Yesterday’s PS5 reveal event was a real barn burner of a live stream, especially if you were a reporter trying to keep up with the deluge of game reveals. So, forgive me if, for the briefest of moments and while trying to come up with 300 words about Demon’s Souls that wasn’t just all-caps shouting that I became confused. While typing I heard some faintly familiar indie-rock inspired tones and dialog about the trauma and troubles of high school. For a hot second, I got insanely excited that the reveal I was missing could potentially be a new Life is Strange, perhaps my favorite new series of the last decade. I flipped over and instead was greeted with a familiar high school setting, but with queer high school dinosaurs. Which, honestly, is even better. Goodbye Volcano High’s reveal struck a chord in me that hits the same notes that Life is Strange did, which is perhaps its best potential seeking point. The narrative visual adventure game is coming to PS5 (and PS4) in 2021, with the trailer below.
I don’t make the Life Is Strange comparison to call Goodbye Volcano High derivative; it’s meant as my highest possible compliment. The music, tone, and overall vibe from this game is one that immediately hits me in the feelings hard, and that’s the kind of game I need more of in my life. Designed by indie studio KO_OP, Goodbye Volcano High is bringing a big voice to its diverse cast with the likes of Lachlan Watson, who played Theo in the Netflix series The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, playing the lead. That diversity and representation are important to the studio and the game certainly wears it on its sleeve.
“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. “Partnering with PlayStation has given us the opportunity to build something of incredible production value. Everything you see in this first trailer was taken directly from the game and is playable.”
Look for Goodbye Volcano High on the PS5 and PS4 in 2021, and look for me around that time as I prepare to cry my eyes out over this game.
