I played 1-4 back in the day, but my memory of the details is pretty fuzzy. Something something Umbrella releases a new virus like iPhones every few years, something something, somehow Wesker returned.
Anyway, I hear 7 is kind of a soft reboot? Is that a good one to get back into the series with, and not have to know 12 games of plot?
And if 7 is good, does 8/Village follow directly from that without needing too much prior game knowledge?


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.