Lost Records: Bloom & Rage comes with a long list of helpful trigger warnings for potential players

Lost Records: Bloom & Rage, the imminent release from Don’t Nod and spiritual successor to the developer’s original Life is Strange, is set to emphasize tough choices and situations that le�🌄�ad 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 a for anyone looking forward to diving into Bloom & Rage on February 18. 

In case you’ve not looked too much into the story of Bloom & 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 pღromise 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 watched Yellowjackets, 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 of Life is Strange, every choice will have consequences that affect both past and present, with 𓆉multiple 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 Noไd, potential triggers will include:

• Fat-shaming and body dysmorphia themes, including parents discussing their child’s weight issues and the use of terms such as “fatso” used against Swann
• Homophobic terms used in keeping with the morals that were present in the mid-90s
• Terminal illness and the death of a parent
• Panic attacks and other mental health issues play a role
• Insects, as Swann likes insects and has a pet stick-bug

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 ni👍ce to see a development team being so open and understanding about the iss♎ues 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 in Bloom & 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 of Bloom & Rage in the first place?