Witnessing the trajectory of Life Is Unusual has been nothing in need of exceptional. From its humble beginnings in 2015 to the wealthy tapestry of sequels, spinoffs, and non secular successors, DontNod Leisure carved out a particular area of interest within the realm of character-driven video games. Every installment — whether or not crafted by DontNod or Deck 9 — brings a contemporary dose of Twin Peaks-inspired supernatural intrigue, heartfelt narratives that steadiness between endearing sincerity and occasional cringe, and a celebration of connections amongst queer and ethnic of us on the margins of society.
Nonetheless, the video games have grappled with an identification disaster, with its newest effort from Deck 9 veering away from the indie movie attraction of its predecessors right into a Marvel-esque spectacle that feels disconnected from what initially endeared it to followers. Thankfully, Misplaced Data: Bloom & Rage not solely recaptures the essence of the unique Life Is Unusual but in addition carves out its personal real, compelling path, standing proudly as a non secular successor that elevates the style’s poignant theming and character writing to larger heights and establishes a universe uniquely its personal.
Misplaced Data: Bloom & Rage, developed by DontNod Montréal — a brand new department made up of Life is Unusual alumni — channels the nostalgic vibe of Starz’s Yellowjackets, however trades cannibalism for an additional dose of lesbian witches. The narrative oscillates between two timelines: the summer time of 1995, when 4 teenage ladies kind a punk rock band known as Bloom & Rage, and their reunion 27 years later. Gamers step into the footwear of Swann, a reserved loner who desires of being a filmmaker, capturing her small-town life in Velvet Cove, Michigan, along with her camcorder. After clashing with a bigoted teenage boy, Swann bonds with fellow outcasts Nora, the rebellious punk; Autumn, the nurturing pal with a “mother” function within the clique; and Kat, the extreme, introverted chief. Now of their 40s, the ladies collect of their hometown bar to uncover long-forgotten supernatural occasions that led them to float aside — and the vow they made by no means to reunite.
What stood out to me was the distinctive character writing and the contemporary, progressive strategy to relationship dynamics. Misplaced Data is much less about scrubbing for collectables or verify containers — like which of your companions you may wish to smooch whereas erratically switching up your persona like a fake-ass pal — and extra about letting you doc the little moments you assume are price remembering.
Picture: Don’t Nod Montréal by way of epicgamejourney
Misplaced Data’ writing sidesteps the pitfalls of binary good-versus-bad selections by enriching its dialogue with the nuance that comes from studying to close up, pay attention, and mull over considerate responses as a substitute of feverishly clicking the primary reactions which can be out there in intimate and informal chats. In another sport, in the event you held out on choosing a knee-jerk dialogue response and reducing off one in every of Swann’s associates, that different character would merely path off like ready room music as you deliberated over which binary choices to reply to them with. In Misplaced Data, new dialogue prompts will seem the extra Swann’s associates reveal tidbits of safeguarded emotions about their predicaments, be it in 1995 or the current, supplying you with the choice to press additional with extra piercing responses or letting them grasp to spare their emotions. As a rule, I waited out and didn’t routinely select the brand new prompts as they appeared as a result of they didn’t gel with the relationships I’d engendered with Swann’s associates. I used to be mainly embodying the “We pay attention, we don’t choose” meme, and but, the sense that I used to be really listening to them, moderately than steamrolling over their shyly shared insecurities, felt tangible in each interplay.
Misplaced Data tracks who you spend essentially the most time with, dynamically shaping Swann’s closest relationships — whether or not with a finest pal or a possible romantic associate. Having performed quite a few video games of Life is Unusual’s ilk, I initially discovered myself slipping into the outdated, Pavlovian mindset of eager to “resolve” the sport, treating dialogue selections and environmental puzzles like formulaic duties to reach on the “right solutions.” Nevertheless, Misplaced Data shatters the mould of predictable gameplay. Its dialogue system strikes away from the “decide the proper choice to succeed” system, as a substitute fostering relationships that really feel uncooked and real, capturing the unfiltered essence of youngsters, whether or not they’re simply capturing the shit or getting actual. Misplaced Data champions responses that really feel genuine moderately than calculated, specializing in spontaneity and sincerity over mechanical decision-making.
Earlier than lengthy, I discovered myself shedding my pushing-30 “mature” sensibilities and embracing the sort of magical theater that makes grown males passionately cheer or boo professional wrestlers, totally immersing in Swann’s angsty teen years. This strategy drew me deeper into the expertise, permitting Swann’s relationships to evolve naturally, with all of the grounded chaos of actual teenage connections.
Talking of teenage connections, I discovered Misplaced Report’s characters to be splendidly flawed and delightfully likable as all of them sorted out the lengths they had been keen to go to buck the norm of conforming to being the sort of adults who can be patted on the pinnacle for being seen and never heard. Nora, for example, embodies a free spirit whose rebellious streak, left unchecked, may make her a flight threat inside the pal group. She eagerly co-signs each damaging scheme pitched to combat towards out-of-touch grownup expectations.
Autumn, alternatively, is the empathetic “mother pal” and the one Black lady within the ensemble. Her function carries emotional weight, as her emotions and opinions are sometimes disregarded when tensions rise, forcing her to play the spoilsport to the others’ impulsive outbursts.
Then there’s Kat, the self-destructive mastermind whose attraction lies in her depth and unpredictability. Whereas she typically finds herself in over her head, her edge and a touch of hazard make her an unforgettable presence within the group dynamic. Swann, because the protagonist, ties all these relationships collectively, navigating the messy, heartfelt connections that outline the story.
Picture: Don’t Nod Montréal by way of epicgamejourney
Picture: Don’t Nod Montréal by way of epicgamejourney
Picture: Don’t Nod Montréal by way of epicgamejourney
Picture: Don’t Nod Montréal by way of epicgamejourney
And for me, each one in every of them felt like associates I’ve encountered in highschool. I discovered myself gravitating towards Nora romantically as a result of I’m not proof against goth ladies who could make me worse. I developed an arm’s size bond with Kat, akin to sending a pal memes in DMs to maintain up with one another; in spite of everything, we simply vibed. And an unstated allyship with Autumn developed as I got here to sympathize along with her function because the unpopular voice of motive. My selections melted right into a pastiche of the sort of character I felt my Swann was changing into in her coming of age story, going from a meek people-pleaser who would readily apologize for talking up for herself, to a woman who was sincere along with her emotions — even when they damage her pal’s delight.
Nevertheless, like many choice-driven video games that got here earlier than it, Misplaced Data had its justifiable share of moments the place I chosen an possibility that unintentionally got here off extra curt or dismissive than I supposed. Fortunately, the sport features a useful “replay scenes” characteristic in its pause menu. This allowed for a fast redo at any time when I wished to decide on dialogue choices that higher match my which means for the second, or I may discover alternate outcomes with out the trouble of beginning up a phase from scratch. It was additionally actually helpful for revisiting elements of the sport to seek out hidden collectables or small particulars that, as a minimum, gave me extra time to discover its picturesque setting, and at most, added extra texture to its story.
One standout characteristic of Misplaced Data is its thoughtfully designed content material warning system, which reinforces the style’s system by prioritizing participant consolation and security. The settings menu permits gamers to toggle warnings with detailed descriptions for doubtlessly delicate matters, reminiscent of informal homophobia, drug and alcohol use, sexual content material, and physique shaming, whereas guaranteeing these warnings don’t spoil upcoming scenes. To go a step additional, the sport features a scannable QR code for gamers who desire a extra in-depth overview of what’s going to transpire in a scene in order that gamers can brace themselves.
Whereas the system didn’t see a lot use in my playthrough of Tape 1, it grew to become indispensable in Tape 2, particularly with the inclusion of photosensitivity warnings for flashing lights and visible results — an important replace that DontNod Montreal applied after ButWhyTho introduced it to the studio’s consideration. This considerate addition underscores the builders’ means to do a commendable job constructing on the work of previous video games, in addition to delivering impactful tales whereas demonstrating a dedication to not triggering or blindsiding gamers with content material that could be upsetting.
One side of Misplaced Data that didn’t instantly resonate with me however ultimately grew to become my favourite characteristic was the way in which it applied Swann’s camcorder. In distinction, Life Is Unusual’s Max Caulfield makes use of images as a tactile means to entry her time-rewind powers — a intelligent mechanic, however one which leaned extra towards an on-the-rails fashion. It typically boiled right down to passively bringing Polaroids into focus at any time when the sport directed you to take action. In Misplaced Data, nevertheless, Swann’s camcorder provides a much more dynamic and interesting layer to the expertise.
Taking part in as Swann felt like taking part in as an indie movie director, due to the footage I captured on her camcorder, which ranged from serene nature documentaries and indie-style vignettes to Blair Witch-style discovered footage. Misplaced Data additionally impressed me to brush up on basic movie methods, reminiscent of dolly zooms, golden ratios, and the artwork of backlighting topics deliberately. One second I’m significantly pleased with myself for was in Bloom & Rage’s music video, the place I framed Kat by zooming out via Noah’s Arm on her hip — a refined however pure little bit of candid digicam work that, whereas not tremendous highfalutin, gave the music video a way of professionalism.
Misplaced Data goes above and past with its photograph mode and modifying instruments, giving gamers the flexibility to curate Swann’s house movies into polished, cinematic creations. As soon as I ended recording aimlessly, as if I had been sweatily taking part in Outlast, I started to hone my director’s eye, capturing candid moments between Swann and her bandmates. The sport then elevates this mechanic additional, permitting you to craft these clips into documentary-style tasks, guerrilla images sequences, or nature-focused montages, including a deeply private contact to the expertise. Finally, Misplaced Data made life really feel like a movie, seamlessly mixing Swann’s camcorder into the gameplay in ways in which haven’t been seen — or matched — since Max’s portrait images in Life Is Unusual.
What left me perplexed about Misplaced Data was its major antagonist, Corey Litchfield, who felt virtually exaggeratedly evil. Whereas Tape 1 hinted at some potential depth, as if difficult me to empathize with a flat, cocky teenage jerk who can be the abusive boyfriend of Kat’s sister, Tape 2 rapidly dropped any pretense — he was simply an irredeemable jerk, plain and easy. That match the story Misplaced Data wished to inform, although it was intriguing that the sport briefly flirted with displaying a sliver of humanity in a personality doomed to be unlikable from the beginning.
One other factor that felt underexplored was Misplaced Data’ supernatural elements. Whereas I initially felt pissed off on the credit, significantly with the stinger teasing future video games, I’ve grown to understand the sport’s understated strategy. Misplaced Data’ depiction of the supernatural displays the anomaly and unanswered questions that always outline teenage experiences — a drive that each empowers and disrupts, mysterious and ambivalent. In some ways, it felt like an enigmatic extension of the women themselves, serving as their collective id.
Misplaced Data: Bloom & Rage seems like a real return to kind for Life is Unusual non secular successors, providing a concise but profoundly shifting story enriched with heartfelt themes, tightly-woven character dynamics, and subtly fascinating supernatural parts. Though I think I landed the “unhealthy” ending amongst its potential outcomes, this solely heightened the emotional depth of the expertise. Bonding with Swann and her associates felt like reconnecting with reflections of relationships I’ve nurtured in my very own life, cherishing them within the current earlier than they inevitably fade into recollections. That sense of fleeting connection is nothing in need of magical.
Misplaced Data: Bloom & Rage was launched on Feb. 18 (Tape 1) and April 15 (Tape 2) for PlayStation 5, Home windows PC, and Xbox Collection X. The sport was reviewed on PlayStation 5 utilizing a prerelease obtain code offered by Don’t Nod. Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These don’t affect editorial content material, although Vox Media could earn commissions for merchandise bought by way of affiliate hyperlinks. You will discover further details about epicgamejourney’s ethics coverage right here.
