Will Lost Records: Bloom & Rage be a Swann song for episodic gaming?

On February 18, 2025, Don't Nod released the first part of its latest narrative adventure, Lost Records: Bloom & Rage, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Dubbed "Tape 1," this installment introduces players to Swann Holloway, navigating dual timelines of 1995 and 2022 as she and her friends confront a traumatic event from their past. For those familiar with Don’t Nod’s other work; the hit game Life Is Strange, this staggered release schedule won’t seem too *strange* (forgive the pun). Life Is Strange was a narrative adventure game about an introverted girl who can reverse time and her punk childhood friend attempting to avoid a time-travel disaster. The game was released all the way back in 2015 — and just from the dialogue alone, it isn’t hard to tell. Episode 1 released January 29th, but unlike Bloom & Rage, it didn’t comprise the entire first half of the narrative, instead totaling about 2 and a half hours playtime, and being followed by 4 other episodes to reach the game’s conclusion.

The five-episode format gained traction largely thanks to Telltale Games, once regarded as a groundbreaking studio in narrative-driven gaming. However, despite critical success with titles like The Walking Dead, the company abruptly shut down in 2018 due to reported financial mismanagement and internal power struggles. Telltale’s collapse was shocking for many, with longtime employees being blindsided by layoffs and forced to pack up their belongings the same day. This studio closure was the first sign that episodic gaming was stretching workers too thin, and might not be entirely sustainable.

Don’t Nod’s Life Is Strange 2, the follow-up to their acclaimed flagship title, also faced challenges tied to its episodic release model. Several episodes were delayed to avoid developer crunch, a decision that, while ethically sound, frustrated many fans. Players voiced concerns that long gaps between episodes disrupted narrative momentum and weakened their emotional connection to the characters. In response to such issues, Don’t Nod later released Tell Me Why as a more streamlined three-episode series. Despite its tighter schedule allowing for a lower budget and less risk, the game struggled to gain much critical acclaim or reach a broader audience beyond the studio’s existing fanbase, causing it to be yet another episodic release that failed to succeed.

The Rise And Fall Of Episodic Gaming

Episodic gaming became such a dominant trend in the early 2010s that even major franchises like Resident Evil experimented with the format. Resident Evil Revelations 2 told its story across four episodes, released weekly, complete with “previously on” and “next time” segments — obviously leaning into the television-style storytelling format. The tight, consistent release schedule was a notable departure from the frequent delays plaguing other episodic titles at the time — likely an effort to maintain momentum and avoid audience fatigue. While some praised the game’s narrative focus and appreciated the serialized cliffhangers, others criticized the approach as a gimmick, and the title ultimately underperformed compared to its predecessor and fell well short of mainline entries in the franchise. Capcom has not returned to the episodic model since.

Resident Evil wasn’t alone. Sonic the Hedgehog also dabbled in episodic releases with Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I and Episode II. However, unlike Revelations 2, these games were less interested in serial storytelling and more focused on breaking up a full game experience into smaller, mobile-friendly segments. The experiment was poorly received, with criticism aimed at the games’ quality and lack of innovation. Plans for Episode III were quietly shelved, and the franchise has not revisited the episodic model since.

In recent years, the episodic format has largely faded from the spotlight, with few major titles embracing the structure. Bloom & Rage then seems like a notable exception due to its release in the current gaming landscape. Following the commercially disastrous reception of Life is Strange: Double Exposure, which was developed by Deck Nine and released as a complete game rather than in episodes, fans were eager for a return to form from the creators of the original. The full-game release of Double Exposure further underscored how far episodic gaming has fallen from favor, both as a commercial strategy and a storytelling format.

Bloom & Rage’s two-part structure acts almost like a mid-season break, rather than a traditional episodic rollout. The split has allowed time for speculation and theory crafting between releases, echoing the watercooler moments of older episodic games. However, what once was a successful release formula no longer seems to generate the same hype. While some appreciate the buildup and space to reflect on the narrative, others argue the pacing suffers. Critics noted that Tape 1 moves sluggishly, with most of its compelling drama saved for the final 30 minutes. With Tape 2 promising a more intense and action-driven conclusion, there's hope that Bloom & Rage could become one of Don’t Nod’s most memorable entries — but whether players will return after a slow first half remains to be seen.

Looking Back Whilst Looking To The Future

The episodic game is quickly becoming a relic of a past era. Don’t Nod’s newest game feels like a last-ditch attempt to keep the format alive, but struggles to capture what once made it successful. The key to episodic storytelling for many lies in the structure: each episode should have a digestible playtime of a few hours max, contain episodic storylines that are thematically distinct, and be narratively self-contained while still contributing to the broader arc. Splitting a movie into 30 minute segments doesn’t make it TV, and the same can be said for an episodic game. Each episode needs its own identity, its own tension, and its own payoff. Cliffhangers, pacing, and consistent engagement are essential. Without these elements, episodic releases risk feeling disjointed, padded, or underwhelming.

Bloom & Rage falters in this regard. With a lengthy runtime, Tape 1 spans around ten hours, containing little plot momentum outside of setting up its second half. Due to this, it struggles to justify its split format. The limited two-part structure leaves only a single major cliffhanger in the entire game and minimal space for speculation or community discussion, diluting the very appeal that made games like Life is Strange and Telltale’s best titles resonate with fans. In many ways, the game feels less like a return to form and more like a quiet send-off for the format. With streaming trends favoring bingeable content, and even TV shifting away from weekly episodes toward short-lived limited series, the cultural appetite for staggered releases is waning. Games, too, appear to be following suit — prioritizing instant gratification over slow-burn storytelling. If Bloom & Rage can’t reignite interest in the episodic model, it may well be one of the last games to try.

As it stands, the game feels like an echo of a bygone era, a nostalgic attempt to revive a formula that, despite its potential, now seems out of step with modern gaming trends. Rather than breathing new life into the dying fad, it instead feels like a swan song for the genre. One last hurrah before it fades into memory. It’s fitting, then, that a game so steeped in nostalgia for the past will likely be remembered for its attempts to remind us of a time when episodic gaming was at its peak. In today’s gaming landscape, where episodic releases have all but vanished, it raises the question: are they truly on their way out? Could a future visionary create a title so compelling that it reintroduces the episodic format to the spotlight? Or with the recent re-emergence of Telltale Games, perhaps the long-awaited release of The Wolf Among Us 2 will bring episodic gaming back to the forefront. Only time will tell. But for now, Bloom & Rage serves as a bittersweet reminder itself, telling of a time when episodic games ruled the scene.