There are two "episode" style games, and then there is the endlessly replayable Ethan Must Die game. Bedroom is an episode where Clancy wakes up, handcuffed to a bed. Marguerite walks in carrying a tray loaded with a disgusting soup. Clancy has to find a way out, but noise attracts Marguerite, and she’ll unleash hell if she suspects you’ve been out of bed. This episode is a collection of puzzles and a sort of memory game. Unlike the main game, if you take an object such as a painting off the wall, you have to be ready to return it. Otherwise, mom will notice something is off. So the routine is to figure out the puzzle, but always have a plan to get back into bed.
Bedroom was quite enjoyable, and offers a different kind of tension than what you’ll find in RE7. The only drawback is that you almost have to fail. The puzzles aren’t set up in a way that you can figure things out the first time through (you might get lucky, but that doesn’t mean the same thing). There are certain things in the room that you can’t put back as they were, and you simply have to know in advance that you should not touch them. So that potentially requires multiple playthroughs, which might be frustrating. I still enjoyed even this aspect, as it was interesting to see all the possible failure cutscenes and the different things that would happen to poor Clancy if he was a complete klutz in the worst possible time and place (sorry Clancy).
The next "episode" puts Clancy in a sort of tower-defense type of game called Nightmare. He finds himself in the basement (basement - hey I thought this was Louisiana) after escaping Marguerite’s room, and now is pursued by Jack. You’ll have to survive until morning (measured by 1 hour waves) by fashioning weapons, tools, and traps. You’ll have to repeat a rather frantic circuit through the area, all while being pursued by the "molded" monsters, and occasionally papa Jack. You’ll pick up supplies at one station, and then run to the workbench to create more ammo or upgrade your guns. This can be a fun episode, especially when you are trying to work your way up to a really good weapon, which will help you beat more monsters, which will in turn help you upgrade weapons and traps, which will… well, you get it. Adapting the mechanics of RE7 into this type of game is rather clever. After a few rounds, it might even help you temper your fear factor and tackle the main game more effectively.
Finally, Ethan Must Die is a bit more of a roguelike take on RE7. Ethan runs into randomized enemies throughout the house, as well as random weapons and items. Die, and you have a chance to recover the previous Ethan’s items if you can find the spot where he perished.
