Resident Evil Survivor transports the player to Sheena Island. The main character became a victim of a plane crash, but survived and ended up not far from civilization. Most of the local population and animals are infected with the T-virus. The classic gameplay involves fighting zombies, looking for resources, new weapons, people and trying to stay alive, overcoming numerous difficulties.

Thompson needs to get out of the terrifying territory and remember his own past, lost after the plane crash. Arc Thompson is the protagonist who works as a detective. Leon hired him to investigate the mysterious circumstances occurring on Sheena Island. The helicopter carrying the investigator strangely lost control and crashed in a remote area.

On the way, you will meet Lot and Lily Klein, the children of an employee of the Umbrella organization. As you progress through Resident Evil, the user collects their notes and diaries, where the children tell what horrors they had to endure. Vincent Goldman is the main adversary and tries to hurt everyone in order to rise through the ranks. The perspective is from the first person, and the character has several slots in the inventory. As in previous games in the franchise, herbs are combined with each other to create useful consumables. The arsenal includes weapons such as pistols, shotguns and machine guns, but more powerful weapons will be unlocked in the middle and end of the playthrough.