News Trailer Don’t Nod introduces four main characters from Lost Records: Bloom & Rage and releases a new ’90s-style trailer

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Rarely am I left speechless, but the reveal trailer for Lost Records: Bloom & Rage did just that. Very little was known about the upcoming Don't Nod game at the time (December 2023) – so little that I had to put in a catch-up – but we did learn that it is the start of a new IP (Lost Records) and the first game developed by Don't Nod's new Montreal studio. The story-driven game begins in 1995 when four friends create an unbreakable bond… yet they don't speak until 27 years later when they have to confront something that happened that summer. Today, Don't Nod released a new trailer for the game and some information about what (or who) to expect. Despite all of this, the content of Lost Records: Bloom & Rage still seems very hush-hush and it just adds to the mystery of what awaits players later this year.

Lost Records: Bloom & Rage is set in the fictional Michigan town of Velvet Cove. High schoolers Nora, Autumn, and Kat are already friends when protagonist Swann joins the group in the summer of 1995. They spend Swann's last summer in town hanging out, playing music, and becoming the best of friends. Until something happens. But let's keep focused on that summer for now.

It seems as though Starr has her camcorder permanently strapped to her hands, which reminds me very much of Max in Life is Strange (Don't Nod is the series creator but the IP is owned by Square Enix and other studios are now working on it, namely Deck Nine. Don't Nod hasn't touched Life is Strange since the final part Life is Strange 2 in 2019. With Lost Records, it feels like Don't Nod is back to the genre it is known and adored for.) Swann is introverted but she sure does love capturing life's small moments through a lens.

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Then there is the group of friends that Starr joins. Nora is rebellious, eccentric, and energetic. Autumn is thoughtful and charismatic; she's seen at the group's leader. Kat is pragmatic, strong-willed, and enigmatic. Will the girls compliment each other, or clash in weirdly wonderful ways?

The new trailer for Lost Records: Bloom & Rage, Lo-Fi Summer (below), mostly features slice-of-life footage from Swann's camcorder but there is also a look at some areas that players will get to explore when the game launches.

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Lost Records: Bloom & Rage will have a soundtrack comprised of both original tracks and licensed music. The song in the above trailer is an original track written and performed by Ruth Radelet, Adam Miller, and Nat Walker. (The announcement trailer featured another original track, by Nora Kelly.) There is no end to my love of the music from the original Life is Strange game, so I have very high hopes about the music here.

Developed and published by Don't Nod, Lost Records: Boom & Rage will be released for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series late this year. It will be released in two distinct parts (at a natural break in the story) that are planned to launch about a month apart.