Lost Records: Bloom & Rage

Mixed feelings here. Again, I wish I had a neutral option for this (rather than having to choose if it's just "bad" or "good.") Don't Nod can't seem to escape the formula they've set up with Life is Strange. To wit: A) Small town rural American setting. B) Rebellious teenagers lashing out at the system/society. C) Social issues and slightly exaggerated stereotypes of characters who are bullies or racists. D) Some sinister mystery at work in the setting (taken liberally from Stephen King/David Lynch). They even had a "Fire Walk With Me" reference at the bar if you couldn't catch it. In my opinion, this formula peaked with the first two entries in the LiS franchise (even if LiS 2 has issues with some of the story). Since then, they've been chasing the same "lightning in a bottle" success they had from the earlier titles. That is to say, this game delivers on all the baseline points -- the characters are diverse enough, the situation is dark/sinister enough to keep you wondering about what's going on, and I guess it's visually pleasing or stimulating enough to keep you interested. In particular, I was very happy to see that they asked the former Chromatics members to provide music for the game. I've always loved their music in general, so it was nice that that sound defined the vibe of the game with their sweet dream pop. The use of the Cocteau Twins' "Heaven or Las Vegas" album also brought me back to happier days in my youth. However, the story's pacing is a huge mess, especially in Tape 1. I honestly wasn't sure what I was watching by the end of the first tape - just a bunch of random events strung together by being centered on different interactions in their lives. A hint of mystery in there, but to what end? Tape 2 was able to bring some of it together, but Kat's character had the same issue as Chloe's did in LiS1 -- rebellion and anger for the sake of what? To be fair to Kat, she had her reasons to be angry with her life, but the situation got out of hand in an overly dramatic way that I couldn't fully accept. It's probably just my personal issue with her behavior, though, so feel free to disagree. Overall, I'd cautiously recommend this if you want to support Don't Nod, but A) I'd like to see this resolved in an interesting way in future tapes and B) I hope they didn't start something they can't finish. Honestly too, I'd like to see them move on from LiS and try out something different.

пубертат инфантилизм и драматический накал уровня сызранский институт культуры и народного творчества

Okay so. I don’t even know how to start this without sounding dramatic but whatever. This game actually ruined me. In the best way possible. I thought I was just going to play a chill story game and instead I got emotionally adopted by fictional characters and now I miss them like they were real people??? Geez’o I don’t get those people who don’t like this game, I will never understand. The story is literally like finding old VHS tapes from when you were younger and realizing you forgot half of what happened but the feelings are still there. It switches between past and present and every time it does that it HURTS but like… gently. It’s about friendship and growing up and promises and the kind of summers that feel infinite when you’re in them but then suddenly they’re not. And the crazy part? Nothing huge or explosive has to happen for it to hit. It’s just conversations. Looks. Silence. And somehow that’s worse (in a good way). This is more like walking around, exploring, talking, choosing what to say, and then overthinking what you said for the next three hours. The choices feel natural though. It’s not like “THIS WILL CHANGE EVERYTHING” flashing on screen. You just talk. And later you’re like… oh. Oh no. That mattered. I love when games trust you like that. The Vibes??? Insane. The 90s setting doesn’t feel fake or forced. It feels real. Like slightly messy bedrooms, warm sunsets, awkward fashion, band practice in garages. There are scenes where the lighting is so pretty I just stopped moving my character and stared at the screen like an idiot. It’s cozy but also kinda haunting. Which is a weird combo but it works. (headphones REQUIRED) Please wear headphones. I’m serious. The soundtrack plus the little background sounds (wind, tape clicks, random noises) just makes everything feel super immersive. There are moments where the music starts playing at the exact right time and it’s like the game knew you were about to feel something. And you do. I think it's been less than 24 hours since I finished and already want to replay it again just to see what happens if I say something slightly different. Not because I want a “better ending” but because I’m curious how relationships shift. Geez o forever…📼💜

Not Recommended (So Far) – 10 Hours Played I really wanted to love this game. The marketing gave me the impression that it would lean heavily into a witchy, spooky, punk-rock atmosphere, and that combination sounded right up my alley. Unfortunately, it hasn't quite delivered on those expectations. The biggest issue for me is the pacing. I'm currently on Tape 2 with around 10 hours played, and it often feels like I'm pushing myself to keep going rather than being excited to see what happens next. Long stretches of walking, recording clips, and listening to conversations make the game feel more like a walking simulator than an interactive narrative. The camera mechanic, in particular, starts to feel repetitive and more like filler than meaningful gameplay. The characters also haven't clicked with me. Instead of feeling like distinct individuals, many of them come across as familiar archetypes, making it difficult for me to become invested in their stories. Their dialogue often feels unnatural, and I never found myself connecting with the main character, whose personality simply didn't resonate with me. There are moments where the game hints at supernatural or creepy elements, but they're spread so far apart that the tension never really builds. By the time something interesting happens, I've usually spent so much time on slower sections that the payoff loses its impact. The punk music and aesthetic are definitely present and are probably my favorite part of the experience, but I wish the horror and occult themes played a much larger role. I can see that this game will appeal to players who enjoy slow-burn, dialogue-heavy experiences and character-driven storytelling. For me, though, the pacing and gameplay loop make it difficult to stay engaged. I'll still finish it in the hope that the later tapes improve, but so far it hasn't lived up to the expectations I had going in and i cant recommend this game based on the gameplay I've completed so far. I'm very disappointed as I'm a big fan of the developers previous games.

Truly one of the greatest games I’ve ever played — and I don’t say that lightly. With over 10,000 games across my cross-platform libraries and at least 60% of them played to completion, I’ve experienced just about everything the medium has to offer. Yet this game stands head and shoulders above the rest. It’s that rare kind of masterpiece that doesn’t just entertain — it resonates deeply and stays with you long after the credits roll. As someone who actually grew up in the 80s and 90s, I was absolutely blown away by how lovingly and authentically the developers captured the spirit of that era. The fashion, the music, the technology, the social vibes… it’s all there, recreated with incredible attention to detail. But what really got me were the textured, nuanced relationships that feel ripped straight out of that time. The friendships, rivalries, romances, and quiet moments of connection all feel so real and lived-in. It’s pure nostalgia done right — not cheap fanservice, but a genuine love letter to the era that shaped so many of us. From top to bottom, LR:B&R is phenomenal. The gameplay, the storytelling, the myriad of cultural references, the atmosphere, the character writing, the soundtrack (oh that soundtrack!) — everything clicks on an elite level. It’s one of those rare experiences where I found myself smiling, laughing, and even getting a little misty-eyed at times. If you have even a passing interest in this kind of game, do yourself a favor and play it. Now.

Don't Nod did it again: Lost Records: Bloom & Rage really nails the "nostalgic summer vacation" vibes. Even though I didn't live in a small town in the U.S. midwest (or was a 16-year-old girl for that matter) in the 90s, there's still something very home-y in the atmosphere that really appealed to me. It's about on the same level as Night In The Woods, where you just feel the connection to the place it's depicting, even though you've personally never been there. As far as the actual gameplay goes, Lost Records also doesn't mess around. The girls are all pretty well-written and have some destinct personalities, and Swann makes for a great protagonist, starting out the game extremely unsure of herself and her skills with the camcorder (which you also get to use to record objects and people to create little themed clipshows) and finding confidence in this group of misfits. Which one of the girls she leans on the most (if any) is of course based on your decisions and dialogue responses. The impacts of these decisions, both big overarching and smaller scene-based ones, always felt pretty satisfying to me and it seems like Don't Nod also managed to account for a bunch of different outcomes - one of the climactic scenes of the game has ten different ways it can play out, if the results screen is to believed. It's however not a perfect game. The body and face language feels really rough in places and does not always match the energy of some spoken lines - I feel like the the second Part of the game gets slightly better about it, but it never really goes away. Some of the dialogue options feel very extreme, especially early on when it feels like Swann is still getting to know the other girls. And, while the ending was satisfying (even though my Swann ended up alone in the future), it does feel weird that it's also setting up for a Part 3 / Tape 3 - which I still hope we'll get eventually. Overall though, I still very much recommend this game. And, as with all narrative games, go in as blind as possible and let your decisions shape your playthrough - good or bad, you'll be more satisfied with the ending you managed to get yourself

Lost Records - зовсім не та гра, за яку себе видає. Я розраховував на цікаву містичну історію в стилі Life is Strange чи Воно Стівена Кінга. Але, насправді, перед нами звичайнісінька тінейджерська мелодрама без якихось крутих поворотів чи страшних гріхів минулого, за які героям доведеться розплачуватись в майбутньому. І ні, трейлери не брехали, містика тут дійсно є. Але вона має настільки незначну роль, що гра спокійно могла обійтись і без неї. До сюжету теж є питання. Він простий, як двері, і розгортається ну ду-у-уже повільно! Крім того, якщо у першій частині Lost Records головний гад був бидлуватим селюком, але в результаті одразу кинувся на допомогу постраждалій дівчині, то в другій - він без причини перетворюється вже на реального мудaкa, просто щоб героїням було проти кого бунтувати. Та й з своїм юнацьким бунтом дівчата явно перегнули палицю, тому місцевого реднека навіть в чомусь розумієш. Проте, мушу визнати, фінал гри дійсно здатен викликати бурю емоцій. Але відбувається це не завдяки грамотному сюжету, а виключно через те, що кожен дорослий гравець має теплі спогади про своє безтурботне дитинство. І тут автори б'ють точно в ціль, драма працює на всі сто, а ти щосили намагаєшся проковтнути клубок, який підступає до горла... Але, в загальному, Lost Records - дуже посередня гра. Шкода, що у Steam немає можливості поставити нейтральну оцінку. Це якраз той самий варіант.

A Must-Play Masterpiece! 💙💙 I am still reeling from the experience of playing this game . It is rare to find a game that captures a specific feeling so perfectly, but Don’t Nod has absolutely outdone themselves here.I honestly don’t even know where to start with this one, but I’m still thinking about it days after finishing. Man this game was so good ....relaxing and also very sad and emotional at the same time the characters were well written all the environment were awesome graphics were very good and story was quite simple with the same time very intresting the gameplay was very good i liked the way the game shows us the story and how the story folds i also like the camera gameplay it was like another game inside a game we got to see game world through the camera with swann holding it and recording all things ...the story is really good and emotional ....this game will be on my favourite list forever ...highly recommended ....9.5/10 💙💙 The way the game handles nostalgia is just incredible. Every time you pick up the camera as Swann, it feels so immersive, like you’re actually there capturing these core memories with friends. The graphics are stunning and really pull you into that specific atmosphere of being young and a bit lost, but having your friends by your side. It’s rare to find a game that can make you feel so peaceful one minute and then completely break your heart the next. The writing is top-tier and the characters feel so real that you actually care about what happens to them as the story unfolds. If you like story-driven games that actually have soul, you have to play this.