Lost Records: Bloom & Rage review — memories that would be better left in the past

Lost Records: Bloom & Rage is a new adventure by the creators of the iconic Life is Strange that I've been waiting for since it was first shown at The Game Awards 2023. So gg' s editorial team couldn't miss this project. We can say right away that the game (or rather, its first part) leaves a pleasant impression after completion, and the adjective that we constantly want to describe it is magical. At the same time, Lost Records evokes one of the strongest feelings of nostalgia I've ever experienced while playing a game. And that's despite the fact that I never lived in the US in the 90s. But besides all the charm, the game is also not ready to answer a lot of questions that we had before the release and that arose during the playthrough, so there is an element of paranormality, which contributes to the fact that I almost completed Part 1 in one go and could not put it down. —

Synopsis

Lost Records: Bloom & Rage is an interactive adventure game about the fate of four friends: Swann, Nora, Autumn, and Kat. One summer, the group encounters something terrible and mysterious that they can't tell anyone about. Soon after, they have to part ways, but almost three decades later they reunite to face their demons. The game takes place in two time lines: 1995 and 2022. And the player's decisions made in the present can affect the past, and vice versa.

5 reasons to play Lost Records: Bloom & Rage

• This interactive film is worth watching
• The story resonates with people of all ages - both 18 and 30 years old
• The presence of a red cat (when were games with such an element ever bad?)
• The atmosphere of a small city of the last century that you will definitely like
• The ability to shoot and edit videos with an old-school VHS camera that you have never held in your hands

2 reasons not to buy Lost Records: Bloom & Rage

• You don't care about the problems of teenagers in puberty
• You are annoyed by the constant jumping from one time to another

Fast forward:

• What I learned after reviewing Lost Records: Bloom & Rage
• Plot: teenage drama
• Gameplay: run, talk, shoot
• The technical side of 90s America
• What can I say about Lost Records: Bloom & Rage so far?
• Five things you need to know about Lost Records: Bloom & Rage

What I learned after reviewing Lost Records: Bloom & Rage

Lost Records: Bloom & Rage has demonstrated that Don't Nod is capable of continuing to create exciting interactive adventures. I didn't regret waiting more than a year and a half for this game, because if you've already missed the moment, stayed up late into the night, and the final credits appear in front of you, and you want to know what happens next right now, then that says a lot.

If you missed something similar to Life is Strange, or you are a teenager aged 14-18 who is interested in what problems your peers faced in the game, or maybe you just want an atmospheric game with an interesting story for a couple of evenings, then Lost Records is the place to go: Bloom & Rage is definitely worth paying attention to.

The main art of the game depicting how the main characters intertwine into one, as their adventures lead to each leaving a part of themselves in the other

Plot: teenage drama

This time, Don't Nod decided to tell the story of 4 heroines at once - Swann, Nora, Autumn and Kat. The girls are 16 years old and live in the small town of Velvet Cove, but they didn't actually know about each other's existence. But everything changes one summer day when the red-haired Swann, who we will play as throughout the game, decides to go to the store to return a film cassette. And Swann doesn't just love watching movies, she dreams of filming herself (these days she would dream of becoming a TikTok star) and so she carries a VHS camera with her everywhere.

From left to right: Nora, who pretends to be a punk, Kat, who will not mince words in a conflict, the protagonist Svann with her camera, and the sensible Autumn

On the way home, the heroine sees a beautiful shot and decides to capture it, but a girl who fits the cliché of a bitch from American TV shows gets into the frame, believes that Swann was filming her (this is probably the person's protagonist syndrome) and the conflict begins. Her boyfriend also appears on the horizon, who also fits the cliché of American TV series perfectly, because he is so cool on his bike and doesn't mince words and is ready to forget anyone at any time.

Velvet Bay is constantly filled with small details, like shoes on wires or inscriptions behind a cafe where local teenagers tell who kissed whom in the forest

And it's at this point that other girls appear to protect Svann, but the "bitch and jock" couple in love still give them trouble, forcing the girls to unite and quietly become friends.

But in parallel with all this, we are shown the second storyline, which is already taking place in 2022. It also tells the story of Swann, but now an adult, who returns to Velvet Bay after 27 years, because she was called by Autumn and told that it was connected with a secret that the girls found back in that distant summer.

The adult heroines have changed a lot visually and morally, and some of them have changed so much that you can't help but say "wow" to yourself when you look at them

So, the game will constantly throw us between the past and the present, because over these 27 years, the girls have forgotten almost everything from that summer, and they need to remember the events. And during the first part, we are introduced to all the characters in detail, they are revealed from different angles, and even the aforementioned clichéd couple, as it turns out later, does certain things clearly not because of a lack of intelligence, but these are spoilers.

The adventures of the girls were really interesting to watch and I can't describe how much I was overwhelmed by the events in the game, remembering how in school days in the summer at my grandmother's house we were constantly looking for adventures with our friends in one place. If you had an eventful childhood outside the stone jungle, believe me, Lost Records will be able to unlock your memories. And together with the magical atmosphere, you don't want to get out of this nostalgic state and now you dream again to go back to those carefree times for at least one day, so special respect to Don't Nod for the way it flirted with my subconscious.

One of the girls' favourite activities was spending time in the woods, where they shot a bunch of videos, talked about life and were just happy. But is this forest as safe and cosy as it seems at first glance?

And let's not forget about the most important thing. The girls know a terrible secret, they swore never to tell it, and some of the company are doing their best not to return to this topic. That's why the game manages to keep your attention, because you want to know what these girls have found. A dump with crypto wallets, a perpetual motion machine, or maybe buried ambitions?

One day, Autumn received a mysterious package for Bloom & Rage, which was the name of the girls' band, but almost no one knew about it, so who can't let go of the memories of 4 girls after 27 years? This is the reason for the reunion

It is also important to note that the game is divided into 2 parts. The second part will be released on 15 April (you don't need to buy it, it will appear in the game menu) and it seems to be somewhat similar to the second season of the TV series Squid Game, which was also decided to be divided into 2 parts, and the first one feels like a long introduction. The story here is very similar. For 5 hours, as already mentioned, you are introduced to all the characters, they try to explain everything so that you have a clear and in-depth understanding of the game world, and end it with a cliffhanger that promises to pour a lot of events and action on us in Part 2.

What are teenagers without bright make-up? And at certain moments of the story, the girls will express themselves through such "combat" colours

I was pleased with the plot of Part 1. It covered many topics such as unity, friendship, bullying, and self-discovery, which is especially relevant for the young audience of gamers. At the same time, I now have a clear understanding of what Lost Records is, I got to know the past of all the important characters in the story and now I can't wait to see how their union will end and what other secrets they are hiding.

The game has done a great job on the character models, so sometimes you catch yourself looking at all the wrinkles or freckles on the characters' faces for a minute

Gameplay: run, talk, shoot

If you've played at least one interactive film game, you'll already know the basic premise. However, there is still more gameplay in such games than in "walking simulators" or visual novels.

Most of the time, you will have to choose among different options in dialogues, and your choices will have consequences, especially for the relationships between characters. Because of this, you can see things on the screen that your friend won't, and vice versa, it's interesting to discuss games in this genre because you can't see everything in one playthrough, and you'll always be told something new and interesting.

For most of the game, you have to choose between several options in dialogues that will affect your relationship with the characters

Still, it would be strange if Lost Records didn't have any gameplay features. And Swann's VHS camera became such a feature. You must admit that there are not many games where the hero wears a camera throughout the game.

It is needed both for the plot, when the heroine, for example, makes a report about her friends, and for collectibles, and there are enough of them here, although it cannot be said that they have overdone it. The subjects range from cats and squirrels to graffiti and beautiful panoramas.

Swann almost never lets go of the camera and probably even sleeps with it

And it's much better than if we just collected some notes and put them in a backpack. No, of course there is some of that, but not so much that it's annoying. Thanks to this decision, it was really interesting to explore the locations in the game. I filmed almost everything I could, so people who love to take pictures and film everything in life will definitely run around looking for another water tower or flock of birds.

And when you've collected all the footage you need, you can watch a short film with Swann's commentary. If you want to change the order of the footage or replace a bad shot, the built-in editor will allow you to do so.

An example of a video editor where Swann can replace a bad frame or reorder them to make his short film more dynamic

The only thing I would like to see is more mini-games and more interaction with the camera during puzzles, but otherwise Don't Nod has managed to make a good and interesting gameplay for an interactive film game.

The technical side of 90s America

The press version had some minor problems with optimisation. The most common problem was that during the transition from the past to the present, it took a couple of seconds for the texture of the characters' clothes to be drawn, and before that, you had to look at a soap picture.

Also, on PlayStation 5, the game ran only at 30 fps and still had some frame dropouts. And although only 30 frames is not so bad for interactive cinema, I still want to have a choice and hope that in the future the game will support 60 frames on consoles.

However, I didn't notice any critical bugs or crashes, and the developer is aware of the graphical problems, so the game should work better at release.

Technically, the game is made in such a way that we see the events of the past from the 3rd person, but everything that happens in our time is from the first person

The beauty of the American hinterland

I adore small American towns with forests, and if the game is set in such an area, there's a 50% chance that I'll like it. And in Lost Records, I tried to consider everything I could. Velvet Bay turned out to be diverse. There is a dense green forest where you can meet various birds, deer, squirrels, or just sit by the lake and enjoy the local nature.

The forest is a place where you will spend almost the most time and which can always surprise you: either with its beauty or with its mysteries

In addition to the forest, we will be taken to an abandoned playground under the motorway, a garage where girls create their own punk band, a cosy bar at the entrance to the city and other equally attractive locations.

The sunset in Oksamytova Bay is an event that is hard to look away from

The game usually uses a colour palette that evokes a sense of nostalgia and warmth, reminiscent of vintage photos and old VHS tapes. Sometimes too bright colours (e.g. bright blue or pink) prevail to represent the energy of the young characters.

Some scenes are so cinematic that you might think you're watching a Netflix series about teenagers

At the same time, there is almost always soft, diffused lighting in the game, which again enhances the feeling of nostalgia.

All in all, it all comes together to make Lost Records one of the most beautiful games I've played this year so far, because it's not the game engine that decides, but the art design, and Don't Nod knows how to do that.

Another example of a cutscene that evokes warm and pleasant feelings while playing, making you remember happy days with friends in childhood

Retro audio

Lost Records: Bloom & Rage has a rich sound style that perfectly complements the atmosphere of the 1990s.

The game has a cool soundtrack reminiscent of punk rock. The track "See You in Hell" by the Nora Kelly Band stands out. This song embodies the rough energy of adolescence and the theme of Rage, which is a significant part of the game's plot.

As for the sound design, the authors did everything to make you feel like you are in the 90s. The humming of TVs, the buzzing of cassette players, the specific sound when using a camera, and other sounds that were inherent in the technology of that era.

So the sound style of Lost Records: Bloom & Rage's sound style was just as appealing to me as the visuals. By combining cool compositions, good sound design, and era-appropriate sound effects, the game manages to transport players back to the 1990s even better.

That's all we can say about Lost Records so far: Bloom & Rage

An interesting new universe is emerging in Don't Nod, which I hope will see its continuation and after this part we will see stories about other characters and in other regions, as it was with Life is Strange. I enjoyed the first part of the game and that's the most important thing, so I recommend Lost Records, especially since the game will be in PlayStation Plus Extra from the day of release and in this case I see no reason not to try the new story of the creators of Life is Strange, but for now we have to wait for the end of it all.

Five things you need to know about Lost Records: Bloom & Rage

• Lost Records: Bloom & Rage is a game with completely new locations, characters, and story created by the authors of Life is Strange
• Many development options, which encourages you to go through several times and look at different endings
• The story tells about 4 friends who hide a big secret and swore not to tell it
• Now you can play only the first part, and the second, which will be a direct sequel, will be released on 15 April
• The game is available on PlayStation Plus Extra from the day of release

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