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Resident Evil 5 comes before Resident Evil 6 in the series timeline, and Capcom explicitly describes the sixth game as taking place after the fifth. Chris Redfield is the clearest link: RE5 brings his conflict with Albert Wesker to a climax, while RE6 returns him to the BSAA and widens the story into several interconnected campaigns. You can follow RE6 without treating it as a direct, single-protagonist continuation of every RE5 character’s story.
Where RE5 and RE6 fall in the story
Play or discuss Resident Evil 5 first, then Resident Evil 6. Capcom says RE6 takes place after RE5; its 2012 announcement dates RE6’s events to 2013, a few years after the preceding game. Capcom’s series overview identifies both games within the continuing franchise, while Capcom’s RE6 announcement provides the setting context.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Resident Evil 5 (PS4) | $21.69 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Resident Evil 6 - Xbox One | $27.40 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Resident Evil Revelations 2 (PS4) | $18.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Capcom Resident Evil 4 Gold Edition PlayStation 5 Game | $46.44 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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Resident Evil 5 Gold Edition | $29.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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| Story thread | Resident Evil 5 | Resident Evil 6 |
|---|---|---|
| Chronology | Precedes RE6. | Follows RE5; the events are set in 2013, according to Capcom’s 2012 announcement. |
| Chris Redfield | Works with Sheva Alomar on a BSAA operation and confronts Wesker. | Returns to the BSAA front lines. |
| Conflict shape | Chris and Sheva stop Wesker’s Uroboros plan. | Multiple connected campaigns bring returning characters into a later bioterrorism crisis. |
What RE5 resolves
In RE5, Chris Redfield and Sheva Alomar are BSAA operatives sent to Kijuju. Their operation leads to a confrontation with Albert Wesker, whose plan involves spreading the Uroboros virus. Capcom’s game overview describes the threat and campaign, and its Chris Redfield profile summarizes the outcome: Chris and Sheva stop Wesker’s plan.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsThat outcome closes a major chapter in Chris’s long-running conflict with Wesker. It does not end the wider bioterrorism problem that runs through the series; RE6 takes place later and centers on a new crisis.
#1 Best Overall
- Adventure horror game from Capcom
How the connection carries into RE6
Chris and the BSAA
Chris is the most direct character bridge between the games. Capcom’s official timeline says he returns to the BSAA front lines in 2013 after his confrontation with Wesker. The organization is also a continuing part of the setting: Capcom’s BSAA lore profile describes it as established after Umbrella’s collapse and identifies Chris and Jill Valentine among its founding members.
This institutional thread explains why Chris remains involved in the fight after RE5’s personal resolution. He is not simply repeating the same mission: RE6 places him in a later BSAA operation as part of a broader cast and crisis.
Rank #2
- Starting with four distinct, yet interwoven story threads, for either solo or co-op play, both offline and online, not only does Resident Evil 6 deliver both different perspectives and gameplay styles
- Ada Wong, Resident Evil's very own femme fatale, dives into a thrilling campaign of intrigue and infiltration, featuring unique missions, gameplay and weapons. Ada is available from the start
- The most expansive Resident Evil game to date- Experience the horror through four distinct yet intertwined campaigns
- Solo or co-op - Resident Evil 6 delivers both single and two player co-op gameplay either offline or online
- Includes all the available DLC content from Resident Evil 6: Siege Mode, Predator Mode, Survivor Mode, Onslaught Mode, The Mercenaries maps, ResidentEvil.net costumes
Leon and the wider cast
RE6 is not just “the next Chris story.” Capcom presents multiple interconnected stories and returning characters. Its announcement connects Leon Kennedy to government service under Adam Benford, who is President in the game’s story, and places Chris in a BSAA operation in China. The announcement and Capcom’s game overview establish the broad ensemble setup.
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So the sequel connection is clearest at the level of chronology, recurring characters and institutions. The official summaries establish those links, but they do not support claiming that every RE5 character’s personal story continues directly in RE6.
Rank #3
- Initially set to be released as weekly episodes featuring hours of terrifying gameplay and dramatic cliffhangers
- Fan favourite character Claire Redfield returns to the horrors that haunted her in the past, alongside Moira Burton
- Set in what appears to be an abandoned detention facility on a remote island, horror awaits around every corner
- The Afflicted enemies are a genuine threat to your survival, able to move quickly and attack with basic weapons
- Players switch between the two characters to overcome the nightmares in single-player mode or offline co-op
Do you need to play RE5 before RE6?
Not strictly to understand that RE6 has its own later crisis and several campaigns, but playing RE5 first gives useful context for Chris’s return and the history behind his confrontation with Wesker. If you want the chronological sequence for this pair, play RE5 before RE6; if you mainly want to follow the ensemble setup in RE6, the key connection to know is that Chris returns as a BSAA figure after the events of RE5.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Features new modernized third-person action game control variations as well as the return of the traditional Resident Evil 4 control schemes.
- Gold Edition extras including all of the original content, two new episodes, four new costumes, an updated Mercenaries Mode and online RE5 versus mode.
- Two playable characters in the standard campaigns, including new character Sheva Alomar, an African BSAA agent tasked with investigating the epidemic.
- New cooperatively-focused gameplay that revolutionizes the way that Resident Evil is played. Chris and Sheva must work together to survive new challenges and fight dangerous hordes of enemies.
- Quick-Select inventory system that allows items to be traded between characters. To add to the intensity, all inventory management is done in real time; items can even be assigned to the directional pad for instant access.
Rank #4
- Intense horror experience with dark narrative
- Improved images and refined game mechanics included
- Players take on the role of Leon S Kennedy
- Mission to save the president's daughter from danger
- Challenging environments and strategic combat scenarios await
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