Can Tape 2 deliver a satisfying ending?
Embark on a new narrative journey by the creators of Life is Strange. Film your summer of 1995 and create memories of a lifetime with your new friends. 27 years later, confront the dark secrets that made you all promise to never speak again after that fateful summer.
The first Tape for Lost Records was a bit of a mixed bag, but showed promise and it was hard to judge if it was worth going through until Tape 2 landed and to see if it collectively is an experience worthy of your time.
I’m still not entirely sure what the point was of releasing the game in 2 parts spread apart over a month, but let’s put that aside and look at Tape 2 itself. It definitely is an improvement over Tape 1 and does deliver some good payoffs for what choices you have made, though they aren’t quite as drastic and dramatic as I imagined they would be.
I think the problem with Lost Records as a whole is that DONTNOD were trying too hard to recreate the Life is Strange vibe and it’s got somewhat lost in translation along the way. It doesn’t really know what it wants to be and doesn’t deliver all the answers you were hoping for either. It’s a shame since Life is Strange was such a great game and the guys at DONTNOD are very talented, but it goes to show that you can’t just try and replicate the same experience.
It’s not terrible by any stretch though. It has some good moments scattered in there, along with a superb soundtrack that is the real highlight of the whole experience. Voice-acting is decent, and the visuals are impressive, while it’s not as visually buggy as Tape 1 was at launch either.
The Verdict
Tape 2 delivers on some of its promises but fails to on others. It feels like a bit of an unsatisfying conclusion and certain questions are not answered, which is frustrating. It’s still a decent experience, but it lives in the shadow of the game that inspired it.