Resident Evil 4 - End of Chapter 3

I just finished chapter three. I don’t have too much new to say, other than this game has got me. What does that mean? Well, not only did I not want stop playing into the next chapter, but I’m am on the edge of my game chair the whole time I’m playing (literally). When playing, I get excited to see a typewriter not only so I can save my progress but also so I can breathe for a minute knowing that no baddies are going to pounce. In addition, I have this ever present fear and anticipation of a boss encounter. The whole time I am going through a new area, expecially after checking my map to see that I am going in a large room, I get a little nervous that I am going to be facing something big.

I wonder if the tension I feel regarding the boss encounters was purposeful. The first two chapters really hit with multiple boss as well as special encounters. As a gamer this was surprising as in most games you can tell when a boss was coming and they are generally not so frequent. In RE4, it is not that they come out of knowhere as much as it is that there were a bunch of intense boss fights early. As a result, all through chapter 3, while walking through the castle, I kept expecting something big. I had to remind myself that it will be okay if Leon get’s killed and that I can continue, so breath and keep going.

In my most recent playthrough I really noticed the quality of the sound. There was one sequence at the end of chapter three where I was additionally creeped out because of the music and effects that were playing. I was listening through headphones this morning, so that may have something to do with noticing how effective the sound is and how much it adds whether it is playing or not.

Similarly, the story is getting more interesting. Through a few good cutscenes and the texts that you pick up, there a story brewing. It is cool to see how even though this is a new path for the Resident Evil series, the world of Resident Evil is still weaved into this new adventure in what I think is a pretty cool way.