Here’s What The Reviews Are Saying About Lost Records: Bloom & Rage

Today’s the day for Lost Records: Bloom & Rage, which is a brand-new narrative adventure from the team behind Life is Strange (Don’t Nod), and it’s being released in two separate parts – ‘Tape 1’ is today, while ‘Tape 2’ arrives on April 15th.

It’s just ‘Tape 1’ that the reviewers have been checking out so far, then, and we’ve got some early impressions to share with you! Let’s take a look at what some of the critics have had to say about Lost Records: Bloom & Rage so far:

“The first part of Lost Records: Bloom and Rage is a wonderfully sincere portrait of teenage girlhood. Don’t Nod has returned to, and evolved, a tried and true formula, and the result is a supernatural teen coming-of-age story that’ll spirit your heart away.”

“Mostly though, it’s the characters and their brittle relationships that stick with you. Three days after finishing the game I’m still thinking about them, worrying about them, inhabiting that old shack with them. Unless you simply refuse to indulge in emotional young adult drama, you will be right there, too.”

“A fascinating new narrative adventure from the original Life is Strange team, this first slice boasts fresh twists that help move the formula forward, even if its story sometimes feels a remix of genre tropes.”

“Nevertheless, for those seeking a new narrative adventure with reasonably good presentation values – and don’t mind the technical issues – Lost Records: Bloom and Rage could be a decent escape. It doesn’t quite hit the same as Life is Strange once did, for good and bad reasons, but there’s certainly something here.”

“In returning to its narrative adventure roots, Lost Records: Bloom & Rage feels like a retreat for Don’t Nod. Draped in nostalgia for both the 90s and Life is Strange, Bloom & Rage struggles to find itself among uneven pacing, tonal inconsistencies, and an uninteresting cast of characters. Despite some neat visual tricks with its VHS overlays, there’s little on this first tape worth a rental.”

It’s still very early days in terms of Metacritic and OpenCritic averages, but it’s looking like Lost Records: Bloom & Rage ‘Tape 1’ will sit around the high 70s when all’s said and done, which feels like a good start to us!

If you’re interested, the game is available right now on the Xbox Store for £32.39 / $35.99, but keep in mind that you obviously won’t get ‘Tape 2’ access until April. It’s also only for Series X and S, so Xbox One players sadly miss out.