Freezes on each checkpoint
 

I have played through episodes 1-3 with no problem at all. However, when I made a new save it started freezing for about 20 seconds on EVERY checkpoint.

It's extremely frustrating and I can't play the game this way, which is sad because it has great replay value, seeing as I can change the outcome. Please help.

All my audio and video drivers are up to date, and nothing has changed with my computer since I played the game the first time, in fact, I immediately made a new save after I finished episode 3.