Lost Records: Bloom & Rage Tape 2 Review

Developer: Don’t Nod

Platforms: PC (Reviewed), PS5, Xbox Series X|S

Genre: Adventure

Publisher: Don’t Nod

Two months after the 1st tape, Bloom came out the 2nd tape, which is Rage, was released. In terms of the story in relation to the first tape of the game, the second tape still provides players with the emotional journey they hoped for.

Rage starts off with Swann who is alone in a dream that highlights the significant moments that had taken place in the Tape 1, which almost felt like something out of Life is Strange. From here onwards, it felt as though the story was continuing from Tape 1 but had more significant gameplay mechanics in terms of the supernatural, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

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In terms of the controls, nothing differed significantly, and most of the gameplay remained the same. Tape 2 just brought on a more intriguing perspective to the narrative, which was unexpected but thoroughly enjoyed. The main difference I noticed between the two tapes was the use of the camcorder. In the first tape, the camcorder was used in so many instances that it felt a bit obstructive, but because the story for the second tape is so much more impactful, the camcorder is not used as much.

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As most of the elements in Tape 2 consist of the supernatural, it felt as though the visuals for the game had become so much better as you got detailed and extremely realistic. The visuals are extremely stunning as you get this euphoric feel from the strobing lighting and the supernatural elements that are now introduced in this tape. Alongside the soundtrack, which creates the creepy, daunting environment, it roped me so much into the game, which I thought could not get better from the first tape, but it did. The level of detail you can, notice and nothing falls short on the second tape, which is very important for players who were looking forward to this part.

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The core of Lost Records lies in this narrative adventure game, where the choices the player makes have a significant impact on how the story will progress. And you come to find out that the possibility for branching out in this game is a lot more than I had expected, but it’s what makes the game worthwhile. Personally, I preferred the second tape over the first, as there was more emphasis on the story and in terms of the branching, I highly recommend replaying the tape to encounter various outcomes. As much as I loved the story that had continued from the first tape, I felt as though it was a bit slow in the beginning. Swann starts off alone in the second tape, which is a big difference from the girl group dynamic, which is seen in the first tape. I am aware that in terms of setting the story and making it so that Swann reflects on what had happened after the revelation, it still can be a bit slow.

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What I enjoy about Don’t Nod’s games is that they emphasize that the overall outcome of the story will never change only; the way it occurs is in the player’s hands, and you get to experience an unexpected climax, which I was shocked by. Your choices matter, and those choices shape the relationships you build along the way. Swann had initially started off by herself at the beginning of this tape, but you slowly get to the thrilling dialogue and interactions that are so loved from the first tape.

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What I always look forward to in these games are the choices statistic pages where you get to see the percentages of what other players choose, and it’s always so interesting the outcome of how my gameplay went. I thought that Tape 2 did a wonderful job at wrapping up the story and also allowing players to unveil more mysteries that lie within Lost Records.

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In comparison to Tape 1, Tape 2 does do the game justice. There were some instances that felt a bit slow, but the enhanced visuals, mechanics and immersive environment crafted a thrilling story which emphasizes the level of choices and replayability the game has to offer! Even if you have not given Tape 1 a try, I would definitely recommend checking it out so you can experience what Tape 2 has to offer (in my opinion, a perfect finish).

Overall: 9.5/10