Lost Records: Bloom & Rage is a narrative adventure game from Don’t Nod, the same studio who created the Vampyr and the Life is Strange series. I never played any of the games from the Life is Strange series, not because I haven’t wanted to, more so because I have an enormous backlog.
When the trailer for Lost Records: Bloom & Rage was shown at the 2023 Game Awards, I felt very drawn towards the game. I loved the music and the vibes, both the nostalgia and the spooky. I knew I needed to keep an eye on this one.
I’m glad I did because I really loved this game.
Before I dive into the reasons why, this review is spoiler-free, as the whole point of games like Lost Records: Bloom & Rage is to explore the narrative yourself. So, I will be refraining from making any references to specific story beats in this review.
// Story
Lost Records: Bloom & Rage takes place both in 1995 & 2022. In 2022, Swann, the character you play as, is returning to Velvet Cove, Michigan for the first time in 27 years to reunite with her Autumn, Nora and Kat, the friends made back in the summer of 1995. The four are reuniting to confront a secret that not only changed their lives but also made them promise all those years ago they would never speak again. While having conversations with her friends in 2022, you are taken back to 1995 to not only see what happened but live it as you make the choices that led to that promise.
I felt a lot of nostalgia while playing this game and I think I finally figured out why. While I was only 4 years old back in the summer of 1995, I do remember growing up during that time. Many of the things I found in Swann’s room were things I had growing up, like the Tamagotchi I found on her desk or the Furby clone behind her bed. Even hearing movies titles, like Interview with the Vampire or The Crow or seeing the song list on the mixtape brought on that feeling. There’s no better way to put it other than: the game just felt so ‘90s. But it wasn’t truly the things in Swann’s room or the attention to detail that brought on my nostalgia. It was Swann and Autumn in the present, as adults, reminiscing about their past.
I started thinking back to when I was their age, when things felt so simple but also like the end of the world at the same time, as that’s what it’s like to be a teenager. Teenagers don’t have the same responsibilities as adults do, but they do have their own unique challenges, like still living under your parents’ roof. If you’ve got parents who are more controlling, you’re less likely to have as much independence as someone who has parents aren’t controlling or absent parents.
You can see some of these dynamics with Swann, Autumn, Nora, and Kat. Kat’s parents come across far more controlling than the other three girls’ parents. Kat is homeschooled and from some of what she says, her parents don’t like her hanging out with Swann, Nora and Autumn. She rebels against her parents wishes and hangs out with them anyway. Nora’s mom lives in LA but her dad remarried. She has the most freedom because she does whatever she wants, regardless of what her dad or stepmom say. Autumn and Swann seem to have a better relationship with their parents. Autumn’s mom seems to trust her enough to be out doing her own thing, as does Swann’s. Swann’s mom probably prefers it, which is a good segue to my next point.
Being a teenager is all about self-discovery, which is the core of Lost Records: Bloom & Rage. When you’re first introduced to Swann, you learn she’s introverted and prefers to be alone. She’s also very nerdy in terms of her interests (she loves bugs and movies/film), which, being as someone who also had very nerdy interests back when I was younger, can make you an outcast. She didn’t have many friends, if any at all, before meeting Autumn, Nora and Kat. She was also very shy and unable to stand up for herself. But through meeting her new friends, and choices you make in the game, she begins to discover that even though she may not have interests everyone is into, she does fit in somewhere. The friends she made accept her for who she is, and she doesn’t have to be different or like what they do just to fit in. One of the best examples of this I can think of is a conversation between ’95 Autumn and Swann. They’re talking about hiking, as they both enjoy it. Swann mentions she goes hiking alone, and Autumn says she shouldn’t do that. You’re given a choice between two replies, and I went with the one where Swann says she likes hiking alone. Autumn accepts that and even mentions she knows Swann enjoys being alone. There’s another time when you’re hanging out in Nora’s garage and Swann is asked what music she likes. She has the choice to lie and just say the name of one of two bands on the posters on the wall, but I went with the option where she admits to not really being into music as movies are her things. Her friends appreciated her honesty. The more Swann spends time with her friends, the more you see her grow into someone who is more confident in herself and who she is.
Swann isn’t the only outcast, though. Autumn, Nora and Kat are outcasts too. That’s what brings them together. Autumn is a military brat and moved around a lot. Nora is a social outcast. Kat is homeschooled. They all find commonality between each other through being different. And while yes, everyone is different, when you’re younger, being different can be isolating as others don’t see what you’re into as weird from what they’re into.
As I’ve already mentioned, the reason Swann is reuniting with her former friends is because something has resurfaced, forcing them to confront some dark secret from their past that made them lose touch with one another. I found this very relatable. Friends lose touch all the time. They told each other they wanted to be friends forever, but something happened that irrevocably changed their friendship forever. And sometimes, that’s life. When you’re younger, you do think you’ll be friends forever with the people you meet in elementary school or high school. For some people, you do remain friends, but for others, you drift apart. Whether it’s because you move away and it’s harder to keep in touch, you lose common interests, or maybe the person changes completely, and you no longer want to associate with them. Whatever the reason, not all friendship last. There’s a line that’s said at one point: “Sometimes, I wish I could have stayed in touch.” I think everyone has felt that way before about someone they’ve lost connection with.
I appreciated how the writers not only made the four feel like teenagers, but also made me care about them. I’m currently working through another game right now, and it was such a stark difference coming from a game with characters who were so well written to what I’m getting in the current game I’m playing, where they feel so one dimensional and flat. I cared learning more about the four of them, I actually wanted to spend more time with them. By the end of the game, I felt like these were girls I could have befriended myself if they were real because they were the kinds of people I would have (and still would be) friends with. I don’t know if I would have felt the same way if they weren’t written as well as they are.
// Representation
I’ve already written an article before about why representation matters in games, but I’m going to bring it up again here because I know when this game was announced, a certain crowd was very critical of how some of the characters looked (mainly Swann, because of her weight, and Autumn, because of her race).
I cannot stress enough how important it is to have representation in games, in every possible way. Lost Records: Bloom & Rage does this in a few different ways. The first is by having their characters not only feel like teenagers, but they also look like teenagers. You’ll notice acne and pimples on each of their faces, some more than others. They’re teenagers, it’s a thing some teens go through. It’s not something we should shy away from showing because it helps people be seen. The same goes for Swann’s weight. I loved that she was chubby. I was a chubby at her age, and it honestly made me relate to her even more, especially when she was criticized for her weight at times.
When you’re playing through the present-day scenes, it’s in first person point of view so I don’t know what Swann looks like now. Even if she was still chubby as an adult, making that design choice matters. The world is filled with people with different body types, the media we choose to consume should reflect that too.
Autumn is an important addition in Lost Records: Bloom & Rage. She’s a queer Black girl/woman, and I’d argue the second most important character in the game as she drives a lot of the narrative. I worry that when this game releases, the very vocal minority will start up about her again. This is my worry now with any game that features women or women of colour, especially since that vocal minority gets louder every time. It’s a damn shame because she’s just such a great character, but they don’t care to play this game, so they’ll never learn that.
Lastly, Lost Records: Bloom & Rage has queer representation. I’m not 100% sure about Kat, but I know at least Swann, Nora and, as previously mentioned, Autumn are all queer. It comes up very naturally too. I know Don’t Nod is well known for its queer representation in their games, and it’s no different here.
//Gameplay
Since this is an adventure game, exploring your surroundings is key, and the game has a few different ways you can do this.
The first is your more typical experience. You’re able to look around a space and interact with items. For example, there are a few times when you’re in Swann’s room, and you must find certain items. You can pick up an item and rotate it. Sometimes, you can interact with them too. I picked up a game cartridge and when I flipped it around to the slot, I was able to blow on it, like you would back in the 90s when N64 cartridges weren’t working. Another time I needed to find a VHS tape, because Swann tends to put VHS tapes in the wrong box (also guilty as charged). I was able to rotate the VHS tape boxes and open them up to see what was inside. I unfolded someone’s Dungeons and Dragons character sheet and when I rotated it, I found they had drawn their character on the back.
Not all items were special in the way you interacted with them, but they told you more about the person or the place. Like when you’re going through Swann’s room, and seeing the kinds of books she likes to read, or learning the kind of music Nora liked to listen to when you find her mixtape. It’s just a fun way of conveying story without any dialogue.
Some interactions were less tactile and used instead to reminisce on the past. When you’d look at an object and press the square button (since I played this on my PS5), you’d hear a voice-over of either talking about a specific moment from the past or you’d actually hear that moment instead.
The more unique interaction Lost Records: Bloom & Rage has is its use of the camcorder. It’s a major aspect of the game, and you’re encouraged to constantly be using it. I listened to that recommendation, even if the characters in the game started getting mad at me for filming too long.
The camcorder is used to create memoirs. There’s a certain number of shots you need for footage to become a memoir, and it’s different for every memoir. Creating memoirs has two purposes. The first one is as a clever way to collect collectibles, as you’ll be recording things like wildlife and sights in addition to your friends. I really liked this aspect as it was a unique way to collect things instead of just picking them up. The second is for storytelling. Whenever you create a memoir, if you go back and watch them, Swann speaks over them, reminiscing about what she recorded. I do recommend you watch them as you’ll learn things about her and her friends, or potentially more (not saying because of spoilers).
You are also able to edit memoirs. If I didn’t like the way the memoir looked, I could very easily go into the camcorder menu and rearrange the order of the footage. I could also replace footage as well. There are tutorials explaining how to do everything the first time you get the ability to, but if you’re like me and are button happy, there’s also a “how to play” menu in the pause menu in case you need to refresh yourself on any of the tutorials.
I liked using the camcorder a lot. This game hit me hard with nostalgia, and using the camcorder felt like such a throwback to that time. Don’t Nod made it feel like you were really using one, especially when you watched the footage back. It looked grainy and rough, much like old camcorder footage would. It even had the lines at the bottom. I also didn’t realise gyroscope was on for the camcorder either, making it feel like you’re holding one. I accidentally discovered this when I had put my controller down on my bed and moved it with my foot—the angle of the shot on the camera changed. I started playing around with the controller and sure enough, the camcorder angle would change as I moved the controller. Took me back to when I used to film my brother’s hockey games and I did not have the steadiest hands.
Dialogue is also important in Lost Records: Bloom & Rage. The things you say, or don’t say, matter. Depending on your answers, you could become closer to certain people or not. Some of the dialogue choices also affect the story. You’ll know when you experience either of these as when you respond to someone in a way that brings you closer to them, you’ll see a heart in the dialogue box you select. If you pick a dialogue option they don’t like, it’ll be a broken heart. For any of the major story choices, it’s a plant. I’m a big fan of games where your choices matter, which is why I wanted to play this game. I may have also reloaded my save a couple of times when I picked the wrong dialogue choice with certain characters because how dare I say something they don’t like.
You also have the option to say nothing at all when talking to characters. You’ll notice when you’re playing, the background colours for the dialogue options will begin diminishing. This is a counter to let you know how much time you have left to select one. Sometimes it’s slow, and other times it’s a rapid decline. Like I mentioned, you are not forced into a selection. The game even tells you at the beginning, staying silent is an option. I used this feature often, sometimes when characters wanted me to just listen, other times because I didn’t like either dialogue option. I even used it to get into character as Swann. At the very beginning of the game, she’s talking to her mother on the phone. I got the vibe she didn’t really want to be talking to her mom, so I just stayed silent at times.
I liked having this option because sometimes saying nothing at all is better than saying something wrong. It’s also just another way to give you agency as a player. Having more options for how to respond to conversations is always better than less.
It’s also important to be looking around during conversations. Some bits of dialogue will only unlock when you’re looking at something or someone. When the bartender asks Swann what drink she wants, options only become available when you look at the board on the bar counter or on the wall. As previously mentioned, there’s a moment where Swann is hanging out with Nora, Autumn and Kat in Nora’s garage, and she’s asked what bands she likes. When the dialogue options pop up, two are greyed out and only are visible when you view the posters on the wall. I thought this was a smart way of combining dialogue with environmental interactions. Plus, in some instances, like the bartender scenario, it makes sense you’d only know what to order once you’ve seen what’s on the menu.
Once you’ve beaten Tape 1: Bloom, you’re able to explore the Scene Selection menu on the main menu. This allows you to go back to the various scenes in Tape 1 and either change your choices by playing in story mode or, if you’re a collectable hunter, you can replay scenes in collectable mode. Collectable mode does not impact your current story progression but allows you to go back and collect whatever you missed. If you play in story mode, your story progression and choices will be deleted. I always love when games allow you to go back to chapters to complete things you may have missed, and the fact that Lost Records: Bloom & Rage includes a collectable mode is amazing. I will more than likely go back and get all the collectables I missed now to help hold me over until Tape 2 releases in April.
I saved the best gameplay mechanic for last:
YOU CAN PET THE CAT. MORE THAN ONCE. 10/10 no notes, that’s the end of my review.
I joke. But yes, you can pet (and get to name!) Swann’s cat. The controller also vibrated when I pet Pumpkin (that’s the name I went with. I don’t remember the other options right now). I’m a sucker for games where you can pet the animals, so I was ecstatic when I could pet Pumpkin.
I did experience some bugs and technical issues while playing. We were told the version we were playing would have some issues in it, so I went in expecting some. I had some texture pop-ins at times, particularly when changing from playable moments to in game cinematics. Autumn’s sweater would take some time to render at times. There was also some minor freezing at certain moments in game during cinematics. I noticed this especially in the final cinematic of Tape 1. Voice lines would also overlap, like a character would be speaking, and then the same character would be talking over themselves. The animation would glitch at times, like scenes would kind of pop from one to the next. None of these hampered my experience with the game, it was just annoying.
//Music
I loved the music of the game so much. When it was downloading, I stayed on the icon on my home screen of my PS5, listening to the track that played. It’s the same one that plays in the main menu of the game, too. By the time I heard the song actually in the game, I already knew all the lyrics. I cannot wait for the soundtrack to drop on streaming services so I can listen to the soundtrack as I go about my day. I’ve already been listening to See You in Hell, sung by Montreal band Nora Kelly Band, repeatedly since I finished Tape 1.
The music sounds very lo-fi vibe at times, but also ethereal and spooky at others. Likewise, since punk music plays a role in the game, it makes sense some of the music itself is punk.
The music really added to the vibe of the game and I often found myself just wanting to stop at points when I could just to listen to it.
//Final Thoughts
I loved Tape 1: Bloom of Lost Records: Bloom & Rage. I loved how its characters were written, making me not only interested in them, but also wanting to befriend them. Likewise, I loved its setting, its music and the representation as well. I loved the gameplay mechanics, especially the camcorder. What a unique way to collect collectables–instead of just picking them up, you film them? It’s such a different way of going about it, and I felt more inclined to get all the footage I need. I’ll more than likely go back to the game before Tape 2 drops to collect everything I missed.
I cannot wait for Tape 2: Rage to drop. Furthermore, I couldn’t believe how the game ended, making me want more right then and there. I’m happy to wait for it, though. I know it’s going to be worth the wait.
That is why I highly recommend Lost Records: Bloom & Rage.
