Lost Records: Bloom & Rage, the imminent release from Don’t Nod and spiritual successor to the developer’s originalLife is Strange, is set to emphasize tough choices and situations that lead to the estrangement of friends, and that’s likely to be hard to play through for some.
In a time where almost everybody has some form of traumatizing experience tucked away in their closet, it’s practically expected that triggering moments can sneak up on you out of nowhere. Thankfully, Don’t Nod has released afull (and extensive) list of trigger warningsfor anyone looking forward to diving intoBloom & Rageon February 18.
In case you’ve not looked too much into the story ofBloom & Rage, the dual-time tale will center on four friends (Swann, Nora, Autumn, and Kat) who were best friends in 1995, but completely estranged 27 years later thanks to a secret that prompted a promise never to talk again.
That promise clearly hasn’t aged well, because the present timeline will see them coming together to confront their joint past. If you’ve ever watchedYellowjackets, you’ll likely be unable to avoid drawing a parallel between the two past-and-present-timeline plots.
The game will be released as two “tapes”, with the first coming on February 18 and the second being recently delayed to April 15. As you’d expect from the creators ofLife is Strange, every choice will have consequences that affect both past and present, with multiple different endings to discover and secrets along the way.
While some of the trigger warnings are almost expected at this point (strong language, alcohol consumption in underage teenagers, mild sexual content), there are some that potential players should bear in mind before choosing whether to begin a play-through.
According to Don’t Nod, potential triggers will include:
These are the most prominent that stand out on the list of warnings but by no means an exhaustive list. I have to admit, it’s nice to see a development team being so open and understanding about the issues that may arise in players who choose to buy the game, especially when some of these warnings are ever-present issues in today’s society.
We’ve come a long way from the 90s, for the most part, and a younger audience might be shocked by some of the language and themes that come into play inBloom & Rage, but the fact that these things are included on a list of trigger warnings is a testament to how far we’ve progressed, and proof that we can learn from the past.
And what’s that if not the entire premise ofBloom & Ragein the first place?
