Goodbye Volcano High was announced at Sony's PlayStation 5 reveal event. Developed by KO_OP, the Canadian-based studio behind GNOG and Winding Worlds, the game will be a cinematic adventure revolving around several teenagers dealing with self-identity.
Goodbye Volcano High's main story will focus on a diverse group of friends, with main character Fang worried more about whether or not their band will go viral rather than planning for life after High School. It might also be the backdrop for a blossoming romance There will also be a great focus on queer representation, especially when it comes to the story's non-binary lead. Furthermore, they will be voiced by non-binary voice actor Lachlan Watson, who some might recognize from their work on Netflix's Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.
"Our company is a co-op in which all the voices matter. The team working on GVH is about ten people, all coming from diverse backgrounds. Making a queer game about a non-binary main character is hugely important to us," says Saleem Dabbous, Studio Director in regards to this push for diversity.
"This type of game is definitely a first for KO_OP. We are creating a detailed and colorful art style that resembles an animated movie, with gorgeous hand-painted backgrounds and expressive characters that come together to create a game where every shot feels special. Our goal with the art is to bring you close to what the characters are experiencing, and allow their emotions to really shine through," says Lucie Viatge, the Art Director on the project. "We've been building an incredible team of artists for the project, and it's been really amazing to bring our vision to life.
The gameplay will be broken up between musical focused mini-games revolving around Fang's band, taking advantage of the PS5's brand new Dualsense haptic feedback feature for a more immersive experience. There will also be branching narrative paths for the player to choose, leading to difficult decisions and multiple endings. It will also feature hand drawn art, animated smoothly and at 4K resolution.
Goodbye Volcano High is scheduled to release some time in 2021 for the PlayStation 5, the PlayStation 4, and Steam.
