Lost Records: Bloom & Rage Tape 1

Lost Records: Bloom & Rage, the latest game from the Life is Strange developer DON’T NOD, did something to me that not a lot of other nostalgia-based pop culture has managed to do. It completely enveloped me in the time period it was set in, which incidentally was around the same time I was going through my teenage years, and I truly felt like I was back in the mid ‘90s, playing my Super Nintendo and discovering house and trance for the first time. Even though I knew going in that this was set in 1995, I was still not expecting this extreme nostalgic wave as I entered Swann’s bedroom for the first time.

This room was covered in time-appropriate decorations. From Furbys on the shelf, a Magic Eye book that I found on a shelf, the beast of a TV and VHS player, and a playable Tamagotchi game on her desk. I deliberately took time to not just admire the splendour but to explore and play with all that I could. This feeling rose when I had a task of finding a VHS that Swann needed to return to the Blockbusters-style rental shop, The Movie Palace. The Dark Crystal was the film (which I loved as a kid), and I took much glee from opening VHS cases, trying to find the right one. This was highly effective for me, as I remember myself putting VHS tapes into the wrong cases as a kid, as I too couldn’t be bothered to put them in the right one. 

And this level of detail carries on through the entirety of the game, but not just in the era it’s set in, but also in its characters, its writing, and the setting too. Velvet Cove is that setting and is home to Swann Holloway, a nervous, awkward sixteen-year-old who loves films, which bleeds into her passion for recording footage with her camcorder in an attempt to make her own films. Most footage is shot in her local forest, which the game purposely takes its time exploring. Long, hanging shots of wildlife, rivers, and scenic spots fill the time to explain the love Swann not only has for filming but also for the serene woodland area and its wildlife. This time instantly connected me to Swann; I felt I was beginning to really know her already, and I could feel myself warming to her life and the interests that carried her through her teenage years. 

Swann is a loner, but through some intense moments, she meets who will become three of her closest friends in Autumn, Nora, and Kat. It was special to experience the ways in which these four girls bonded and became the friends they did, and the journey they go on was masterfully plotted and written by the talented folk over at DON’T NOD. It is a story that is steered by you, and if you’re familiar with Life is Strange, then you’ll know what to expect, but for anyone else, it’s your choices that will shape the relationship between Swann and the others while also affecting the story in places too. These relationships can be whatever you want them to be, from just friends to BFF’s or maybe something else; it’s all believable and true to life, even through the more supernatural moments of the narrative.

The camera shots chosen are also very effective in delivering the right emotion; sometimes with a quick shot of a pair of eyes or a bitten lip, these shaky shots can really bring home the emotion that’s being felt between characters, as well as the more lingering shots of all four girls while playing truth or dare or just hanging out on the riverside. The attention to detail in just these areas alone gives the game an edge that other games in the field have not been able to hit. 

Speaking of camera shots, Swann’s camcorder plays a pivotal role in Lost Records gameplay elements. It can be fired up in any free-roaming area and is capable of capturing anything you point it at. There are many items, scenic spots, birds, and such that can be captured in every area, each with a certain amount of shots needed to complete that group. You can also capture the other girls at pivotal moments to have a record to look back on. Once you do have footage, you can then review and edit it into proper little videos, which are all optional, but it is a fun and welcome distraction. I must say that when I first fired up the camcorder, I was blown away by the effect. DON’T NOD has managed to really capture what it was like to look through a mid-90s camcorder, and I did let out an audible “wow” when I first saw it in action. You also have a zoom feature, which can play into creating some unique and interesting shots, if that’s how detailed you may want to go.

Lost Records is not all about the past, though, as the main reason we experience everything we do is through the older, early forties versions of the girls reminiscing. A mysterious box that Autumn received has brought them back together after 27 years, and not only are they there to find out what’s in the box and who sent it, but they also have much catching up to do, as they remember what happened in the summer of 1995. In some instances, as you’re playing through moments in the past, you’ll hear the older versions talk about what you’re seeing on the screen, which was a lovely touch and cemented the nostalgic feeling I was experiencing. 

One other element to the present was certain objects that were scattered around, which Swann could reminisce over. From a poster on a pin board to a stag’s head above the bar, there are many moments like these, and they just added another layer to Swann, who she is as a person and the memories she holds dear to that time. 

I’ve purposely been vague on the story and plot lines that run through the game; its the main ingredient and one that just needs to be experienced yourself. What I will say is that what it will do for most is remind you of those carefree summers, where your only responsibilities were to hang out with friends and create bonds through talking and playing games. It is also a great example of the naive mindset of a 16-year-old, the thought that they know it all, and then seeing it all go wrong when they realise that they don’t actually know everything. It’s powerful, and it may bring back memories from your own past, as it did for me, and that speaks volumes for the writing throughout the game. 

Through the past and present, you’ll get to know these people, learning their personalities, finding out what makes them tick, what they are scared of, and what their dreams are for their futures. Each has a deep personality that shines through. I warmed to certain characters and not to others thanks to these personalities, with Swann herself having been incredibly realised. Her awkward, nervous tendencies shine through her body language and the way she speaks. The older versions have also been created with much care, and it was fascinating to see how age had changed them.

Throughout all of this, I was treated to an excellent array of musical treats through the game’s soundtrack. From time-appropriate indie rock-style songs to instrumental atmospheric pieces, it aided the nostalgia immensely. Those atmospheric pieces were strongest through the more unexplainable and mysterious parts, giving off the perfect level of eeriness and tension.

The only negative I had walking away from my time with Lost Records was that the conversations did at times overlap with each other. This led to me missing certain lines that I wanted to hear, and it just took me out slightly. Sometimes I feel this was on purpose, but mostly I could tell it was by accident. Otherwise, I had a great experience with the performance of the game and its full voice acting.