Two months after the release of Lost Records: Bloom & Rage – Tape 1, we finally got our answers with the much-anticipated second entry in Don’t Nod’s duology. This next chapter in the sisterhood’s story is painful and somber—yes—but above all, it’s angry. Hence, the name: Rage.
The narrative picks up after the events of the first tape, as Swann, Autumn, Kat, and Nora try to make sense of what happened that fateful night at the Blue Spruce Bar. The emotional fallout is felt immediately, with each character confronting fractured friendships, suppressed memories, and a sense of unresolved guilt.
Choices, Choices, Choices
Where Tape 1 laid the groundwork for its characters and themes, Tape 2 raises the stakes by revealing the deeper consequences of your earlier decisions. Players who were disappointed by Life is Strange: Double Exposure’s lack of meaningful narrative consequences will find something much more satisfying here.
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+ 5READ: Is This the End of the Life is Strange Series?
The impact of your choices in Tape 1 is obvious—and heavily dependent on which of the three major characters you spent the most time with. Personally, I connected most with Nora (and sometimes Kat) during Tape 1, and as a result, my Tape 2 journey was filled with intimate, emotional moments spent alongside Nora.
click to enlarge+ 5Replay value is significant here. With around five different endings, each shaped by the relationships and decisions from Tape 1, a second playthrough feels like a completely different experience. I’ve watched other playthroughs from streamers and content creators since I finished mine, and it's honestly wild how different their paths and outcomes were.
The Sisterhood of Supernatural Pants
Like its predecessor, Lost Records thrives in its quiet moments. It’s a game that asks to be felt, with long conversations and rich, organic dialogue. You’re not just playing as Swann; rather, Swann acts as a lens through which we view the intricate emotional lives of these women. Through her, we explore themes of romance, friendship, and heartbreak.
click to enlarge+ 5The game is so character-driven that if you’re not emotionally invested, much of it won’t land.
I’ll admit—it was hard to get back into the emotional rhythm after a two-month gap. That break in momentum threw off the pacing for me. Still, that gap gave me time to theorize and speculate with other fans on the subreddit. Some of the predictions were eerily accurate—others were completely unhinged in the best way.
Ultimately, playing both tapes of Lost Records: Bloom & Rage requires you to be in the right headspace. But if you’re a fan of Don’t Nod’s past work, you’ll likely feel right at home.
The Last Magical Summer
At its core, Lost Records is a story about women confronting their pasts and learning to move forward. It’s a poignant character study about the beauty—and fragility—of friendships that were once everything. Swann, Nora, Autumn, and Kat’s journey glows with a kind of warmth, even as supernatural shadows stretch across it.
click to enlarge+ 5There’s something magical about the world Don’t Nod has created here. Whether it’s recording fleeting moments with Swann’s camera (which, admittedly, I didn’t use much in Tape 2) or simply exploring a room full of memories, the game finds wonder in the mundane. The soundtrack, filled with dreamy shoegaze and dreampop, pulls you deeper into the game's emotional current. At this point, I fully believe Bloom & Rage is just Michel Koch’s elaborate excuse to include Beach House tracks—and honestly, I’m here for it.
Issues
I loved my time in Velvet Cove, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that the game was building toward something larger—something left unexplained. There were so many moments that felt like they deserved closure, but when the credits rolled, I was left a bit blank. The town of Velvet Cove is full of lore, and it feels like we’ve only scratched the surface—perhaps intentionally.
And that's when I found out Don’t Nod has confirmed that Lost Records is just the first step in a longer journey. Bloom & Rage isn’t the end—it’s the beginning. There are already signs that future entries are in development, with many speculating that Tapes III and IV are on the way.
click to enlarge+ 5And honestly, I get it. Lost Records is shaping up to be Don’t Nod’s new Life is Strange—a spiritual successor in tone, if not in mechanics. If they can iron out the bugs and polish the rough edges, it has the potential to become something truly special. But as it stands, the vibe is often disrupted by technical hiccups. In one scene, Kat was stuck in an animation loop during what should have been a gut-punch of a moment—it totally undercut the emotional weight of the chapter.
Still, despite its flaws, Bloom & Rage is a game built for fans of emotional storytelling, especially for those still longing for another Max and Chloe kind of journey, just without the time travel. It’s not about answering every mystery. It’s about these four women and their chance to remember what they once had.
Final Thoughts
Lost Records: Bloom & Rage – Tape 2 delivers a heavy, emotional conclusion to Don’t Nod’s experiment in branching narrative. Despite awkward pacing and a few unexplained moments, the game ties together its themes of grief, rage, and adolescent trauma into something quietly powerful. It’s a slow burn, but if you’re patient, it rewards you with an explosive, unforgettable finale—one shaped entirely by your choices.
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