I still know what you did last summer.
Lost Records: Bloom, the first episode of this dual package was a fairly enjoyable adventure with a compelling cast of characters and a build that while was lacking, it was nonetheless a solid attempt at creating something mysterious here, especially given the backstory of what drew these women to meet up again several years later. Sadly, Rage is a disappointing and shorter experience that fails to satisfy on almost any level. It feels incomplete, unfinished, and created solely for sequel bait.
Bloom was a fairly lengthy episode that allowed us to really get to know the girls and experience the bonds they share that make this journey so emotional. Rage does have moments that certainly convey some satisfying emotional resolutions, but the episode is so random at times that it never feels like the story is moving forward. While Kat’s condition is certainly the focal point of this story, spending half of it breaking the law and committing vandalism alongside her just felt like it was there to play into the game’s episodic title.
What hurts this episode is that the identity of this game, the camera, is taken away from you very early on and then causes Lost Records to be nothing more than what has come before. The camera could have been used to really aid in the supernatural elements present here, but so much of that is resolved in a very unsatisfying way, apart from the actual conclusion of the mysterious void deep in the forest. Still, should you get the best ending, the moment with the camera is extremely satisfying.
While the first episode ended on a tragic event that placed the girls in a complicated situation, Rage does a fine enough job at showing the emotional state of each character just days after. Sadly, a lot of the character building to get the girls in a good place with one another seems skipped over entirely. At one point, they are to meet up with Kat in the forest, by the void, but it felt like the reconciliation of the girls was missing, especially given how Autumn felt after the concert and that she had a desire to remain distant from both Nora and Swann. There are lines of dialogue that talk about parts of this, as well as Swann trying to get Autumn in a good place, but this and several other moments feel like certain steps are missing.
I also want to mention that during one scene, you join up with everyone to vandalize a building, pretty much breaking the law. While I can understand certain aspects of this working for characters like Kat, and to a lesser extent in Nora, Swann and Autumn’s involvement feels odd that they would commit this much into this. It feels forced and not justified. Sure, the player is involved in Swann’s actions on how far things go, but it felt like an odd scene of how intense it eventually gets.
Apart from a few small instances of some light puzzles, Rage is a very straightforward and linear end to this two-parter. There is not enough player agency to really change many outcomes or feel like you are driving the story forward. With so few scenarios present here, it felt far more like a movie than its predecessor. As much as I did enjoy a few moments, such as the chase in the forest, not having anything to offer to change how this scene played out was wildly disappointing. There is also a moment where Swann’s camera is used against her that could have created an extreme sense of tension, but this moment lasts maybe five or six seconds at most.
As much as its conclusion gives us a few answers, it raises more questions, and instead of answering those, it sequel baits us. That said, the bait in which they use is effective but is sadly the best part of this game than what the episode itself was comprised of. I am way more excited to play the next one than what Bloom and Rage offered here, making this feel like the appetizer rather than the main course. Lost Records could have been a great package, but it simply doesn’t build a strong enough mystery to keep me entertained. And, if Lost Records 2 is something that doesn’t happen, then we are left with a story that has no direct conclusion.
The main focus of what this story does is to set up the eventual reveal of what was inside the box. The present-day stuff does culminate in an emotional moment for the girls, but only if you are able to secure the best ending. Fail to do that, and the ending feels more suited to resolving things for Swann than the others. While the true ending is absolutely touching, the alternative is abysmal and disappointing, which to be fair, it should be.
Lost Records is certainly enjoyable depending on whether you get the true ending or not. Its resolution is brief but wonderful, and despite a poorly executed second chapter that led to it, it’s a package of two episodes that waver greatly in their quality. Bloom did a great job at building the bonds between the girls, but Rage fumbles so much of its potential to get to its ending. Let’s hope that Lost Records 2, should it be something the studio is planning, can finally explain its mystery and provide some much-needed resolution for its cast.
Developer - Don’t Nod. Publisher - Don’t Nod. Released - April 15th, 2025. Available On - Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC. Rated - (M) Blood and Gore, Nudity, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Drugs and Alcohol, Violence. Platform Reviewed - PS5. Review Access - A review code was provided by the publisher for the purpose of this review.
Jeff is the original founder of Analog Stick Gaming. His favorite games include The Witcher III, the Mass Effect Trilogy, Hi-Fi Rush, Stellar Blade, Hellbade: Senua’s Sacrifice, and the Legend of Heroes series, especially Trails of Cold Steel III & IV.