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This might not be a new idea, but having been a Resident Evil fan since the '90s, I've seen very clear generational divisions that stand independently of console generations. I don't include rereleases or HD remasters as different games, but full remakes are.
Generation 1 (12 Games, 1996-2004)
Resident Evil (Director's Cut/Dual Shock/Deadly Silence)
Resident Evil 2 (Dual Shock/Platinum)
Resident Evil 3: Nemesis
Resident Evil Survivor
Reisdent Evil Code Veronica (X/HD)
Resident Evil Gaiden
Reisdent Evil Survivor 2 Code Veronica
Reisdent Evil 'REmake' (HD)
Resident Evil Zero (HD)
Resident Evil: Dead Aim
Resident Evil Outbreak
Resident Evil Outbreak: File #2
Generation 2 (11 Games, 2005-2016)
Resident Evil 4 (Ultimate HD)
Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles
Resident Evil 5 (Lost in Nightmares)
Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles
Resident Evil: Mercenaries Vs.
Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D
Resident Evil: Revelations (HD)
Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City
Resident Evil 6
Resident Evil: Revelations 2
(Resident Evil) Umbrella Corps
Generation 3 (2+ Games, 2017-20??)
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (Not A Hero)
Resident Evil 2 'REmake 2'
The significance of these generations can be found in their respective audiences, styles of gameplay, aesthetics, technology, plotlines, and other loose identifiers. I think that 'top 10s' or 'top 5s' should encompass individual generations, since arguing whether REmake or RE2 is better than RE4 is almost like comparing apples and oranges, especially when the recent RE7 gets thrown into the mix, and then you're comparing multiple fruits. Back in the old days, I used to split 'Generation 1' into console generation 5 (PS1) and 6 (PS2), but now that so much time has passed and I can look at the big picture in hindsight, they really belong to the same family, especially since Survivor and the N64 version of RE0 blur the line. I used to use the term 'Classic Resident Evil' to refer specifically to the original PlayStation trilogy, but now I've grown to realise that, at least now, it's more appropriate to use the 'classic' prefix to mark the entire pre-RE4 era. Fortunately, both RE4 and RE7 were released in January, which makes the generational breaks very clean.
Generation 1 (12 Games, 1996-2004)
Resident Evil (Director's Cut/Dual Shock/Deadly Silence)
Resident Evil 2 (Dual Shock/Platinum)
Resident Evil 3: Nemesis
Resident Evil Survivor
Reisdent Evil Code Veronica (X/HD)
Resident Evil Gaiden
Reisdent Evil Survivor 2 Code Veronica
Reisdent Evil 'REmake' (HD)
Resident Evil Zero (HD)
Resident Evil: Dead Aim
Resident Evil Outbreak
Resident Evil Outbreak: File #2
Generation 2 (11 Games, 2005-2016)
Resident Evil 4 (Ultimate HD)
Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles
Resident Evil 5 (Lost in Nightmares)
Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles
Resident Evil: Mercenaries Vs.
Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D
Resident Evil: Revelations (HD)
Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City
Resident Evil 6
Resident Evil: Revelations 2
(Resident Evil) Umbrella Corps
Generation 3 (2+ Games, 2017-20??)
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (Not A Hero)
Resident Evil 2 'REmake 2'
The significance of these generations can be found in their respective audiences, styles of gameplay, aesthetics, technology, plotlines, and other loose identifiers. I think that 'top 10s' or 'top 5s' should encompass individual generations, since arguing whether REmake or RE2 is better than RE4 is almost like comparing apples and oranges, especially when the recent RE7 gets thrown into the mix, and then you're comparing multiple fruits. Back in the old days, I used to split 'Generation 1' into console generation 5 (PS1) and 6 (PS2), but now that so much time has passed and I can look at the big picture in hindsight, they really belong to the same family, especially since Survivor and the N64 version of RE0 blur the line. I used to use the term 'Classic Resident Evil' to refer specifically to the original PlayStation trilogy, but now I've grown to realise that, at least now, it's more appropriate to use the 'classic' prefix to mark the entire pre-RE4 era. Fortunately, both RE4 and RE7 were released in January, which makes the generational breaks very clean.