Background information
Lost Records: Bloom & Rage Part 1 has me thinking the 90s really were awesome
by Kevin Hofer
The wait for Tape 2 was worth it: "Lost Records: Bloom & Rage" tested
16/4/2025
Translation: machine translated
Pictures: Kevin Hofer
After the cosy and warm first tape of "Lost Records: Bloom & Rage", things get dark in Tape 2. The conclusion of Dontnod's latest game is a success, but offers even less gameplay than the first instalment.
Should I put the books in the box first and then the spray can on top? Or would I rather put the colouring materials first? And then what do I do with the Rubik's Cube? These are the questions I ask myself at the beginning of «Rage», the second part of «Lost Records». As Swann, I pack a box of reins, because soon the teenage girl and her parents are moving away from Velvet Cove, a sleepy little town in the north of the USA.
Packing is the gameplay highlight of Tape 2, as the sequel to the story of four friends who experience a magical summer together in 1995 and meet again in 2022 for the first time since then offers even less playful interaction than the first instalment. But that's not a bad thing, because the strength of «Lost Records» lies in the narrative - and it's a strong one.
You can read my impressions of the first part, which was published in February, in the following article.
The story comes to a good conclusion
Tape 2 picks up from the cliffhanger of Tape 1. I experience how the girls deal with the revelations and experiences. Their individual reactions are quite understandable and fit in with their personalities that were revealed in Tape 1. For example, one person initially withdraws. She regrets her actions and wants to be alone. The other, on the other hand, seeks contact and wants everything to go back to the way it was before.
While the emotional state in «Bloom» was cosy, in «Rage» it is sad. This is also reflected in my mood. For example, feeding Swann's Tamagotchi imitation «Buzzy» in Tape 1 still gave me pure joy. When I clean the stable of the digital pixel creature in Tape 2, it feels as if I want to wipe away what has happened. I would like to experience the teenagers again without a care in the world. But, as in real life, that's not possible and - as clichéd as it may sound now - it's also part of growing up. And that's what «Lost Records» is about too.
The narrative of Tape 2 is extremely dense. Whereas in Tape 1 I still had some time to explore the surroundings from time to time, in the second part it's scene after scene. That's not to say that the developers haven't built in space to take a breather. However, there is now more of this in sequences that are accompanied by music. For example, Swann runs across Velvet Cove to her hiding place in the forest. The scene is accompanied by music, as I know it from «Life Is Strange», for example, and perfectly emphasises Swan's emotions.
All in all, I like the story and its narrative style very much. It touches me in a similar way to the first «Life is Strange» in 2015.
The presentation is the highlight after the story
The presentation of «Lost Records» is brilliant. The areas may be small, but they are packed with detail. In the storyline in the past, I come across troll figures, Polly Pocket sets, X-Files posters and similar things. As a child of the 90s, this triggers nostalgic feelings in me. But the bar in 2022 with the leftover clues from the pandemic - face masks and sanitiser at the entrance - also make the setting believable.
There's also a great soundtrack which, thanks to the rebellious 90s teens, is also a bit punky and grungey - and doesn't consist of what feels like 100 folk songs like in «Life is Strange».
The dialogue is well written throughout. As the protagonists are teenagers, I also find the ones with the potential to be strange and somehow cute - what teenager doesn't say things like: «This abyss is as deep as your soul»? I also like the English voiceover - except for Corey. He just seems too theatrical to me. What bothers me is that his lips are sometimes out of sync with what he's saying.
However, this could also be due to the game's enormous hunger for performance. Graphically, it's great, but the hardware has to be right. Even my PC with Ryzen 9 9800X3D and Radeon RX 7900 XTX roars properly in 1440p resolution. I even consider the game unplayable on the Steam Deck because even on the lowest settings, 30 frames per second is usually not possible. I think that's a particular shame for a game like «Lost Records», which is all about the story. So many people can't experience it that way.
The gameplay is just what it is
Dontnod is not reinventing the wheel when it comes to gameplay. With Swan's camera, which I can unpack at any time, I not only film things relevant to the story, but also animals, rubbish or the beautiful landscape. It's funny, but apart from the things I have to film to progress the story, it's optional.
Other than that, my interaction options are limited to examining items and the various dialogue options. I gain new answer options by looking around and then asking specific questions about the item. I often have to select an option within a time window, but I can also decide not to say anything at all. Depending on the answer or question, the relationship with my friends changes - in the past and the present.
What strikes me is the ratio of gameplay elements in Tape 2 compared to Tape 1. The already limited options are drastically reduced in Tape 2. I hardly have to investigate anything. There are also no puzzles, everything is served to me on a silver platter.
The second tape of «Lost Records: Bloom & Rage» has been available for Playstation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC since 15 April. The game was provided to me by Dontnod for the PC.
In a nutshell
A must-play for genre fans
"Rage", the second and final tape from "Lost Records", tells the story of Swan and her childhood friends in 1995 and 2022 in an exciting conclusion. This is mainly due to the likeable characters and well-written dialogue. It's the first game in this genre since "Life is Strange" that has captivated me so much with its story.
I am also impressed by the art style and soundtrack. The 90s have never felt so good to me. I always indulge in my own memories of my childhood and youth while playing.
The gameplay is less convincing. As is typical of the genre, it offers little besides walking, talking, investigating or the occasional puzzle. I do this even less in Tape 2 than in Tape 1.
Speaking of tapes: they are my biggest criticism of "Lost Records". In contrast to "Life is Strange", the new game from Dontnod only comes in two parts instead of five. Personally, however, I would have preferred to play both tapes at once. That way I'm really immersed in the story. My brain, which is constantly tuned to new inputs, can't cope with a two-month wait in between. But fortunately both parts are now available and I can recommend them to all fans of story-driven games.
Pro
- likeable characters
- great storytelling
- brilliant presentation
Contra
- High performance requirements on PC
- few gameplay elements
Kevin Hofer
Senior Editor
kevin.hofer@digitecgalaxus.chFrom big data to big brother, Cyborgs to Sci-Fi. All aspects of technology and society fascinate me.
