Lost Records: Bloom & Rage

Embark on a poignant and mysterious narrative journey with Lost Records: Bloom & Rage, an upcoming adventure game from Don't Nod Montréal, the acclaimed creators of Life is Strange. Set to release in two parts, beginning February 18, 2025, for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S, the game invites players to film their summer of 1995, forging unbreakable bonds with new friends, only to confront dark secrets 27 years later that shattered their friendship.

The story unfolds in the fictional Michigan town of Velvet Cove, where players take on the role of Swann, one of four former friends – Nora, Autumn, and Kat being the others. The game cleverly interweaves two timelines: the magical summer of 1995 and the post-pandemic haze of 2022. In 1995, the girls form a tight-knit punk quartet, Bloom and Rage, reminiscent of riot-grrrl bands like Bikini Kill and Sleater-Kinney, navigating the challenges of self-discovery and friendship. However, an unexplained event casts a shadow over their summer, leading to a vow to never speak again.

In 2022, fate reunites the now 43-year-old Swann with her estranged friends, forcing them to confront the long-buried secret that fractured their bond. Players will navigate both timelines, piecing together the puzzle of what really happened that summer and why they are reuniting after all these years. Each timeline offers a unique perspective, contributing to the larger narrative.

Gameplay in Lost Records: Bloom & Rage emphasizes player choice and consequences4. As Swann, players will interact with their surroundings, engage in conversations, and make decisions that shape their relationships with Nora, Autumn, and Kat. The game features a camcorder belonging to Swann, allowing players to capture moments and create memories, adding a lo-fi, authentic touch to the experience. The use of the camcorder for recording scenes and collecting objects is a key part of the gameplay. The game's enhanced visuals, particularly the lifelike character models and facial animations, effectively convey emotion and enhance immersion.

The game draws inspiration from 90s TV shows like Twin Peaks and movies like Foxfire and The Craft. This is evident in the game's atmosphere, which blends nostalgia with a sense of mystery and the bizarre.

Creative director Michel Koch emphasized the importance of player choice in Lost Records: Bloom & Rage, stating that the game aims to recreate the story with choice and consequences. Unlike other narrative-based games with multiple main characters, Bloom & Rage will only have one playable character to avoid disconnecting players from what's happening on the screen. The developers have hired two American writers, Desiree Cifre and Nina Freeman, to ensure the characters are authentic in both 1995 and 2022.

Lost Records: Bloom & Rage is designed as the foundation for a possibly larger universe, with more games planned in the Lost Records label. The decision to release the game in two parts, "tapes," is intended to allow players to theorize about what will happen next, similar to fans of Game of Thrones. The first part releases on February 18, 2025, and the second on April 15.