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0 Lost Records: Bloom & Rage Tape 1 is from Don’t Nod, the original creators of Life Is Strange. The story unfolds across timelines, with the first placing you firmly in the summer of 1995, when Batman Forever played in cinemas and Oasis headlined Glastonbury. The second takes you to a modern setting in 2022. The developers released the game on 18th February 2025 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S/X, and Windows.
Nearly 30 years have passed since protagonist Swann Holloway last saw the rest of the friendship group, Bloom & Rage. In the modern-day setting, which shifts to a first-person perspective compared to the past’s third-person view, The mystery begins with a box addressed to the group with no idea who sent it.
Swanning About
Premise
If you have played a Don’t Nod game before, then Lost Records: Bloom & Rage Tape 1 will satisfy that familiar itch with a 90s-themed spin. Representations of the 90s include in-universe versions of Tamagotchi, Blockbuster and Troll Dolls. It isn’t just these that make you feel in the 1990s, but also the warm tones, videotape aesthetic, and synthetic music. Lost Records goes for quality over quantity with its locations. Beautiful forests, abandoned parks, and small-town bars are just some of the places I experienced during the switches between times.
Don’t Nod’s ability to make you care about its characters front and centre of the game? While you control Swann, the shy awkward type that Don’t Nod loves as a protagonist, the other members of the group—Kat, Nora, and Autumn—have relationships that you can take time to develop during the six-hour runtime of Lost Records: Bloom & Rage Tape 1.
Kat is pragmatic and not afraid to speak her mind with some colourful language. Nora is rebellious, fun-loving, crass and carefree, as well as loving to flirt. No group is without its leader, which is the role Autumn fills. Respected by all the other members and multi-talented with guitar and skateboard, while still being down to earth, is impressive. The writing takes a big leap forward from the teenage “hella cringe” slang-riddled Life Is Strange, with the performances as curious, adventurous teens and matured, world-weary adults helping to make the characters appeal to more people and adding authenticity to the setting.
Gameplay
You’ll spend your time, as in all Don’t Nod games, making narrative choices. So far, you choose your cat’s name (I named mine Shadow!!) and make small talk with each character. There are also some romance options that don’t seem to carry over to the modern day, so perhaps they’ll be explored in Tape 2. Don’t Nod adds unique mechanics to all its games. Previous efforts for unique mechanics include the Life Is Strange rewind feature and Twin Mirror’s Mind Palace to solve clues.
The unique twist that Don’t Nod adds to Lost Records: Bloom & Rage Tape 1 fits right in with the 90s theme. Swann has her camcorder, given to her by her father for her sweet sixteen. As an aspiring cinematographer, you film items such as wildlife, buildings, and graffiti. You can then edit the footage and watch your creation, accompanied by the director’s commentary from Swann. The tone varies, ranging from a You’ve Been Framed-style home video to a Blair Witch vibe. The action becomes a bit repetitive after a while, as you wait for a magenta circle to fill up, indicating the footage is complete.
The key to the story is the mystery. There are no spoilers here, but the plot reaches a place where it delves more into horror that is intriguing and leaves me wanting Tape 2 to be released. Why do the gang seem hesitant to meet? It’s quite hard to give a full review as the pieces of a larger puzzle are yet to fall into place. As a solo entry, I really enjoyed my time with the game.
Graphics & Audio
I played Lost Records: Bloom & Rage Tape 1 on the PS5 Slim on its release as part of PS Plus Premium. The game’s colours pop out of the screen, with brilliant lighting effects and deep shadows. The sounds are nostalgic, with VHS rewinding standing out. There were no crashes or framerate dips, which is quite rare in modern games, making for a great experience. However, there was some slight texture popping as well.
Longevity
The game as mentioned takes around six hours, there are many collectables to film that can extend the playtime by as much as 2 hours. Lost Records: Bloom & Rage Tape 1 has a featured collectable mode that allows you to go back to each scene and pick up what you missed without overwriting your story choices. You can refilm scenes for a better shot, edit the order and even favourite clips that showcase your inner Scorsese.
Accessibility
In terms of accessibility, the first screen you see tells you all about the triggers that the game will cover. It lets you add a warning before any of these events. After this, the menu opens with the ability to change text size, opacity, head bobbing, motion blur, and motion controls. Don’t Nod’s clear effort is appreciated by this writer.
Final Thoughts
Lost Records: Bloom & Rage Tape 1 starts to scratch the itch that recent similar games just couldn’t. The mystery and setting leaves me feeling nostalgic for a time when I was very young. Just don’t expect the story to move at a mile a minute. The game’s pace glides along at a steady rate. Not much is revealed, but it’s up to Tape 2, coming in mid-April, to finish what this game has started.
It’s going to be a long wait but in the meantime, I am happy to give Lost Records: Bloom & Rage Tape 1 a Thumb Culture Gold Award.
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