Lost Records: Bloom & Rage Reviews
There's been better narrative games, but none so achingly familiar as Lost Record's quartet of young punks.
Lost Records: Bloom & Rage stands out in its genre for its shockingly real portrayal of its characters and the world they live in, delivering an experience that can be too close to home; the defining realism that makes the game something of a masterpiece.
Lost Records: Bloom & Rage Tape 1 plants the seeds to yet another excellent teen drama and mystery by Don’t Nod: authentic, fun, intimate and intriguing, the title naturally navigates complex themes and teenage conversations, showing the studio's tremendous evolution. If things remain this way on Tape 2, we will definitely have a new classic of the adventure genre in our hands.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Lost Records: Bloom & Rage: Bloom (Tape 1) is hitting all the right notes to be another emotional gut-punch from Don’t Nod. With its bittersweet storytelling, perfectly curated aesthetic, and unshakable sense of unsettling mystery; I’m on the edge of my seat for Rage (Tape 2).
Tape 1 of Lost Records: Bloom & Rage proves to be a lopsided experience carried by a charming cast of characters and let down by its overall plot.
A fascinating new narrative adventure from the original Life is Strange team, this first slice boasts fresh twists that help move the formula forward, even if its story sometimes feels a remix of genre tropes.
But the game's utter sincerity is a major point in its favor, and these kinds of missteps are a side effect. If I have to put up with some deeply goofy choices in order to get a character as heartbreakingly earnest as Swann Holloway, I'll accept the trade-off.
"Tape 1 isn't just a set-up for the climatic finale of the game, it feels like its own distinct part."
Lost Records: Bloom & Rage captures how hard it is to make and maintain friendships no matter how old you are
Technical issues aside, Lost Records: Bloom & Rage succeeds in telling a meaningful story.
A Young Adult novel turned video game about four friends and one magical summer, which takes too long to get to the good stuff.
Lost Records: Bloom & Rage Tape 1 is an intriguing introduction to a mysterious new world. With its characters and setting at the forefront, this rose-tinted view of the mid-90s is welcoming, nostalgic, and perfectly blends this tale's more enigmatic side. It is incredibly slow at times and it doesn't answer an awful lot, but truth be told, we're dying to have those questions addressed in the latter part of the story. Tape 1 has teed it up, so it's down to Tape 2 to secure the home run.
Lost Records: Bloom & Rage – Tape 1 is everything you’d want from a DON’T NOD game: realistic characters, a gripping journey, and a sci-fi-infused adventure. While it doesn’t break new ground in the genre, it delivers a well-rounded, intriguing story. The first part lays the foundation for multiple compelling narrative threads. With its rich character drama and lingering mysteries, Tape 2’s release on April 15th can’t come soon enough.
With Lost Records: Bloom & Rage, struggling studio Don't Nod returns to its roots, offering a loyal audience everything they loved about Life is Strange. The slow-paced story may put off some action fans, but it builds to a powerful and shocking conclusion.
Review in Russian | Read full review
Tape 1 of Lost Records introduces us to a charming group of characters and presents an intriguing story that sets up a lot of questions and mystery for Tape 2, but a ton of technical issues and awkward dialogue really hamper the overall experience for the first episode of this two part adventure.
Don't Nod is back with a calibrated proposition for fans who fell in love with the studio thanks to Life is Strange. Lost Records has everything to please an audience that swears by the emotions they experienced while playing Max Caulfield at the time of Arcadia Bay or even with the Diaz brothers.
Review in French | Read full review
Lost Records does a lot of things right, introduces likeable characters in detail and lets me grow fond of them thanks to well-written dialogues. The 90s nostalgia also works very well for me - I can't resist the charm of gritty camera images, colorful sticker books and tasteless toys (in a good way).
Review in German | Read full review
Because we’re free to choose what to include or exclude from each memoir, we begin to see objects as Swann does: how they tell a story about a larger whole, as well as how they look best when captured on grainy video. Swann’s enthusiasm becomes infectious, as the act of playing the game becomes about finding the joy in the everyday.
Lost Records: Bloom & Rage has a lot going for it—a compelling mystery, a strong cast of characters, and a nostalgic atmosphere that captures the era perfectly. But the technical issues are hard to ignore. From audio glitches to animation bugs, it feels like the game needed more time in the oven. I’m hopeful that Part 2 will smooth out these rough edges, because there is certainly some potential here. It’s just not quite there yet.
Lost Records: Bloom & Rage Tape 1 is a pitch-perfect dose of melancholic 90s nostalgia and a solid start to a two-part story.