Info about Lost Records: Bloom & Rage:

Official game description:
Rewind back to the 90s and live the defining summer of four high school girls as they forge bonds through their growing friendship, their punk band, and an unexplained event that will forever change their lives.
Experience the story in two thrilling parts! Tape 1, "Bloom", launches February 18 and Tape 2, "Rage", launches April 15. “Rage” will become available as a free downloadable update when it is released.

Release date: 18 Feb, 2025

Categories: Single-player Story, Choice-based Narrative, Character Relationships & Romance, Exploration, Interactive Movie, Mystery, Environmental Storytelling


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Immersive, nostalgic, and cozy atmosphere (weight 0.97): The game excels in creating a captivating and immersive atmosphere through its visuals, music, and detailed environments. It evokes nostalgia, particularly for the 90s, and draws comparisons to the Life is Strange series, while establishing its own unique identity. The game blends coziness with mystery and thriller elements, resulting in an emotionally resonant experience.
- Stunning graphics and art direction (weight 0.61): The game boasts stunning graphics, beautiful art direction, and a well-chosen soundtrack that enhances the immersive experience. The detailed environments encourage exploration, and the game's visuals are consistently impressive across different settings. The game's high level of detail and artistic design contribute significantly to its overall appeal.
- Well-developed and relatable characters (weight 0.54): The game features well-developed, relatable characters with distinct personalities, backstories, and realistic flaws. Their interactions feel natural and engaging, fostering a strong connection with the player. The writing is exceptional, capturing the essence of teenage life and creating emotional investment in their journeys.
- Captures authentic 90s vibe (weight 0.31): The game effectively captures the 90s vibe through its music, setting, and nostalgic references. The soundtrack is a highlight, featuring a mix of original and licensed tracks that perfectly complement the atmosphere. The detailed environments and authentic portrayal of teenage life in the 90s enhance the immersive experience and evoke strong feelings of nostalgia.
- Spiritual successor to Life is Strange (weight 0.26): The game is frequently compared to the Life is Strange series, with many reviewers considering it a spiritual successor that captures the essence of the original games. It evokes similar emotions and themes, while also introducing its own unique elements and improvements. The game is praised for surpassing recent Life is Strange titles in quality and impact.
- Strong first part (Tape 1) (weight 0.13): The first part of the game (Tape 1) is highly praised for its engaging story, well-developed characters, and impactful ending. It sets up the characters and relationships effectively, leaving the player eager to know more and develop theories about the protagonists' lives. The ending of Tape 1 is often described as surprising, shocking, and exciting.
- Personally enjoyable and emotionally resonant (weight 0.13): Many reviewers express strong personal enjoyment of the game, highlighting their emotional connection to the characters and story. They appreciate the game's ability to evoke a wide range of emotions and transport them into its universe. Some reviewers even consider the game their favorite of the year or express a desire to replay it immediately.
- Showcases Dontnod's storytelling expertise (weight 0.1): The game showcases Dontnod's expertise in creating narrative-driven games with relatable characters and emotionally charged stories. The studio's attention to detail and stellar art direction are strongly showcased. The game delivers exactly what is expected from Dontnod, featuring a remarkable story and a high level of polish.
- Relatable character: Swann (weight 0.07): The character Swann is particularly relatable and well-developed, resonating with players who identify with her social awkwardness and introverted personality. The game includes details that enrich each character, making them feel real and complex. The reviewer appreciates the body diversity and unconventional portrayal of Swann, especially considering the 90s setting.

Common complaints:
- Slow, unengaging story pacing (weight 0.47): Many reviewers found the game's story and pacing to be slow, especially in the initial hours. This slow burn, combined with a lack of immediate plot development and action, may deter players seeking a more engaging start. Some felt the story only picked up towards the end of the first episode or tape.
- Episodic release is frustrating (weight 0.35): Several reviews express frustration with the game's episodic release format and the long wait for subsequent episodes. This delay interrupts the story's flow and may cause players to lose interest or forget key details, diminishing the overall experience. Some felt that the first episode felt incomplete.
- Choices lack meaningful impact (weight 0.3): Reviewers noted that choices made in the game often lack meaningful consequences and do not significantly impact the plot's progression. This lack of agency can make the story feel linear and undermine the player's investment in the narrative. Some felt that the choices were misleading or superficial.
- Significant technical and optimization issues (weight 0.19): Multiple reviewers reported experiencing technical issues such as crashes, frame rate drops, texture loading problems, and minor bugs. These performance and stability issues detract from the gameplay experience and can be particularly frustrating for players with high-end PCs. The game's optimization is a significant concern.
- Inferior to Life is Strange (weight 0.11): Many reviewers compared the game unfavorably to the Life is Strange series, citing a lack of emotional depth, weaker narrative hooks, and a less engaging story. Some felt that the game's mechanics, such as the camera, felt unnecessary or poorly implemented compared to previous titles. These reviews suggest that the game fails to capture the same magic as its predecessors.
- Strongly disliked game (weight 0.02): This cluster contains primarily emotional language without specific details and hyperbolic claims without evidence. Therefore, the importance score is reduced by 90%. Some reviewers used derogatory terms and expressed strong dislike for the game's content and themes.
- Forced dating sim elements (weight 0.02): This cluster contains feedback related to dating sim elements and forced character orientations. Therefore, the importance score is reduced by 90%. Some reviewers expressed frustration with the lack of options for different dating preferences and the perceived lack of choice in romantic relationships.

Gameplay feedback:
- Camcorder mechanic enhances exploration (weight 0.22): The game features a central camcorder mechanic used for recording events, collecting memories, and exploring the environment. Players can create and edit videos, unlocking new details and interactions. This mechanic encourages exploration and adds a unique layer of engagement, though some find it inconsistent.
- Meaningful choices impact relationships (weight 0.15): The game emphasizes choice-based gameplay, influencing character relationships and story progression. Players navigate dialogues and make decisions that have consequences, though some feel the impact of choices is less significant than in similar titles. The friendship system enhances immersion.
- Dual timelines reveal mystery (weight 0.09): The narrative unfolds across two timelines, 1995 and 2022, revealing a past mystery and its present-day consequences. Players switch between these periods to piece together events and understand the characters' history. This dual-timeline structure adds depth to the story.
- Exploration reveals collectibles, lore (weight 0.07): Exploration is a key element, with collectibles and secrets scattered throughout the game world. Players can examine objects and discover lore, though some interactions may feel inconsequential. The game rewards thorough exploration.
- Slow start focuses on setup (weight 0.04): The initial part of the game focuses on character development and setting the stage for the main plot. Some reviewers felt this section was too long and lacked a sense of accomplishment, while others appreciated the focus on establishing relationships and motivations.
- Slow pace encourages exploration (weight 0.02): The game features a slow and relaxed pace, allowing players to thoroughly explore the environment and engage with the story. This pacing may not appeal to all players, but it supports a more deliberate and immersive experience.
- Blends mystery, supernatural elements (weight 0.01): The game blends mystery with supernatural elements, drawing inspiration from various sources. This combination creates a unique atmosphere, though the balance between mystery and the paranormal may not appeal to all players.
- Characters are decent, gameplay okay (weight 0.01): The game introduces the main characters, who are considered decent, but could have been shortened. The gameplay is described as being just okay.
- Secret options reward attentiveness (weight 0.01): The game includes 'secret' dialogue options that unlock under specific conditions, rewarding attentive players. Choosing silence can also be a meaningful choice, adding depth to the decision-making process.
- Unique gameplay: filming, music (weight 0.01): The game includes unique gameplay elements such as filming birds and making drum beats, which contribute to its distinctive feel. Some reviewers have described the game as feeling like a photography simulator.
- Interactive movie experience (weight 0.01): The game is described as an interactive movie with some interesting mechanics, emphasizing its interactive nature.

Performance notes:
- Inconsistent, fluctuating frame rates (weight 0.21): Many players report inconsistent and fluctuating frame rates, even on high-end systems, with drops occurring in specific scenes, cutscenes, and forest areas. Some suggest using DLSS to improve performance, but this can degrade image quality. Steam Deck performance is also generally poor.
- Minor technical issues and bugs (weight 0.18): Players have reported experiencing minor technical issues such as animation snapping, sliding, visual glitches, and occasional bugs. While some found these issues to be minor and not game-breaking, others experienced more significant problems, including the need to restart scenes.
- Visually impressive, but demanding (weight 0.15): The game utilizes Unreal Engine 5, resulting in visually impressive graphics. However, some reviewers noted texture pop-in and felt that the world felt empty despite the graphical fidelity.
- Poor sound mixing quality (weight 0.01): While the audio quality is generally considered good, the sound mixing is poor. Reviewers noted frequent audio overlapping, with characters talking over each other or the player.
- Shadows setting impacts performance (weight 0.01): Adjusting the Shadows Quality setting has a significant impact on performance. Lowering this setting may improve frame rates.
- Controller optimized controls (weight 0.01): The game's controls are better optimized for controllers, making the keyboard and mouse experience less enjoyable. This may impact player comfort and precision.
- FSR3 flickering issues (weight 0.01): FSR3 on Quality Mode exhibits flickering, particularly in the first two sequences when entering the forest. This can be distracting and negatively impact the visual experience.

Recommendations:
- Strongly recommended for genre fans (weight 0.82): Many reviewers recommend the game, especially to fans of Life is Strange and other narrative-driven adventures from DONTNOD. They praise its engaging story, well-developed characters, and nostalgic 90s atmosphere. Some consider it a return to form for the studio and a must-play experience.
- Anticipation for second episode (weight 0.39): Many reviewers express excitement and anticipation for the release of the second episode (Tape 2). Some suggest waiting until it's released before making a final judgment or purchasing the game, hoping it will resolve cliffhangers and improve the overall experience.
- Slow pace may deter some (weight 0.38): Some reviewers note that the game is slow-paced and may not appeal to those seeking immediate action or plot resolution. They recommend it for patient players who enjoy detailed stories and character-driven narratives.
- Compared favorably to Life is Strange (weight 0.14): Many reviewers compare the game favorably to the original Life is Strange, with some considering it a spiritual successor or even better. They suggest that fans of the first Life is Strange will particularly enjoy this game.
- Game is highly rated overall (weight 0.11): Many reviewers express overall satisfaction with the game, often rating it highly (e.g., 10/10) and considering it a worthwhile purchase. They praise it as a great experience, a masterpiece, and an absolute steal for its price.
- Technical issues hinder experience (weight 0.07): Some reviewers report technical issues such as FPS drops, display problems, and bugs that impact their experience. Some reviewers cannot recommend the game in its current state due to these problems.
- Disappointment and purchase regret (weight 0.01): Some reviewers express disappointment and regret over purchasing the game. This point has a reduced importance score due to the lack of specific details.

Other player notes:
- Game released in two parts (weight 0.12): The game is released in two parts ('Tapes'), with the second part scheduled for release as a free update. Many reviewers are waiting for the second part to experience the full story and provide a complete review, as the first part primarily sets up the characters and plot.
- Focus on friendship and shared past (weight 0.07): The story centers on a group of female friends, focusing on their relationships, personal dramas, and a shared past event. The narrative explores themes of friendship, growing up, and confronting past secrets, with a reunion occurring 27 years after a significant event.
- Distinct from 'Life is Strange' (weight 0.04): While some marketing may suggest otherwise, reviewers emphasize that the game, while sharing some DNA, is distinct from the Life is Strange series. It is considered a spiritual successor by some, but has its own unique identity.
- Slow-paced, dual-timeline narrative (weight 0.03): The game's story unfolds gradually, with the initial part focusing on character setup and ambiance. The narrative employs a dual-timeline structure, switching between 1995 and 2022, which some reviewers found intriguing.
- Minor horror elements present (weight 0.02): The game contains some horror elements, including light jump scares and unsettling scenes. The game also includes some built-in mini-games and small touches, like playing pool, but their effect isn't very good.
- Attachment to the character Kat (weight 0.02): Some reviewers expressed a strong attachment to the character Kat, wondering about her future in the story. One reviewer noted a possible inconsistency in her character design.
- Studio future and budget concerns (weight 0.02): One reviewer expressed concern about the studio's future due to low player numbers and perceived budget limitations. Another reviewer noted that the game has classic Don't Nod vibes.
- Set in Velvet Cove, Michigan (weight 0.01): The game is set in the fictional town of Velvet Cove, Michigan, USA, near the Canadian border, during July 1995.
- Uses Unreal Engine 5 engine (weight 0.01): The game utilizes Unreal Engine 5 for its graphics. One reviewer noted the inclusion of a random video cutscene despite the game being rendered in-engine.
- No DRM, good price point (weight 0.01): One reviewer appreciated that the game does not use DRM and felt it was priced cheaply considering the quality.
- Indie movie-like drama game (weight 0.01): The game's writing style is compared to that of an indie movie, contributing to a more natural feel. The game is primarily a drama, a genre that is not very common.
- Pointless two-part release, slow start (weight 0.01): One reviewer felt that the decision to release the game in two parts seems pointless. Another reviewer noted that the game is very slow for the first 2 hours.
- Cat color changes with name (weight 0.01): The game features a cat, and its color changes depending on the name chosen by the player.

Emotions:
No emotions}