Don't worry about the story. They're all pretty much disconnected, and it's better to think of them as standalone stories with a shared (but ultimately inconsequential) universe.

If you haven't played the RE 2 remake, start there. It's IMO the best resident evil game of all time. I have a ton of nostalgia for OG RE1, but this remake is spectacular.

I beat both 7 and 8 but forgot the story, so there ya go. IIRC, 8 is a sequel to 7, with the same main character, so it might be smart to play 7 first. Both are great, but it'll take a bit to get settled in with the first person view.

You know what, Resident Evil is one of my favourite franchises, and I have to just say that the plot is bullshit. That's not to say that it's irredeemable, I happen to love trash, but I don't think you'll be missing any key beats by jumping in at any point

I know you played 1-4, but if I were to pick a modern entry for someone, I'd say starting with REmake 2. Resident Evil 2 is iconic, lays most of the groundwork for the interconnected plot such as it is, and the remaster has quality of life that you'd be missing from the original.

Unless you're really into old games, I'd give 1 a miss. Technically there's a remaster too, but tank controls are a hard sell.

If you are into old games, Flesh Made Fear scratches that vintage PS1 survival horror itch and just came out this year. Phenomenal indie game

7 is like being in a horror movie. Especially the beginning. It’s intense, and continues to build. Very different from the previous entries.

I've been playing this game for a while and I'm pretty sure there is no jump button.

easiest thing to do would be to play 5 all the way to 8

Any game is a good point to jump into: the lore in RE is something you can look up if you're interested, but is not particularly deep or complex, nor is it ever mandatory to understand or to enjoy a title.

I would recommend playing the games you are interested in the most, rather than the ones people deem important for the lore.

7 is a soft reboot and it's really good, I think it's a good starting point. 8 continues from 7, and neither games mention anything from the first 6 games. The only returning character is Chris Redfield, and only as a side character that you see 1% of the time

The new ones are vastly different from the first 4. Closer to 4, at most, but are entirely different from everything done previously aside frim the action elements. The stories are not, necessarily, linked either. Different characters, no Umbrella Corp, does not even have zombies.

Jumping into at least 7 onward will be totally unfamiliar even if you just finished playing the OGs. But they are really good.

Just jump right into 7. 8 is kinda like 7 but more action oriented. Still pretty fun. Then go RE2 Remake and RE4 Remake. They're the best in the entire series. Then play original 4 again and realize I lied to you and that one is still the best.

most of the resident evils work well as standalones. the only ones i'd say are really proper sequels are 3 (play 2 first) and 8 (play 7 first). there's some throughlines in terms of characters beyond that, but not really anything plotwise that you'd miss out by having missed the rest of the franchise.

I enjoyed Resident Evil as a teenager, then came number 4 which I played, but didn’t enjoy.

I played number 5 with a friend as it was one of the few coop games available but I didn’t like it.

When number 7 came out, everyone praised it. I hated it and decided that Resident Evil really wasn’t for me anymore despite loving number 1, 0 and Code Veronica.

Umbrella evil. There, that’s pretty much your catch-up on every game’s story.

I guess it gets confusing with recent remakes of 2, 3, 4; they’re meant as clear entry points, and the latest version of RE1 is still a bit old (though it too is a “remake” of an ancient PS1 edition)

7 is extremely different from the others - it was even thought to be a new/different IP when it was revealed. Village is a direct sequel to that, but could also be enjoyed alone; it’s a bit more action and less creepy.

2 remake is one of my favourite games of all time. 4 remake looks great too but never played. Not too interested in 7 and 8 but I'll try them if the time is there

The remasters of 2, 3 and 4 are phenomenal.