Lost Records: Bloom & Rage Tape 2 Review

There will be light spoilers for Tape 1 in this review for Tape 2.

So, with Tape 1 in the bag, we had a several week wait to see the conclusion to Swann and co.’s story. When we left them, they’d just performed Bloom & Rage’s first gig at the Blue Spruce and…it didn’t end well. With their kit destroyed and Kat rushed off to hospital after the revelation of her diagnosis, we rejoin Swann as she’s in her room, venting to her camera about the events of the evening. 

In true Don’t Nod style, we get to shape Swann’s character a bit here, choosing to either feel sorry for Kat or angry at how things went down, some of which may come back into play later on. In Tape 2 Swann feels more confident in herself, standing up for her and her friends with more vigor, and even getting the option to answer back to her parents. 

As a whole, Tape 2 focuses on how the girls’ lives have changed, and sets up their future with – or without – each other. It’s a far more immediate start to than Tape 1, and it’s not long before we are presented with tough choices to make. Relationships built up prior can all come crashing down, or can blossom into something more, and there’s lots of wiggle room within the narrative to accommodate a lot of outcomes. 

As mentioned, the girls are rocked after the gig, and mending fences between them and the ancillary cast such as Dylan and Corey is going to be tough. Throughout, I found myself engaged in the story between each character enough to give me true pause when it came to answering questions like why I called one character over another, or why I sided one way or another in a tense situation. Don’t Nod are back on their game with Tape 2, with some excellent writing and scenes to participate in. There’s still the occasional cheesy moment or awkwardly paced scene (such as when Kat gets angry at an animal, only for the immediate camera cut after to show her in a totally different mindset) but rarely did they pull me out of the moment. 

We still get opportunities to whip out the handheld camera to document key moments, and that part remains great fun. Making little home movies that really capture the aesthetic of 90’s home video is excellent for an oldie like me, and let’s just say it’s worth capturing some good footage for towards the end of the game. 

Unfortunately we still get a few issues remaining from last time, such as textures that load in late to a scene, or occasional random character warping around a scene. These aren’t the end of the world, but they take the sheen off of an otherwise excellent looking game.

Conclusion

Thanks to a brisker pace and slightly shorter runtime, I found myself enjoying Tape 2 a bit more than Tape 1. It feels more exciting and engaging, and even the modern day parts pay off finally as we get to the bottom of the mystery that was frustratingly teased throughout the last episode. As a whole, Lost Records: Bloom & Rage is one of the better choose your own adventure style games in recent years, and a welcome return for Don’t Nod indeed.