Lost Records: Bloom & Rage

Lost Records: Bloom & Rage
Developer(s)Don't Nod Montréal
Publisher(s)Don't Nod
Director(s)Michel Koch
Producer(s)Luc Baghadoust
Designer(s)Baptiste Moisan
Writer(s)
Composer(s)Nora Kelly
SeriesLost Records
Platform(s)
ReleaseFebruary 18, 2025 (Tape 1)
March 18, 2025 (Tape 2)
Genre(s)Adventure
Mode(s)Single-player

Lost Records: Bloom & Rage is an upcoming adventure game developed by Don't Nod Montréal and published by Don't Nod. The game features four former friends; Nora, Autumn, Kat, and Swann, who reunite after 27 years. It was announced at the 2023 Game Awards and will be released in two parts, with Part 1 releasing on February 18, 2025 and Part 2 releasing on March 18. The game will release for the PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S.

Gameplay

The game takes place in the fictional Michigan town of Velvet Cove and features four former friends; Nora, Autumn, Kat, and Swann, who reunite after 27 years.[1][2] Players will have to play through the game to learn the reason for the reunion as it is "part of recreating the story with choice and consequences" according to creative director Michel Koch.[3] Unlike many other narrative based games with an ensemble of main characters, Bloom & Rage will only have one playable character. Koch said the decision was made because having perspectives change between characters can cause a disconnect for players "from what's happening on the screen."[2]

Premise

The magical summer of 1995 is one of self-discovery and forging unbreakable bonds for high school friends Swann, Nora, Autumn, and Kat. 27 years of no contact later, fate reunites them to confront the long-buried secret that made them promise to never speak again.[4][5]

Development

In 2020, Don't Nod created its Montréal studio and commenced production on its inaugural project, with a total of six projects in development, with multiple staff members from Life Is Strange and Life Is Strange 2. A teaser image was released in a 1990s setting of a person's bedroom.[6][7]

The studio had considered creating a studio in Montréal since 2014, but did not do so until the completion of Life Is Strange 2. Due to Square Enix's ownership of the publishing rights to the Life Is Strange franchise, they were not able to work on any new games, prompting them to work on new titles. As a result, a Montréal office was established in 2020 and immediately commenced development and production of Bloom & Rage.[8] The game was announced at the 2023 Game Awards.[9] It was decided that the game would feature adults instead of teenagers. Due the production team being French, they hired two American writers, Desiree Cifre and Nina Freeman, for their knowledge of American culture and to ensure the characters were authentic in 2022 and 1995.[8]

Koch revealed that the game is being worked on "as the foundation for a possibly larger universe",[10] while producer Luc Baghadoust said that there will be more games in the Lost Records label, with Bloom & Rage being the first in the series.[11]

Release

The game will be released in two parts, with the second being released a month after the first. Koch said the team hopes it will "give us space to let the events of the story sink in, and possibly even bring us together to theorize about what will happen next", comparing the situation to how fans did a lot of theorizing between the weekly episodes of Game of Thrones.[1][3]

Bloom & Rage is scheduled to be released in early 2025 for the PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S.[12] It was previously scheduled to be release in late 2024, but was moved to its current release date to avoid competition with Life is Strange: Double Exposure.[13]

References

  1. ^ a b Wald, Heather (April 29, 2024). "Life Is Strange Devs Talk Lost Records: Bloom and Rage's Protagonist, Story, and Choices: "Looking at the World Is a Big Part of the Interactivity in Our Game"". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on April 29, 2024. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
  2. ^ a b Lewis, Catherine (March 4, 2024). "Upcoming Narrative Adventure from Life Is Strange Dev only Features One Playable Character Despite Its Ensemble Cast". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on March 4, 2024. Retrieved March 4, 2024 – via Edge.
  3. ^ a b Shepard, Kenneth (April 29, 2024). "Lost Records: Bloom & Rage Lets the Life Is Strange Devs Grow Up". Kotaku. Archived from the original on April 29, 2024. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
  4. ^ "Lost Records: Bloom & Rage". Don't Nod. Archived from the original on March 4, 2024. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  5. ^ O'Connor, Alice (December 8, 2023). "Life Is Strange Devs Return to Teen Mysteries with Lost Records: Bloom & Rage". Rock Paper Shotgun. Archived from the original on March 4, 2024. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  6. ^ Erskine, Donovan (January 30, 2023). "Don't Nod Montreal Teases New Narrative-Based Game". Shacknews. Archived from the original on December 16, 2023. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
  7. ^ Phillips, Tom (January 30, 2023). "Original Life Is Strange Team Share First Teaser for New Project". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on December 8, 2023. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
  8. ^ a b Phillips, Tom (February 1, 2024). "Life Is Strange Creators Discuss Leaving Their Hit Narrative Adventure Series Behind, Building on it with Lost Records". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on February 3, 2024. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
  9. ^ Lyles, Taylor (December 7, 2023). "Lost Records: Bloom & Rage Is the Next Game from Don't Nod". IGN. Archived from the original on December 8, 2023. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
  10. ^ Bellingham, Hope (January 18, 2024). "Life is Strange's Director Always Wanted to Take the Universe Further, but Says Square Enix was in Charge of That". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on January 18, 2024. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
  11. ^ Baghadoust, Luc (December 7, 2023). "Crafting a Legacy: The Birth of Lost Records: Bloom & Rage, a New Series from the Creators of Life Is Strange". Xbox Wire. Archived from the original on December 8, 2023. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
  12. ^ Romano, Sal (June 28, 2024). "Lost Records: Bloom & Rage delayed to early 2025". Gematsu. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  13. ^ Holt, Kris (June 28, 2024). "Life is Strange spiritual successor delayed to avoid Life is Strange sequel". Engadget. Retrieved July 7, 2024.