Goodbye Volcano High
Goodbye Volcano High | |
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Developer(s) | KO_OP |
Publisher(s) | KO_OP |
Director(s) |
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Designer(s) |
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Artist(s) |
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Writer(s) |
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Composer(s) | Omar Dabbous |
Engine | Unity |
Platform(s) | |
Release |
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Genre(s) | Narrative adventure |
Mode(s) | Single-player |
Goodbye Volcano High is an upcoming narrative adventure indie game developed and published by Montreal-based studio KO_OP.[1][2] The game is scheduled for release on 15 June 2023, for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Windows.[3]
Synopsis
Set in a world of anthropomorphic dinosaur characters, the game centers on the members of the band VVorm Drama; the non-binary lead vocalist Fang (voiced by Lachlan Watson),[4] guitarist Trish (Ozioma Akagha)[5] and drummer Reed (Mark Whitten),[5] alongside the school's student council president Naomi (Allegra Clark)[5] and Fang's brother Naser (Abe Bueno-Jallad),[5] - as they venture through the highs and lows of their final year as Volcano High seniors with graduation looming over the horizon.
Gameplay
The game features narrative segments, and rhythm minigames during performances by VVorm Drama.[6]
Development
The game was initially announced during Sony's "Future of Gaming" online presentation on 11 June 2020, with a release window of 2021.[7][8] In August 2021, KO_OP announced a delay of Goodbye Volcano High's release until sometime in 2022. The developers wanted to avoid crunch related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and had already brought in a new writing team from Sweet Baby Inc. in June 2020 to reboot the game's entire narrative direction.[9][10][11] In November 2022, the game was delayed to 2023.[12] A new gameplay trailer premiered during a Sony "State of Play" presentation on 23 February 2023, announcing a release date of 15 June.[3]
The game's use of queer characters and LGBT themes resulted in notable harassment campaigns by users of the imageboard 4chan, including a parody titled "Snoot Game", KO_OP and various journalist outlets have claimed the fangame to contain anti-LGBT themes (such as a goal for the player to coerce Fang into detransitioning, the controversial fan game also contains a possible ending where Fang perform a mass shooting as a result of bullying and harassment.) Attacks against KO_OP's Discord server related to said fangame and users from 4chan have also occured. A representative of the studio told Kotaku stated that the fangame was made in "bad faith", arguing that developers of games featuring queer characters "will face harassment no matter where you go", and stating that "we care deeply about the work we are doing and are excited to share it with the world."[13][14]
References
- ^ "Goodbye Volcano High, an end-of-era love story, is coming to PS5". PlayStation.Blog. 11 June 2020. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
- ^ Wilde, Tyler (11 June 2020). "Goodbye Volcano High will probably make a few of us cry". PC Gamer. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
- ^ a b Hilliard, Kyle (23 February 2023). "Goodbye Volcano High Releases In June". Game Informer. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
- ^ Harrison, Will (11 June 2020). "Goodbye Volcano High Has A Real 'Life Is Strange Meets Dinosaurs' Vibe, Coming To PS5". PlayStation Lifestyle. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
- ^ a b c d @KOOPMode (23 February 2023). "We revealed some voice actors in our most recent trailer!!! We have @OziomaAkagha as Trish, @mpwhitten as Reed, @SimplyAllegra as Naomi, and Abe Bueno-Jallad as Naser!!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Moore, Bo (23 February 2023). "Goodbye Volcano High Gets June Release Date". IGN. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
- ^ "Goodbye Volcano High Is A Dose Of Teenage Angst For The PS5". GameSpot. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
- ^ O'Connor, Alice (12 June 2020). "Goodbye Volcano High has all your teen drama, plus dinosaurs". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
- ^ Murray, Sean (18 August 2021). "Goodbye Volcano High Delayed Until 2022". The Gamer. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
- ^ Romano, Sal (18 August 2021). "Goodbye Volcano High delayed to 2022, narrative reboot announced". Gematsu. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
- ^ Beckhelling, Imogen (19 August 2021). "Dino teen drama Goodbye Volcano High delayed to next year". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
- ^ Romano, Sal (30 November 2022). "Goodbye Volcano High delayed to summer 2023". Gematsu. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
- ^ Laybolt, Noah (2 November 2022). "The Anti-Fan Game: PlayStation Developer Defies 4chan Harassment Troll Project". Kotaku. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
- ^ Villarreal, Daniel (6 November 2022). "Despite years-long troll campaign, LGBTQ developers keep creating super-queer video game". Queerty. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
External links
- Adventure game stubs
- Adventure games
- Dinosaurs in video games
- Fictional musical groups
- High school-themed video games
- Indie video games
- LGBT-related video games
- Music video games
- PlayStation 4 games
- PlayStation 5 games
- Single-player video games
- Upcoming video games scheduled for 2023
- Video games developed in Canada
- Video games postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic
- Visual novels
- Windows games