I have been playing this series since I was a kid. In fact Resident Evil 3 was my first game in the series.
I think the tank style games are the best ones, but I know they can be hard to get into. I think a lot of people might choose the RE1 remaster or RE2 as it is talked about so highly as their first game.
But, Resident Evil 3 on easy mode is what I recommend as the starter game so people can get used to the gameplay style.
The game has so much ammo. I basically used just the standard gun and shotgun the entire time. I did not even need to use the gunpowder system to make more ammo.
The game is also pretty short, so it is easy to get through. Once you finish playing this game, I recommend going to RE2 then 1. It is your decision to play the original vs remake.
Censorship
“The original PlayStation version of Resident Evil went through several changes between its original Japanese release and its international counterparts. The North American and European versions of the intro were heavily cut from the one featured in the Japanese releases. Shots of mangled corpses, a “Cerberus” zombie dog being shot, Joseph’s death, and Kenneth’s severed head were edited out, as well as scenes featuring the character Chris Redfield smoking a cigarette.” —Wikipedia