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Two months after Tape 1 was released, Tape 2 of the excellent narrative adventure Lost Records: Bloom & Rage launched, thus we returned to the otherworldly Velvet Cove.
The release of the new game from the studio behind Life is Strange, its prequel Before the Storm and Life is Strange 2 as well as Remember Me and Tell Me Why, Don’t Nod Montreal, was split into two episodes. Since Lost Records: Bloom & Rage is set in the 90s, it was divided into two tapes. While the first tape was released on time on February 18th, the second tape was delayed by almost a month to April 15th. All owners of the game on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC, as well as those who have added the game to their game library as a PlayStation Plus Extra or Premium subscriber, can access the new content via a free update and start it from the main menu after completing Tape 1.
Velvet night, it’s dark and lonely
Tape 2 picks up where the first episode ended—with a massive cliffhanger. We’ll try to keep this post as spoiler-free as possible, but will cover the content of both episodes. So, if you intend to play the game completely without prior knowledge, you should probably read this review after you’ve completed the game. In a kind of dream sequence, Swann relives the key events from Tape 1 to catch up with all players after the extended break. In 2022, the group consisting of protagonist Swann, Autumn, Kat and Nora are still about to open a package addressed to their former teenie band Bloom & Rage, while in 1995 they are struggling with a cruel stroke of fate after having a spectacular concert in front of the Blue Spruce bar, which ended in great heartbreak.
What would you give to the abyss?
As in Bloom, in Rage we spend considerably more time in the past than in the present, where we finally learn what’s in the box relatively early into the episode. The leaps in time are again dictated by the game, and just like earlier, we witness the events in the present mostly from a first-person view, while the scenes in the 90s are in third-person. Swann returns to familiar locations like the Blue Spruce and various places in the surrounding woods. Compared to the first tape, we rarely get to use our trusty camcorder. At least every now and then we are allowed to tape our cat, who we picked in Tape 1, and the animals of the forest, though we would’ve loved to have recorded a few scenes more, edit them together and listen to Autumn’s inner monologue. Areas to freely explore at our own pace are also few and far between in Rage. Though, at times we are allowed to explore the mysterious woods a little and uncover the sinister, supernatural secrets of Velvet Cove.
Tape 2 picks up the pace compared to the previous episode and the pacing works significantly better this time around after the somewhat drawn-out introduction to the game. The game puts us in tense situations far more frequently than before, such as infiltrating Kat’s home and having to evade the watchful guard’s eyes in Metal Gear Solid-style, create distractions and resort to an analogue version of the Codex. This is pretty messy, as the controls aren’t designed for stealth and the cones of vision are relatively unclear, but it does add variety to the gameplay. In exhilarating chases, we have to make quick decisions to avoid obstacles and guard the group to safety.
In this room there is no time
The game shines most when we’re listening to the well-written dialogue and uncover the story bit by bit with every twist and turn. In Tape 2, our friendship is put to the test more than ever and our actions have meaningful impact on our relationship with the girls. If we put too much pressure on a character, they will ultimately abandon us. We can continue or end a romance that we may have begun in the first tape. Lost Records lets us build meaningful connections to its characters, which somewhat disguises the fact that we have little influence over the very final scene. The second half of Lost Records: Bloom & Rage offers numerous magical moments that are entertaining, make us cry or make our blood run cold.
We still dance until the blue
The obligatory decision screen at the end of the game reveals a total of nine different possibilities for one of the game-deciding scenes. So far, the community has discovered four different endings for how Bloom & Rage’s journey could end for the time being. The open-endedness of the ending with regard to a possible sequel has bothered some, but that seems to be more of a video game problem. In TV shows, on the other hand, an open ending rarely provokes an outcry, unless you go the Lost route. The ending may be controversial, but it will probably be far less upsetting to players, who have followed the story unfold up to that point closely. Both the different endings and the numerous more or less well-hidden clues invite going for another run.
There’s nothing like Lapis Lazuli
Like the first episode, Tape 2’s presentation is excellent—from the characters’ authentic facial expressions to the detailed locations and the beautiful lighting and particle effects—, a fantastic English dub and the atmospheric synthie score by the trio of Ruth Radelet, Adam Miller and Nat Walker, as well as licensed music by Beach House and Babes in Toyland and, last but not least, a superb acoustic version of the Nora Kelly Band’s theme song See You In Hell. Lost Records: Bloom & Rage uses iconic music and powerful images to stage its thematically similar story in the style of the TV show Stranger Things. Rage also features numerous pop culture references, such as to the Twin Peaks film Fire Walk With Me whose title appears on Nora’s lighter, and the Unicom module of the fictitious Zelda-like The Legend of Momojing. Tape 2, with a play time of around six hours, is considerably shorter than Tape 1 with a play time of up to over ten hours before we saw the credits, which spoiled us with the songs included in Rage.
Final thoughts
After a somewhat long wait of two months, the outstanding narrative adventure Lost Records: Bloom & Rage comes to a brilliant conclusion with a much shorter second tape. In Rage, Don’t Nod focuses on their core strengths: authentic dialogue and character development. While we lose out on freedom compared to Bloom due to the lack of larger areas to explore and the sparse use of the camcorder feature, the numerous magical moments and the fact that our decisions have tangible consequences more than make up for that. The goal stated by the creative director in a chat at gamescom, that Lost Records: Bloom & Rage would be remembered for long, has been achieved. The different endings offer enough room to speculate until a possible next installment in the series is released. While some may be disappointed by the developer’s decision to not spell out every answer to the questions players may have raised in regards to the game’s mysteries, its universe certainly has plenty in store for future adventures.
Don’t Nod provided us with a PC copy of Lost Records: Bloom & Rage which we used to capture the screenshots.
