Lost Records: Bloom & Rage Tape 2 Review — I Think I Kinda Know What We Did That Summer

And with that, Don’t Nod’s latest narrative game, Lost Records: Bloom and Rage, has reached its conclusion with Tape 2: Rage. Waiting to see how the story concludes has not been an easy one. The end of Tape 1: Bloom all but confirmed our worst fears for this group of girls while still leaving us grasping for answers about what really happened that summer. It’s clear from the present timeline that a lot can happen in one summer, but does Don’t Nod have what it takes to bring it home?

Please note that there will be spoilers ahead for both Tape 1: Bloom and Tape 2: Rage

Picking up the pieces of Tape 1: Bloom, everything we thought we knew about the girls and the summer that was has been torn apart. Through a recap, younger Swann has a dream sequence full of brief snippets of memories from that summer. The revelation of Kat’s illness cuts open the girl’s would-be rebel girl moment. In the present day, Nora, Autumn and Swann commiserate in the dive bar they once hijacked with the mysterious box we still don’t know anything about. Thankfully, the girls begin to unwrap it only to discover the same lock from that mysterious cabin they found in the forest all those years before. The mystery further twists when players realise the box is from Kat’s family farm.

It’s clear there’s a lot left to resolve in the present day, with Nora dipping from the booth for a cigarette. In Tape 2 it definitely feels a lot harder to balance the interpersonal relationships. It’s almost unforgiving in a way. The timelines are almost at odds when later Autumn and Swann meet at the cabin in 1995. Having to diffuse Autumn’s emotions over what happened with Kat is no easy task. Across the timelines, present-day Autumn narrates the memory, adding further pressure to the girl’s relationship. Later, we see the ramifications of not being able to bring Autumn back to the group when she fails to appear in the woods to see a meteor shower. Prior, Swan and Nora remember sneaking to visit Kat, who’s stuck at home with Dylan and Corey after getting out of the hospital. In one of the more fascinating turns on the memory dynamic, Swan and Nora remember it differently. This sees players making their own choices in the memory. Nora even comments if players struggle, suggesting they’ve forgotten it for good.

As Tape 2 continues, the girls rally around Kat even as the diagnosis looms above their perfect summer. In the present day, the group is also fracturing despite the box still being unopened. In the past, the gang storms the Mikaelsen Ranch. Swann gets to choose how bad this destruction is, even though Kat wants nothing more than to see the Ranch torn apart. Corey catches the girls, and as they race to escape him, they find themselves back at the shack in the woods. It’s here the girls lock the door with the special lock which is on the box in the present. As the 1995 storyline moves into the final moments, much of the mythos of the story remains unclear. Kat’s fate is tied even to the abyss, as the girls forget that summer, though her loss remains the one constant across the timelines. 

In the present, I wasn’t that successful and ended up alone as Swann in the bar on my first playthrough of Tape 2. Seeing Swann finally open the box answers some questions, but as a player, it did leave me asking even more. It’s a very cathartic closer that isn’t afraid to leave some parts of the story unclear, yet the lack of closure feels like the most glaring. It didn’t need a neat little bow around it all, but the enigma of the box and what The Abyss really is still remains. The Abyss remains this omnipresent entity in the story across the timelines with little explanation. Even as the present timeline comes to a close, we see that The Abyss is open once more. It feels like there’s a lot left on the table for this story.

As Don’t Nod games go, I do still see the game as a testament to where the studio began while also improving on that formula. Character and actions hold the game in a way that Deck Nine’s new take on Life Is Strange never quite captures. Here, the timelines twist between the past and the present with ease as each of the girls struggles to find their way back to the emotions of that summer with varying success. Autumn in both timelines struggles to support those around her, fearing she’ll make things worse, while Nora feels conflicted about the painful memories the girls share. Each of the girls is a real person in the group, with Dylan also receiving some attention. Kat is the one piece of that summer missing from the present timeline, and yet she’s the driver for everything they recollect. 

It’s truly fascinating seeing the characters across each timeline. Life is Strange: Double Exposure tried to hit this same mark in a lot of ways, but the dual narrative quickly becomes crowded. In Lost Records: Bloom & Rage, it feels like the spacing gives it that room to carry its own weight. The time jump between each storyline lets the characters feel that much more fleshed out because we have these two windows into their personality.

It’s also impossible not to again remark on the cinematic qualities of the game. Lost Records: Bloom & Rage showcases its story across each timeline with real ease. It’s impossible not to appreciate the little details as you explore the bar or other locations in the past. It’s definitely a riff on that signature art we’ve seen from other Don’t Nod titles, only here it feels a bit more defined and unfraid to venture into those paranormal and otherworldly vibes. Twin Peaks was definitely a welcome inspiration here.

Unlike Tape 1, much of Tape 2 moves away from Swan’s iconic camera. The mechanic is pulled away after visiting Kat with Nora. I was a little shocked by this, given how ingrained in the game the camera was. Swann was essentially viewing the entire world through it, so to lose that tool felt weird. I was constantly thinking I should film this during the latter section of the past storyline. It again shows how Swann is feeling after losing her attachment to the camcorder. The latter section of the story does keep players doing other stuff like graffiti and throwing eggs, yet its loss is certainly felt.

Tape 2 also crams a lot in across each timeline. While the present zooms into the girls’ memories, the past feels like a collection of small fragments for us to piece together. It does feel like the game rushes the story, especially in the final tape. Each timeline plays its own role in the story but it would be nice to see a bit more of the girls’ story from that summer. Swann’s perspective does see you as a player, not only possibly romancing one of the girls but also documenting the girl’s story. In the present day, Swann doesn’t quite get the same attention as the other girls, though we do see snippets of her interactions with her Mum and the other bar folks. I really would’ve liked to have access to a bit more of the present day with the girls in the bar. I really feel like even with the mystic elements of the storyline, that emotional resonance is one of the game’s strongest elements. 

Corey, as a character, lacks a lot of reasoning beyond being the main antagonist of the girls. Him being so bent on the girls, even before ranch destruction, feels weird even as a sterotypical bully. He can totally just be the bad guy, but it still feels like he’s a bit one-note. Maybe this is intentional with the girl’s memories, but his fate, presumably, leads to his death. This is the same guy who we saw at the end of Tape 1 scooping up Kat and getting her to the hospital with Dylan. It did feel like we’re missing some development on him to really solidify him. Why is he so determined to attack a girl with cancer? It feels like there should’ve been a bit more to him, at least to make him scarier, past his violent nature. We do see snippets of his involvement on the Ranch, yet it’s never a definite reason for his treatment of Kat and even his girlfriend, Dylan. I would’ve loved to understand a bit more about his frustration with Kat, given her situation.

I also need to spotlight the game’s impressive soundtrack, which has grown on me considerably. Milk & Bone definitely understood the assignment with the likes of FORGONE amongst their original tracks for the game. Where See You In Hell is the games rally cry, resonant bops like Sparks by The Dø and the ever-dreamy Myth by Beach House are standouts. I do still feel like across each tape of Lost Records: Bloom & Rage, we could’ve seen some more musical pay-offs. From cementing that wannabe riot Grrrl vibe to following up the emotional scenes, there was a lot of potential here that I would’ve liked to be explored further. Maybe my expectations are too high in this regard, but the studio’s previous games have really set the bar high for that perfect montage.

As a whole, Tape 2 does hit the mark, and its emotional beats for the girls resonate even if it’s a bit rushed. I do still have many questions about The Abyss and Kat’s fate, even Corey. It feels like we’ll certainly see more of Lost Records, yet I can’t say for sure what that could look like. Seeing this storyline play out over each of the timelines was highly engaging. I personally hope Pine Cove returns, but with a new roster of characters experiencing The Abyss, with maybe some familiar ones too. For a game that walks that line of Twin Peaks meets teen summer melodrama, Lost Records: Bloom & Rage does hold its own. Don’t Nod have proven themselves once again.

While Lost Records: Bloom and Rage does leave us reeling after a summer of mystery, the present-day catharsis of the girls reigniting does at least give us some closure. The Abyss remains a mystery, proving the game isn’t afraid to leave the pieces a little uneven as the girls recollect about what happened. It’s a coming-of-age story that holds onto the girls at its heart, showing how strong a bond forged in one summer can be. The game’s pacing across the timelines does suffer, as does the development of Corey as the antagonist. It’s hard not to appreciate just how well the game captures the connection between Swann, Kat, Autumn and Nora. I’m really excited to see where Don’t Nod takes this new era.