My time with Lost Records: Bloom & Rage begins in Swann Holloway's bedroom. I've been transported back to 1995 to relive one of her memories, and I'm looking around for a VHS tape to pack away in my rucksack. I spend a lot of time soaking in all of the details of her room, examining every available object and admiring the decor. Everything I can interact with fills me with nostalgia, from opening up tape boxes with homemade labels, to admiring Don't Nod's take on the iconic '90s troll doll. I'm immediately reminded of Life is Strange and the way the adventure always lets me take my time to explore my environment. But here, there's a lot more interactivity in Bloom & Rage, whether it be unfolding a crumpled ball of paper I find, or choosing a greeting to say to a stick insect pet named Twiglet inside a terrarium. The bedroom paints a picture of Swann, with her belongings shining a light on her interests, and her commentary opening up a window into her personality.
What I love the most, though, is when I'm able to get my hands on her camcorder. As she readies herself to move out, I have to film around Swann's bedroom to create a home video she can keep as a memoir. With various points of interest and a set number of shots to complete, I'm free to choose what I film, and I can even watch it back and edit the video to replace shots. The more I play, the more I come to love the camcorder's role in Bloom & Rage - it's an outlet of expression for Swann and her friends that encourages me to let my creative side loose. But it also gives me another way to view the world I'm in.
