If you’re fond of adventure games, then you are aware of Life is Strange. It’s such an iconic franchise that it has sparked several installments at this point. However, the original developer behind the game, Don’t Nod, is gearing up to release the next new IP. Lost Records: Bloom & Rage is heading our way soon, but it’s not going to be the full game. Instead, players will only receive the first half, with the second not set to launch until April.
Speaking with the game director, Michel Koch, Eurogamer learned why the Don’t Nod Montreal studio split the game into two parts. According to Michel, the decision ultimately came down to bingeing Netflix series. Going this route, Michel felt he wasn’t as invested in the show as he could have been. Instead, looking at shows from something like HBO, where you’re getting a weekly release, viewers are typically more invested and stick with you far longer.
That was the decision as the development team started to work through Lost Records: Bloom & Rage. Players would get a portion of the storyline where it will end at a point allowing players to reflect. You would get some time to digest the story before the second half of the game arrives.
I noticed that I’m not invested as much in Netflix shows, I binge them and then forget them very quickly sometimes. And then I was watching some TV shows on Apple TV and HBO, where they are sticking to weekly releases, and I found that I was investing way more. And we were thinking, we made some good episodic games, why not still go for at least a part of that?
It also makes a lot of sense for the story. You know, the game is called Bloom & Rage, so Tape 1 will be Bloom, and Tape 2 will be Rage. The game’s past takes place over the summer of 1995, so Tape 1 is July, and Tape 2 is August. And there is an event – there is something that happens at the end of Tape 1 that makes sense to stop the game there and to reflect a bit, to just let the player take their time. To maybe play something else, wait a bit, think about what happened, and then go back to Tape 2, hopefully even more invested in the story, because you have had some time to reflect on what happened, and maybe talked with your friends or to other people online. – Michel Koch
As mentioned, the first part of Lost Records: Bloom & Rage lands in the marketplace tomorrow, February 18, 2025. While the premise is a bit of a mystery, so far, we know the adventure game follows a group of friends from 1995. Something happened during the summer that massively impacted them, so much so that the group has not been in contact for nearly three decades. However, fate will once again reunite. But we’ll have to play the game to learn more about this secret.
Again, the first part of the game will be available tomorrow. When it lands in the marketplace, you can pick it up for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC platforms. Meanwhile, the second part of the game is confirmed to drop on April 15, 2025.