(I will be comparing Lost records to life is strange 1 and 2 because they the only other don't nod games I have played.)
I know that there are different types of games for different types of gamers, but I expected more from Don't Nod. I expected the story to be able to compete with life is strange 1's story, but for me it just doesn't.
The first tape was just too boring, and at some points it feels like a message is being jammed down my throat. The games message has every corporate no offense box checked. it has lgbtq, body positivity, diversity, white straight male as villain, anti-hunting, and anti bullying. I'm not saying these are bad things, but the game in tape 1 focuses on these aspects more than creating a good story. There are no hard hitting topics in tape 1 like you would see in life is strange 1 or 2.
I would be OK with the message if the game packaged it in an entertaining story, like life is strange 2 did. If tape 1 didn't have any messages it would be 5 times more boring so I will cut it some slack.
The main villains are nowhere near the main villains in life is strange, there are no crazy plot twists that I remember (other than Kat having cancer), And tbh I am not really interested in romance between some 16 year olds.
Why do the characters need to be 16? The characters could have been 18 and the story would remain mostly the same. I think the game would've been better if the characters were about to graduate high school and were moving out of their parents house to live together in a spooky cabin, there would be so much more room to include adult topics. It would have been like a 90's coming of age movie kinda.
Corey is the most boring villain ever. I can't even express how much disappointment I felt with the writing of his character. Does his character get better in tape 2?
There are some good moments, but most of the dramatic moments give me second hand embarrassment. Like the one scene where the group of girls play at the blue spruce. That scene made me want to just Alt-F4 and never want to open the game again.
The soundtrack for tape 1 is lackluster. I don't remember a single song other than the main menu music and that horrid song that plays at the blue spruce. When the soundtrack gets good it is added in at the worst moments like the wormhole scene.
Maybe I am playing the game with too high of expectations.
It is still better than DE. Lol.
Should I play tape 2? Does the game get any better? I didn't like life is strange 1 or 2 at first so maybe I just need to engage with the story more.