs. The game automatically walks players through the necessary path across the level. Instead, it’s up to players to shoot enemies across the stage as fast as possible to secure the most points and bonuses.
PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch
While there were other co-opResident Evilgames prior to 2009, it’sResident Evil 5that truly provided a co-op experience in a main title. Set years afterRE4,Chris Redfield - now an operative of the Bioterrorism Security Assessment Service(BSAA) - is sent to investigate a terrorist threat in the fictional African region of Kijuju. Accompanied by Sheva Alomar, Chris is confronted with new bioterror threats as well as a resurfacing of old enemies and former friends.
What makesResident Evil 5such an entertaining co-op is how it’s built to be played as such on the get-go. Players with no teammates can still rely on somewhat clunky AI to control Sheva, forcing a new level of tactical depth when fighting zombies. When accompanied by another player, teams of two (2) can get a riveting and action-packedResident Evilexperience that can make a series of co-op playthroughs rather satisfying. Chris and Sheva being able to aid each other with gameplay options the game specifically provides for pairs of players can make for an extremely riveting two-person experience, with the game giving players a feeling that they are actually operatives investigating an incident.
RE5: How Did It Fare In Co-Op?
Being able to control both Chris and Sheva throughoutResident Evil 5’s campaign can make for a decent cooperative experience, especially withRE5offering action-oriented mechanics more suitable for playing with a partner. Sheva being AI-controlled by default makes for a seamless transition should a player’s companion quit at any time.
Status Of Multiplayer In Resident Evil 5 (2009)
Given the nature ofResident Evil 5’s story revolving around the Chris Redfield and Sheva Alomar duo, it’s easy to transition between an AI-Sheva and an allied Sheva helping players in their anti-bioterrorism efforts. With the removal of Games for Windows Live, joiningResident Evil 5sessions is much easier with friends. Games simply need to request to join another player’s experience via Steam, after which the other player has to be in the Start Menu or restart their current chapter in the recent checkpoint. Doing so can have the new player become a part of the experience.
A Quick Look At RE 5
Regardless if players engage in Online or Couch Co-Op,Resident Evil 5will let both Chris and Sheva explore their whole level and kill zombies as intended. Like otherResident Eviltitles with partners,Resident Evil 5’s multiplayer mode is extremely advantageous when securing puzzle pieces and keys to access areas much faster.
Co-op couch play is supported, while online co-op is available provided there’s a friend who owns the game who can play
Since the release of the rather action-packedResident Evil 6, the negative reception towards the gunplay-heavy series has had Capcom begin reimagining the overall direction of the series. This is whereResident Evil: Revelations 2shines as a game that tries to return to the horror beginnings of the game. The entry marks the return of Claire Redfield as a protagonist, with Barry Burton returning as a minor character. The story begins betweenRE5andRE6when a TerraSave party attended by Claire, Barry, and his daughter Moira ends up becoming quite a perilous endeavor.
Compared to previous major co-op titles,Revelations 2is a partially grounded take on theaction-heavy series pre-RE7.Moreover, the more personal interactions between Claire and Moira, and even Barry, can make the multiplayer format of the game more enthralling for teams. Players who plan on going for a co-opResident Evilexperience that doesn’t demand much attention to the main series games will appreciateRevelations 2for its decent multiplayer mechanics without forcing players to focus too much on the storyline due to its nature as a spinoff.
Revelations 2: How Did It Fare In Co-Op?
Revelations 2only offers local co-op and for good reason. Unlike other co-opResident Evilexperiences,Rev 2gives players access to combat-heavy Claire and support-heavy Moira, forcing each character to focus on different tasks to ensure their survival. This role-based experience ensures every player has something to focus on without the other hogging all the fun, especially since even Moira has the capability of hindering enemies to make them easier for Claire to kill.
Status Of Multiplayer In Resident Evil: Revelations 2 (2015)
Thankfully for co-op fans,Revelations 2improves upon its predecessor by improving its slate of multiplayer features. On top of the Raid Mode supporting both couch co-op and online co-op, the game’s main story also facilitates split-screen couch co-op. Moreover, owners ofRevelations 2with PlayStation Plus can use Share Play to extend the “couch co-op” privileges with a party member, allowing two friends from afar to playRevelations 2provided they have a decent enough internet connection.
A Quick Look At Revelations 2
Being an older title, Couch Co-Op inRevelations 2will show the game through a split-screen mode. Both players can share items in their inventory and freely roam around locations. While the Campaign can be finished in Co-Op Mode, the Raid Mode ofRevelations 2is a more enjoyable multiplayer experience given its customization features and a straightforward gameplay loop of simply killing all opponents in a level.
Essentially an “alternate history” of the Raccoon City Destruction Incident,Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon Cityhas two (2) separate teams enter the zombie-filled city with different agendas. Six-man Umbrella Security Service was tasked to accompany HUNK in a special delivery service, whereas Echo Six plans on investigating the outbreak. While the game majorly featured a single-player campaign that told an interesting third-party take on the Raccoon City Outbreak, it’s the multiplayer mode where the game shines.
At its core,Operation Raccoon Cityallows a four-player co-op Raccoon Mode that had the USS and Echo Six fight each other, with Heroes Mode being an alternate multiplayer mode that features popular characters as well as the possibility of a player-controlled Nemesis to essentially tell the other team to “get rekt.” Althoughthe game’s flawed gameplay is highly criticized, hardcore fans ofResident Evilcan rely onOperation Raccoon Cityfor a rather “personalized” co-op experience, especially when the game features a lot of relatively “unknown” characters. And for visual aficionados, the “virus-punk” or “biopunk” take on costumes can make the game extremely appealing.
Operation Raccoon City: How Did It Fare In Co-Op?
Despite a lackluster single-player mode, the thrill of becoming reasonably skilled soldiers in a zombie-filled multiplayer mode can make for an addictive experience. Various gameplay modes enable players to maximize the unique kits of each Spec Ops or USS member. The Heroes Mode also makes for a thrilling legacy experience as players duke it out as iconicResident Evilcharacters. WhileOperation Raccoon Citymay not be the best title in the franchise, its replayable and straightforward slate of co-op opportunities make for a potentially addictive experience.
Status Of Multiplayer In Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City (2012)
Despite the potential ofOperation Raccoon Cityas a multiplayer experience, the shutdown of Games for Windows Live made it more difficult to play the game in multiplayer. As it stands, the only ways to playOperation Raccoon Cityvia traditional online multiplayer would be: to own an original copy of the game as well as any of the platforms where it can be played, or play with friends who also have copies from PlayStation Plus and Xbox Store.
A Quick Look At Operation Raccoon City
Should players find fellow gamers (through the lobby or via online communities), they select a character and spend XP on customizing their preferred loadouts. Upon starting the match, either team has to search the map for G-Virus samples and kill enemies they meet along the way. They can use the components of their arsenal - guns, ordinances, and special skills - to secure the advantage throughout the match. Should they die, players can respawn using the same character or using another character, as well as purchase new loadouts based on XP acquired throughout the match.
Perhaps the last game in theResident Evilseries prior to the “return to horror roots” that wasRE7, it wasResident Evil 6that practically showed the combined efforts of most franchise protagonists to stop a virus from “going global.” The game retains the partner-based gameplay ofRE5, but this time around, featuring three (3) different campaigns with three (3) different sets of protagonists. On one end, a pair needs to create a vaccine for a new virus, a BSAA operative is sent to deal with a growing outbreak, and agents have to deal with the US President himself becoming a zombie.
Despite poor reviews in both story and action-packed gameplay,Resident Evil 6shines in the multiplayer departmentcourtesy of the fact that it’s thrice the experience for gamers. After all, the game features a heavy emphasis on gunplay and more zombies, allowing a pair of players to shoot with the game’s assortment of weapons to their heart’s content. Not to mention, unique traits of characters return as standout features - Leon’s knifeplay, Chris’s military precision, Jake’s genetically enhanced strength, and even Ada’s alluring set of finishers. Fans do need to consider that the saturation in content does have the game suffer in terms of quality - something that hardcore multiplayer enjoyers may be able to bypass.
RE6: How Did It Fare In Co-Op?
WhileRE6resemblesRE5in terms of partnered gameplay, the multiple storylines of the game make for better variety. After all, its story from three perspectives offers a player and their friend the opportunity to play any chapter, which in turn lets them take the role of any of the game’s characters in those scenarios. Being able to use different weapons and each of those characters’ exclusive skills can add flavor to otherwise predictable multiplayer experiences.
Status Of Multiplayer In Resident Evil 6 (2012)
WhileResident Evil 6is an older title, theResident Evilgame provides multiple options for players to enjoy its multiplayer offerings. When starting a session, players can enable couch co-op by setting up the screen mode as “Split” when configuring gameplay via chapter select. Likewise, the same mode can be set to “Worldwide” so players can search for any open session and vice versa. Its Mercenaries Mode supports 2-person co-op, while its Onslaught, Predators, and Survivors Modes can support up to 6-player matches.
A Quick Look At RE 6
Once players boot up a session in either Couch Co-Op or Online Co-Op, their partner should get the exact same interface and set of controls as the player. The priority here is to select a campaign mode they’re comfortable in, as the game offers three separate approaches to the story. Players are able to explore the same areas across stages, and can be especially helpful in exploration multiple locations at a time when looking for puzzle pieces. The Mercenaries Mode can be entertaining when done with a friend, as takedown animations remain spectacular in a pre-Resident Evil 7setup.
