Lost Records: Bloom and Rage Preview: Life is Strange reborn

There's a reason why many regard the Life is Strange series fondly and hold it in a special part of their hearts and minds. It's because in what was once an industry 10 years ago (like most other industries) perceived to be geared towards a very specific demographic - presenting scantily clad female characters, butch and overtly masculine males, and very little that goes beyond the status quo that society has gradually become more and more accepting toward in the years that have followed - Life is Strange served as a turning point and a bold reminder that people are highly complex and generally speaking so unique that they cannot be bottled into a couple of stereotypes. Outside of fighting games and Japanese-developed titles, today, characters in video games feel more and more like real people that you could meet on the street, and while I'm not going to go as far as saying that we can thank Life is Strange for that, one cannot deny that this series has had an impact.

The reason why I bring this up is because I've had the opportunity to test around an hour of Don't Nod's upcoming project Lost Records: Bloom and Rage. This is a narrative-heavy adventure revolving around four women as they reminisce about a particularly memorable summer back in 1995 and the incident that shaped their lives forever following it. It's effectively a character study that presents four incredibly detailed and off-puttingly authentic individuals that serve as the basis for a wider story that is all about self-exploration, overcoming the challenges of teenage life, and making new friends. Again, it's very Life is Strange in this regard.

The story is linear and follows a very specific path that you can then shape to your own by exploring, discovering new dialogue options and secrets, and then putting them into practice during conversations and key moments to drive the core narrative down a different path. This isn't exactly unique at all, as we also see the horror aficionados over at Supermassive for one doing similar time and time again, but it does mean that you can put your stamp on a story that would otherwise lack much player interaction. Like Supermassive's efforts, other works from Don't Nod, Telltale projects, and so forth, you have to pay attention while chugging through the story as a lot of dialogue options are timed and limited, and this does ensure that you remain focussed even during the slower periods.

It should be said that unlike some of the other narrative-heavy adventures that you will have played, Lost Records is more similar to Life is Strange in pacing, meaning you get a story that doesn't rush anywhere, emphasises the smaller and more inconsequential interactions, and looks to paint a complete picture of its characters and the world they inhabit. As I said a moment ago, Don't Nod has once again delivered a frighteningly authentic character case study here, as each one of the young girls (bearing in mind the story takes place between the modern day and 1995 when the girls were teenagers) are believable models that don't feel manufactured. They're flawed, anxious, come in all proportions and sizes, and generally speaking are prime examples of inclusivity - as you would expect from a Don't Nod cast.

Lost Records encourages players to lose themselves in the connective tissue between key moments. You'll get to explore main protagonist Swann's bedroom, learning more about her personality and her past by picking up objects and reminiscing, before shifting ahead to Nora's garage and doing similar there before preparing to listen to Nora and Autumn's band in action, something you can influence by fiddling with a drum sampling machine. Then you'll head out into the wilderness to film a music video and get the cast to interact with one another, further revealing different personality traits, such as the fact that Kat is introverted and that Autumn has a tough relationship with her father. It's the minor parts that tie together the overall whole that enable this game to excel and stand out, but it won't be for everyone.

And that's because Lost Records is a very steadily paced game. It's so steadily paced in fact that at times you will struggle to keep focussed and engaged, something that would no doubt be a much larger problem if it wasn't for the video recording mechanic and the striking art direction and set design.

To keep things feeling fresh here, Swann can freely record whatever she wants as she explores each section of the story. Some parts are mandatory and part of the overarching narrative, but there's also plenty of opportunities to capture additional elements of the world to help tick off what is effectively a checklist of tasks. This could be documenting various bird species in the local area, recording different angles of the unusual-looking water tower, filming Swann's cat each time it does something special, and so forth. You'll want to do this not just to pack out the collectible memorabilia section but also because at the end of what most likely will be every major chapter of the story, your actual home-recorded footage will be used in a compilation video (i.e. the music video I mentioned earlier) to serve as a bit of a recap and nostalgic look at what just transpired. The best part about this is that while the actual game is stunning with beautiful, vibrant and colourful outdoor environments and set pieces and highly detailed and intricate interiors, the recorded footage is presented as a 90s-camcorder would, in a tight aspect ratio, highly-grained and with poor contrast that makes its feel even more real and authentic.

Yes, there are some kooky character movements and animations, and yes this game is perhaps best described as raucously indie or alternative, but it's also very compelling and another prime example as to why very few developers can match Don't Nod's excellence when it comes to making believable and real-feeling characters. If you enjoy Life is Strange (with perhaps True Colors being the closest example to how Lost Records plays), then you'll feel right at home with Lost Records: Bloom & Rage too.