Re7 may not be my cup of tea

I like it, I’m about 4 hours in, but I wanted to love it. It doesn’t have the same kind of foreboding, or build up of tension that re1-3 have, and it doesn’t have the flair, pacing, or dynamic action of 4.

It’s a great game, don’t get me wrong, but I’m having a hard time finding a pulse on this. The beginning was amazing, but then it kind of petered out for me. It feels like really I’m just finding the best way to run around obstacles and conserve ammo.

In re1 and 2 this felt like an accomplishment and part of the puzzle. But in re7 it feels more like I’m just tricking the game since enemies despawn if I leave the area. And even if I do decide to blast them with my limited ammo, it doesn’t feel satisfying. Which is frustrating because The enemies don’t feel scary, they feel more like a nuisance, and sometimes I’d like just to blast one of their heads off. And if I’m running from members of the family, the hiding spots don’t feel well integrated, and it seems like the best strategy is just to run rings around the mansion Benny Hill style while I try and get time to solve a puzzle.

Also I’m not a big fan of Ethan. I get needing to instill a sense of vulnerability in the player but damn, sometimes it feels like Ethan is struggling not to trip on his own shoe laces half the time.

Am I just being nitpicky? Or do I need to just hang on?