Lost Records: Bloom & Rage Tape 1

As much as I wish I could dive into Rage now, the story’s second and final part, Don’t Nod is very clever in holding the instalment back. Its lack of availability only proves that the studio has achieved what it set out to do as I’ve not been able to stop theorising about what may happen next. Lost Records: Bloom & Rage is a modern classic. Tape one, Bloom, proves that this is the evolution that the episodic adventure genre needed, replacing player passivity with a clear sense of agency and involvement. When all that is backed by an intriguing story, well-written characters, and an infusion of 90s nostalgia, well, you end up with something very special indeed.

Don’t Nod’s latest videogame arrives with the heavy responsibility of being Life Is Strange successor. However, rather than crumbling under the pressure of such a comparison, it confidently makes a serious attempt at overtaking its legendary predecessor. While Max Caulfield was a relatable character players could easily identify with, Swann is an incredibly powerful protagonist—her fears, anxieties, and dreams are deeply felt and effortlessly understood. This connection is so strong because, in one way or another, we have all been Swann at some point in our lives. Don’t Nod has crafted a story that strikes directly at the heart and soul of its audience, executing a true nostalgia-driven experience filled with countless references to 1990s pop culture. Lost Records: Bloom and Rage – Tape 1 is an undeniable success, making it easy to accept the delay of Tape 2. If these additional refinements serve to enhance the final product, then we can expect the bar of quality to be raised even higher.

Lost Records: Bloom & Rage - Tape 1 is a fun nostalgic trip back to the '90s and the mechanic of making short clips on Swann's camcorder is a clever gameplay element that adds another welcoming layer to the mostly narrative experience.

Don't Nod latest game is like Life is Strange but with some new additions to the dialogue system. An interesting narrative adventure, although still the same formula, and the camera mechanic doesn't stand up very well through the full game.

Lost Records: Bloom & Rage has a premise that's way more interesting than its execution. It draws heavily from the classics of the genre, and in particular from the novel IT by Stephen King, to tell us a story of friendship divided into two timelines: 1995 and 2022, with a great mystery in the background that separated the protagonists, keeping them away from Velvet Cove. The balance between the coming-of-age story and the horror part, however, is totally unbalanced in favor of the former, and the serial writing is not helped by the extended time of the screenplay, with a central part that is too lacking in impact. We will find out on April 15th if the mystery is hidden in the second episode, but for now we are saddened by the wasted potential of this story.