DON’T NOD, the original studio of Life Is Strange, has always specialized in capturing a moment in time, thrusting you into those situations alongside its starry-eyed characters. Fine-tuned to a fault, its trademark playstyle has finally evolved into Lost Records: Bloom & Rage. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, and this game feels like the conclusion of said journey.
Divided into two episodes, dubbed Tape 1: Bloom, and Tape 2: Rage, which comes out April 15, this new IP recounts two periods in the life of Swann, as an angsty teenager in the Summer of 1995, and 27 years later in 2022 as unfinished business calls her back to a place she swore she’d never go back to. A movie buff to the core, her camcorder is recording her younger times with friends Autumn, Nora, and Kat seemingly forever as she finds herself in the middle of an inexplicable mystery.
Lights, Camera, Action
The first thing you will notice is its intoxicating visual style. Radiant colors in Velvet Cove’s daytime, from the reflections on the lake to the sunlight brightening the face of each gal, make you sense the warmth of their blooming friendship. Neon-filled lighting at night instills an unnerving feeling, making the girls’ decisions erratic and prone to regret them the next day. And that’s not to mention how real your VHS tapes look when playing them on-screen.
The camcorder is one of the key features of Lost Records: Bloom & Rage. You will find yourself recording your surroundings more often than not because of the focus on creating “memoirs” that task you with filming types of birds, your friends, and forgotten toys, among other things. And it is quite a lot of fun. The filters, rewinding, and zoom sound effects finish selling the idea of a camcorder better than any footage on YouTube could.
Decisions, Decisions
To complete collectible memoirs, you would need, for example, to get ten recordings of various graffiti on the walls. Unlike many other video games where there are only 10 finite items specified in the world, Lost Records: Bloom & Rage has a relaxed approach. There are plenty of landmarks, graffiti, and poses that you can film your friends with, and there’s not a strict way to do things. In that regard, the open-ended approach to actions feels right at home, giving the chance to have two unique playthroughs.
What has a more tangible impact on the story are dialogue choices. Different lines can be unlocked at specific times, or you can choose to say nothing at all. Responses can also be accessed depending on where you look and what you have said. The tension created by a fraught conversation with a violent character, which triggers on-the-spot decisions, makes interactions dynamic, if a bit nerve-wracking, and heavily affects your relationships.
For instance, Swann can show her resolve in key moments, or stay silent and let others stand up for her. In either outcome, specific dialogues will result in diverting paths. What if she praised Autumn instead of Nora? Or Kat, in that same vein? It gives the impression that infinite variables are standing before your eyes as the game unfolds, each with exciting possibilities that you will only carve out in your personal experience. Being reassuring, distant, or aggressive is all up to you.
All About Perspective
Having a dual timeline adds a clever mechanic in which your decisions retroactively influence each other. Alternating between a Third and First-person perspective from the 90s and 2022 storylines helps contrast how much things have changed. The commitment to authenticity is evidenced in Swann’s body complexion, Nora’s face acne like many teenagers her age suffered, or the way they speak trying to pull off acting cool among their group is so profoundly down-to-earth.
Being a teenager, with all the dreams and doubts that come along, is about finding yourself, along with a place to call home, friends that become family, and a sense of belonging. It’s easy to say, but hard to put yourself out there. Swann’s constant self-deprecation is hurtful to see but also encouraging when she comes out of her shell. Reminiscing at objects in the latter part of her life highlights how much growth she has seen since then.
Rock On
To the surprise of no one, the musical curation is impeccable. Dreamlike pop, 90s grunge, and uplifting ambient are the genres that accompany the girls’ summer. Making each cutscene infinitely more impactful, or the exploration as pleasant as can be, the developers know how powerful a fine melody at the right time can elevate the moment. Never missing a step, each of the songs, both licensed and created for the game, fit the narrative beats so well that taking them on your playlists long after the credits roll is expected.
Inspired by artists like Alanis Morissette, Bikini Kill, and Sleater-Kinney, the work of iconic musicians shaped Lost Records: Bloom & Rage in more than just the music. The riot grrrl feminist movement is deeply coded into these characters, albeit in different ways. Swann, Kat, Autumn & Nora all have a bone to pick with the world, a defiant statement to normalize their anger against a society that prefers them silenced.
Oh, the Nineties
I would be remiss not to mention the great attention to detail. The sound design is so full-bodied that playing with headphones is basically required. Each voice, taking into account the exceptional performances, is rich to the point that every break, gasp, or intonation goes a long way to express their feelings. Although playing with speakers is feasible, the nuances of the cadence in how they speak can be lost otherwise.
All items that you can grab and inspect make their respective sound effects as you move them around. Candy wrappers, soda cans, and cassette tapes are all painstakingly recreated to respond to your keen eye. It would be easy to say that these mechanics established from their previous work is a rethreading of it, but this time around it feels so snappy, it is clear they were meticulous about going above and beyond what they had done before.
At times, you will believe the game was made for you with the amount of references that were present in the lives of so many of us. If you were a 90s kid, expect to find yourself vividly reliving your own experiences during that time as the amount of classic artifacts of the era, such as Tamagotchis, Furbies, or sticky hand toys will throw you into a dizzy state from how precise the callbacks are. The result, achieved both by extensive research and firsthand accounts, is a teen dream that anybody who lived in that era will cherish dearly.
New Gold
The structure of a fascinating thriller boils down to how well it drip-feeds you snippets of revelations to captivate until it holds you within its grasp, and Lost Records handles this expertly. The tonality ebbs and flows, shifting from euphoric to perturbing, successfully tightening its grasp on you as secrets are slowly uncovered while the “summer of our lives” facade fades away, and the sobering truth rears its head.
Without the baggage of a long-running franchise, Lost Records: Bloom & Rage is a riveting mystery that flourishes due to its emotional storytelling. However, this is only Tape 1, and the wait to see how this tale concludes will be agonizing. Considering the care put into all facets of the game, I have no qualms believing it will stick the landing. It does not only recapture the magic of Don’t Nod’s lightning in a bottle, but it enhances it in every way.
