Summary
Life is Strange: Double ExposureandLost Records: Bloom & Ragelaunched within a few months of each other and are both story-rich games where your choices matter. While they sound pretty similar, both are mystery games of a sort with a female protagonist, they are pretty different from each other.
So, if you are trying to decide between which game to buy, to play first, or would like to see a comparison Life is Strange: Double Exposure and Lost Records: Bloom & Rage, this article may just help you out.
Bonus Category: Cat Content
Is having a cat in the game important enough to create another category? Yes. In Double Exposure, there is the option to buy a DLC where Max takes in a cat, which is absolutely precious. The downfall is, there isn’t many interactions with the cat and you have to pay extra.
In Lost Records, Swann has a cat she adopted, whom she is in love with, and the best part? It comes with the game. In both games, you areable to pet the cats, but in Lost Records, Swann’s cat is so cuddly and adorable, Lost Records is going to win the cat content.
10Plot
Lost Records
Life is Strange: Double Exposure was advertised as amurder mystery, to discover who killed Safi, Max Caulfield’s best friend. It’s an interesting story to follow, though the main plotline is quickly put to rest by the third episode.
Lost Records: Bloom & Rage is mainly about a group of friends reuniting 27 years after some supernatural incident. You will relive the events of the summer of 1995 through Swann, who forms a close bond with three other girls who band together to play music and hang out.
9Main Characters
Tie
Themain characters of Double Exposureare Max, who is awkward as ever; Moses, a sweet and curious scientist; and Safi, a fiery and passionate poet. Some people from Max’s past also pop up, though a lot of people are missing a certain blue-haired girl.
The main cast of Lost Records are Swann, an awkward and introverted teen; Nora, a sassy but lovable punk; Autumn, a caring and thoughtful leader; and Kat, an intense firecracker of a girl. You spend a lot of time with these four girls, and they are each incredibly unique.
8Love Interest
Double Exposure
While Max is adorably awkward and a little clueless, Vinh and Amanda have both caught Max’s eye and seem to return the feeling as well. Max has great chemistry with either and it is up to you to decide who Max will wind up with.
In Lost Records, the romance is very light, which makes sense, though Swann appears to have good chemistry with everyone in her friend group. While the romance isn’t prevalent, there are these cute moments you can have with whoever Swann is closest to.
7Pacing
The pacing of the first two, maybe even three, episodes of Double Exposure felt natural and in character of the previous games. The final two episodes felt rather rushed, each episode only lasting about an hour or so depending on how long you examine your surroundings.
At first, the pacing of Lost Records feels a little slow, especially if you want to explore every nook and cranny, but the pacing makes sense and picks up a little. The time spent in each cut scene and the explorable areas feel consistent and right.
6Environment And Settings
Double Exposure is set on a college campus where Max works and the campus, and everything around it, is stunning. There are a lot of things on campus to see, and the details and effort put into them are obvious.
Lost Records flips between multiple settings, but mostly it’s set in a bar, Swann’s bedroom, and the woods. There is something truly magical about each place this game presents. It’s difficult to not make this category is in a tie, but there is so much more to interact with and look at in Lost Records.
5Choices You Make
The Life is Strange series is well known forcreating devastating choicesand interactions you have to choose between. While Double Exposure has decisions, they don’t deeply change the course of the story or the actions Max will take.
Similarly, in Lost Records, most of the choices you will make will be what you say to people. There is a lot of dialogue in this game, which is to be expected, but nearly everything you say is going to increase or decrease friendship with someone. It appears the most your decisions will affect is who will appear with Swann in certain cutscenes.
4Music
The Life is Strange soundtracks are always iconic, and Double Exposure has some really mellow tunes and good situational music. It’s mostly indie music, which follows the trend of the other games. There are some excellent moments where the music only strengthens the emotions of the scene.
Lost Records has a lot of music themes and has some good quality music. It has mostly environmental music and a few punk songs Bloom & Rage plays. However, it’s not quite enough to beat out Double Exposure’s soundtrack.
3Dialogue
Double Exposure has quite a bit of dialogue, and often you will find yourself having to choose between a couple of dialogue options. The conversation flows pretty naturally in general, but there are, of course, some awkward comments and happenings.
Lost Records is also heavy on dialogue, and the dialogue options you choose will also hold significant weight on the people around you. However, there are times when you can choose silence over speaking, which is a little unique. Be conscious of your decisions, as your dialogue options will build or hurt your relationships.
2Mechanics
Double Exposure is a pretty easy game to maneuver. You walk around as Max Caulfield and snoop! And, of course, the game carries the tradition of Max taking polaroids of people and things, which you will have to keep a sharp eye out for photo ops.
Lost Records is also an easy game maneuver, walking around as Swann, and depending on how you play, you may be playing half the game looking through her video camera. The mechanics are pretty similar, in the way you move around and interact with everything around you.
1Winner
Lost Records Wins!
So which game is better? Within these categories, Lost Records: Bloom & Rage is going to win. The game is fascinating, there’s a lot to see and interact with, and the characters are all fantastic.
But don’t let this stop you from trying out Life is Strange: Double Exposure. It’s still a good game, and if you have enjoyed the previous Life is Strange games, you will likely enjoy Double Exposure as well. It was wonderful to play as Max Caulfield again and see how she has grown.
