Lost Records: A Haunting 90s Tale of Friendship & Secrets

There’s a feeling you get when a game stops trying to impress you and instead just lets you feel. That’s the best way I can describe Lost Records: Bloom & Rage. It’s less of a thrill ride and more of a slow walk back into a memory you didn’t realize you missed.

Created by Don’t Nod, the team behind the original Life is Strange, Lost Records feels like a spiritual sibling—soaked in 90s aesthetics, filled with heartfelt dialogue, and brimming with character-driven storytelling. If you’ve ever loved a game for the emotions it stirred in you more than the mechanics it offered, this one’s worth your attention.

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The Summer That Changed Everything

You play as Swann, a quiet girl spending the summer of 1995 in Velvet Cove, Michigan. There, she finds herself bonding with three other girls—Nora, Autumn, and Kat—as they form a punk band and create lasting memories. But it’s not just about friendship and music; something mysterious happens that summer, something so intense the girls vow never to speak of it again.

Fast forward 27 years, and Swann is returning to Velvet Cove for the first time since. Bloom & Rage’s structure alternates between the warm tones of the 90s and the heavier, more reflective present. It’s a story about reconnection, lost time, and the hidden weight of secrets.

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The Realest Characters This Side of Velvet Cove

The standout feature of Lost Records isn’t the mystery—it’s the people. The four main characters feel incredibly real. Whether it’s a small glance, the way someone walks, or how a conversation lingers after it’s over, Don’t Nod nails those human moments.

Voice acting is consistently great. Every girl in the group feels distinct, and you grow attached quickly. Nora’s fire, Autumn’s grounded warmth, Kat’s rebellious edge—they’re believable, lovable, and complicated in the best ways. Swann, our protagonist, walks the perfect line between being an avatar for us and having a personality of her own.

Even side characters, like townsfolk or bandmates, feel lived-in. Conversations aren’t just there to push plot—they’re textured with subtext, awkward pauses, and moments of genuine connection.

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Filming the Summer: A Surprisingly Emotional Mechanic

One of the game’s best features is the camcorder. You can record moments throughout your adventure—conversations, scenes, quiet reflections—and they’re stored like a summer diary on VHS.

And here’s the cool part: these aren’t just scripted animations. You actually see what you recorded. Whether you’re filming a sunset, a funny moment at band practice, or just your friends laughing, it all becomes a reflection of your summer. It’s a beautifully personal mechanic that enhances the story without feeling like busywork.

That said, if you’re aiming for 100% completion, finding every camera-worthy moment can be time-consuming. It rewards exploration, but it also slows the game down.

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A Soundtrack That Hits Where It Hurts (in a Good Way)

Don’t Nod has a reputation for perfect music—and they haven’t lost that touch. The soundtrack here leans into dreamy, nostalgic dreampop and lo-fi punk, fitting the game’s dual timelines like a glove.

There were moments—like walking through a sunlit forest while a soft track swelled in the background—where I got actual chills. It’s not quite as iconic as the original Life is Strange soundtrack, but it still hits emotionally, and that’s what matters.

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A Beautifully Broken Game

Unfortunately, Bloom & Rage also brings some baggage—most of it technical.

This game runs on Unreal Engine 5, and while that gives it a graphical edge (seriously, this is Don’t Nod’s best-looking game to date), it also causes performance problems. And not just minor hiccups—we’re talking major framerate drops, texture pop-ins, and some really rough sections during more visually dense scenes.

You can tweak settings to improve things (turning down shadow quality helps a lot), but the fact that a game like Cyberpunk 2077 runs better on the same hardware is… a little baffling.

There are also a handful of script bugs: audio sliders that don’t work as intended, camera UI glitches, and even dialogue choices not registering properly. It’s not game-breaking, but it breaks immersion.

And honestly, for a story-focused game like this, immersion is everything.

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Don’t Call It a Slow Burn—But It Is One

Another sticking point: pacing. While Lost Records is never boring, it is slow. The story unfolds gently, focusing more on vibes and relationships than big reveals.

Tape 1 (titled “Bloom”) feels like a long setup for something greater. By the time you reach the end, the central mystery is just starting to crack open. It’s emotionally satisfying, but it does leave you feeling like you’ve only just begun. Some may miss the episodic format of Life is Strange, where each chapter felt thematically self-contained. Here, it’s more like one long episode that fades to black before the climax.

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The good and the hopefully going to be approved – For Tape 2

Pros
✅ Deeply human characters and stellar voice acting
✅ Emotional and immersive story across dual timelines
✅ Camcorder mechanic adds a personal, touching touch
✅ Beautiful visuals and environments
✅ Soundtrack is dreamy, nostalgic, and mood-perfect
✅ Feels like home for Life is Strange fans

Cons
❌ Performance issues on mid-range and even higher-end PCs
❌ Slow pacing may not be for everyone
❌ Some minor bugs in UI and scripting
❌ Choices don’t always reflect player intent clearly
❌ Completionist elements can feel grindy

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Category	Score (9/10)
Story & Writing	9.0
Characters & Voice Work	9.5
Atmosphere & Music	8.8
Gameplay Mechanics	8.0
Visuals & Style	9.0
Performance & Polish	6.0
Overall Enjoyment	8.7