The Resident Evil movies are the most successful series based on a video game, but what order are they supposed to be viewed in?

The lack of numerals can make the correct viewing sequence confusing, so here's a guide to the Resident Evil movie franchise in chronological order. The modern-day comeback of the zombie began in earnest with both Resident Evil and The House Of The Dead games in the late 1990s. George A. Romero - director of zombie classics like Dawn Of The Dead - was hired to direct a Japanese commercial for Resident Evil 2, which led to him nabbing the planned movie adaptation. Romero wrote a relatively faithful adaptation of the first game with lots of action, but for whatever reason, producers rejected it and he was fired from the project.

Paul W.S. Anderson ultimately helmed the first Resident Evil movie, which was a comeback for the director following the box-office failures of Event Horizon and Soldier. In many ways, the Resident Evil series would become a defining franchise for the filmmaker, as he either wrote or directed all six chapters, in addition to meeting his future wife Milla Jovovich during the first film. The movies remain controversial among fans, as they favor outlandish action over suspense or horror and largely ignore the stories from the games.

Anderson initially stated he wanted to make a Resident Evil trilogy, but following the advent of 3D in the late 2000s, he expanded that to two trilogies instead. The franchise holds the distinction of being the most successful based on a video game too, as they've collectively grossed over $1.2 billion worldwide. Since the sequel eschewed numbers in the titles, the chronological order can be confusing to newbies, so here's how they're meant to be viewed.

• Resident Evil (2002)
• Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004)
• Resident Evil: Extinction (2007)
• Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010)
• Resident Evil: Retribution (2012)
• Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (2017)

Resident Evil and Resident Evil: The Final Chapter are pretty self-explanatory in terms of chronology, but it's the middle that gets confusing. Resident Evil: Apocalypse is the closest the movies came to the original games and is largely an adaptation of Resident Evil 3: Nemesis. Extinction is the Mad Max-inspired entry, while Afterlife is the first shot in 3D and pit Milla Jovovich's Alice against classic game villain Albert Wesker. Retribution picks up from the cliffhanger of the fourth movie with Alice captured by Umbrella and she must escape from an underwater base, while The Final Chapter reveals some shocking revelations about Umbrella's plans and Alice's backstory.

The Resident Evil movie subtitles were never especially accurate to the events of the movies. The apocalypse happens in the third movie, not the second, while Extinction would have been a more fitting title for The Final Chapter, given how that story plays out. Resident Evil: Retribution's title doesn't make much sense either since nobody is seeking revenge on anyone else. Johannes Roberts (Strangers: Prey At Night) is currently attached to write and direct a Resident Evil movie reboot, which is said to be much closer to the tone of the original games.

Next: Resident Evil: The Final Chapter Spoilers & Alice Ending Explained