Lost Records: Bloom & Rage

Well, at least I'll still remember this game for the friends made along the way.

Lost Records: Bloom and Rage pays tribute to 90s angst and the riot grrrl rock in a deeply moving coming of age story.

In the end, Lost Records: Bloom & Rage left me impressed by its characters and atmosphere, but disappointed by how the story and its characters end up. Many resolved feelings both for the characters and myself… but hey, I guess that’s life, huh? I definitely wanted more answers, more closure, and something that felt like a real ending instead of a box full of mysteries and a promise that maybe more is coming later. There’s definitely potential here, and I would still play a sequel if one happens, but as a standalone story, this one left me wanting a whole lot more tape.

Lost Records: Bloom & Rage is a game that's saved by its characters. Their personalities are as fleshed out as we'd expect from a Don't Nod adventure game, they're the driving force in getting you through the story. The presentation is top-notch as usual, and the tweaks to the choice system give the game enough room to feel a little different from the studio's past adventures. It's just too bad that the story isn't paced so well, and the tale feels like a setup for something bigger in a future game rather than something that is more self-contained. The game is still fairly enjoyable if you know what you're getting into, but don't expect the title to feel as complete as others, like the first Life is Strange or Tell Me Why.

With so few positives across both tapes, Bloom & Rage easily ranks as one of DON'T NOD's worst albums.

Lost Records: Bloom & Rage is a beautiful experience. Noticeably struggling from a technical point of view, it still manages to impress with its gameplay, sincerity, messages and some of the most emotional scenes I have seen in a videogame in recent years. These features were vastly misunderstood by the public, but the truth is that, similarly to the protagonists, I’m not going to forget the Events of ‘95 that easily.

Lost Records Bloom & Rage is a game filled with bright spots that just couldn't connect with me. The core mystery is uninteresting and story pacing hurts it further. That being said, if the story clicks with you there is definitely something to enjoy. Though there are many better options throughout the genre.

If the first episode deserves an 8/10 for its intriguing plot and quite interesting gameplay, the second episode did not meet all the expectations and deserves more like a 6/10. All in all, the game gets a 7/10. It's decent enough, but not comparable to the original Life is Strange.

Unfortunately, Lost Records is not a good game, but it could be a great movie, if only it was edited differently, with shorter dialogue and without unnecessary sequences. This game tells a very emotional story, but I had a little fun actually playing it.

A teen drama adventure with a lot of nostalgia and a good atmosphere, but with a lazy script and boring gameplay