Welcome to Digitally Downloaded’s weekly catch-up news feature, the catch-up coffee. I will bring you the best news you may have missed with each issue. Grab the biggest mug you’ve got, fill it with your favourite brew, and catch up with us (and our favourite news anchor, Dee Dee)!
The second part of Lost Records: Bloom & Rage will launch a month later than expected
Don’t Nod has delayed the second part of its upcoming narrative adventure game Lost Records: Bloom & Rage (Tape 2, Rage) by four weeks, bumping it from March to an April release date. The first part (Tape 1, Bloom) will still be launched as planned, but the developer wants “to give the team the necessary time to refine the experience, address more bugs, and enhance the storytelling for a truly immersive continuation of the journey. We feel that this extra time is necessary to ensure we deliver the experience players and fans deserve.”
This isn’t the first delay for Lost Records: Bloom & Rage, though the first one was for a much different reason. Initially, the game was announced in 2023 with a planned release window of late 2024 for both parts. But then, in mid-2024, Square Enix and Deck Nine announced Life is Strange: Double Exposure, a direct sequel to Don’t Nod’s Life is Strange. (Don’t Nod created the game and characters, but Square Enix holds the rights and Deck Nine now develops the series.) Life is Strange was huge back in the day and there was a good amount of hype around its new sequel, so it makes sense that Don’t Nod delayed Lost Records: Rage & Bloom until early 2025 to give both games space to “breathe”. (It’s worth noting that Double Exposure did not do nearly as well as expected. Hopefully, Don’t Nod’s new IP doesn’t suffer the same fate.)
Developed and published by Don’t Nod, Lost Records: Rage & Bloom will launch for PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series in the coming months. Tape 1, Bloom, will be released on February 18 as originally planned. Tape 2, Rage, will be released on April 15.
South of Midnight launches in April, so celebrate with a new story trailer!
South of Midnight is a third-person action-adventure game by Compulsion Games, the Montreal-based developer of We Happy Few. Compulsion Games is an Xbox Games Studios, which means all of its titles are published by Xbox so South of Midnight will only launch for PC and Xbox. No joke, South of Midnight is half the reason my next console will be an Xbox Series X. I’ve been hooked on the bayou setting since it was announced in 2023. Yes, it is filled with racists, homophobes, and bigots… but the land itself is beautiful. Last week, Compulsion Games and Xbox Games Studios announced South of Midnight’s April release date during Xbox’s Developer Direct. A story trailer was also revealed:
The Southern Gothic world mixes reality and fantasy, showcasing folkloric creatures of the American Deep South. Play as Hazel, who is called upon to be a magical mender of broken bonds and spirits — a Weaver. Confront dangerous new creatures while untangling the web that is Hazel’s past and trying to feel a place that feels like home.
Developed by Compulsion Games and published by Xbox Game Studios, South of Midnight will be released on April 8 for PC via Steam/Microsoft and Xbox Series.
You’ll only be waiting until February to play While Waiting
I was immediately drawn to adventure game While Waiting when I first saw it during Day of the Devs (Summer Game Fest 2024 Edition), and I’ve been patiently waiting (kind of) for launch news ever since. Last week, the developer announced the wait would be mere weeks longer, as While Waiting is set to launch in early February.
While Waiting is what it sounds like: a game about waiting. Its Steam page describes it as a “transformative journey through the art of patience, blending humour with profound life insights.” There is a wide array of waiting scenarios, spanning an entire lifetime. Embrace the essence of the game by doing nothing but wait. There are no shortcuts. Just the passage of time. The game’s mundane waiting periods become about exploration as you discover hidden elements and surprises.
Developed and published by Optillusion Games, While Waiting will be released on February 5 for PC via Steam.
Venus Vacation Prism: Dead or Alive Xtreme has been delayed by three weeks
Immersive romance adventure game Venus Vacation Prism: Dead or Alive Xtreme is one we are keeping an eye on (despite Marie Rose not being included). It was initially set to launch in Japan and Asia on March 6, but a three-week delay was announced last week. It may be considered bad news, but there’s good news too: a new trailer! (I’m coming through on Matt’s statement in last week’s catch-up: if we see a Dead or Alive trailer, we post it.)
A message from game producer Yasunori Sakuda states: “We apologize to everyone who has been looking forward to the game’s release. We have been preparing to deliver the first immersive romantic adventure game in the franchise with high quality that will satisfy everyone. However, in order to provide the best possible experience with the Venuses, we have decided that we need to increase the volume of the game by adding more episodes and improving the quality without compromise. Although we are already working on these measures and are close to completion, we have decided to change the release date as announced.”
Developed by Team Ninja and published by Koei Tecmo, Venus Vacation Prism: Dead or Alive Xtreme will be released in Japan and Asia on March 27 for PC via Steam/DMM, PlayStation 5, and PlayStation 4. The Japanese versions will only support Japanese, while the Asian (or “Global”) versions will support English, Japanese, Korean, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese.
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