A few years back, I casually mentioned in the comment section of an article I penned about video game adaptations based on Stephen King’s works that my ultimate wish was for Don’t Nod to tackle an adaptation of “It.” This notion has been on my mind a lot lately, especially with the announcement of “Lost Records: Bloom & Rage”—a new game developed and self-published by Don’t Nod, slated for release in early 2025. I feel like the game is clearly drawing a good deal of inspiration from King’s iconic 1986 novel about a terrifying spider-clown from outer space and a band of misfit kids destined to take it down.
Now, I don’t want to sound too smug. I mean, it’s not like I believe the folks at Don’t Nod are scouring comment sections for ideas. But I do get a bit of a thrill thinking I might have a knack for identifying profitable concepts for story-driven adventure games—a genre close to my heart. Considering it’s been a few years since the “It” remake duo hit theaters from 2017 to 2019, it seems like just the right time for successor stories inspired by that rendition to start emerging.
Lost Records: Bloom & Rage dives into the lives of four friends, spanning two different timelines. We first encounter them as tightly-knit teenage outcasts in the 1990s, and then again in their present-day reunion, almost 30 years later. In fact, the time jump is exactly 27 years. Whether it’s a deliberate nod to “It” or just an uncanny coincidence, it’s hard to say right now.
Keeping with the theme, the friends went their separate ways after their all-too-relatable Xennial coming-of-age story took a wild turn with the discovery of something mysterious in the woods near their town. What exactly this weird thing is has been left tantalizingly vague in trailers and demos, but we do know it’s found at the bottom of a crater and emits a strange purple glow. You can probably begin to piece together a few theories of your own.
Right now, details about Lost Records are sparse, which seems like a deliberate strategy in the game’s marketing plan. They’re keeping things mysterious and avoiding spoilers. Despite my earlier insights, it’s clear that when the game rolls out in two parts, come February and March, the only sure bet is to expect the unexpected.
Lost Records might be appealing to my niche interests, but plenty of other games slated for early next year have me equally excited. Although the start of 2025 isn’t chock-full of major triple-A releases yet, it promises an array of intriguing mid-sized games that are too substantial to be labeled indie.
I’m particularly looking forward to Split Fiction, an exciting new collaboration between Hazelight and EA Originals. This one places two writers—one focused on sci-fi, the other on fantasy—inside a chaotic world created by a sleazy publisher’s AI interpretation of their work. Gamers who enjoy couch co-op with their Player 2 should be just as thrilled as I am to see Hazelight’s signature style once again offering a fresh spin on genre-blending elements in gaming.
Also catching my eye are titles like Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, set for February, reminding us all of the gritty life of a medieval knight; Two Point Museum, an eccentric city-building sequel coming in March; and The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy, a collaboration between the creators of Danganronpa and Zero Escape, expected in April. These examples give you a taste of both the scale and diversity of the games on offer.
Every year tends to have its share of blockbuster triple-A titles that grab everyone’s attention, and others where indie games take the spotlight. If 2025 shapes up to be the year that delights fans with a plethora of engaging double-A titles catering to various nerdy interests, I’d say we’re in for a great ride, without much room for complaint.
