Canadian studio KO_OP surprised gamers in 2020 with the reveal of Goodbye Volcano High, an upcoming narrative game about a group of anthropomorphic dinosaurs in their final year of high school. Although Goodbye Volcano High was originally scheduled for a 2021 release, KO_OP has announced via Twitter that the the game has been delayed to 2022.
The delay, according to the developers, comes as a result of several reasons. Firstly, the global pandemic has complicated development, making a 2021 release unfeasible. Hence, to avoid crunch, the game had to be delayed. This is not entirely unexpected, as a number of titles in both 2020 and 2021 have found themselves delayed due to disruptions caused by the pandemic.
Secondly, the game had to undergo a narrative reboot. This was previously discussed in one of KO_OP’s newsletters where they explained that the narrative reboot necessitated bringing in a new writing team and reworking the game’s narrative direction. Such a task is far from easy, as the game was already in mid-production and there were existing assets that had to be worked around. As part of the narrative reboot, the personality and motivations of the protagonist, Fang, were changed. Additionally, cute pets were added to the game.
An update on Goodbye Volcano High: we're sad to announce we're delaying release to 2022!
Full text version available here: https://t.co/U1YBxL8yx6 pic.twitter.com/WV14UB0Hzx
— KO_OP 🦕 GOODBYE VOLCANO HIGH ☄️ (@KOOPMode) August 18, 2021
According to KO_OP, Goodbye Volcano High is a “cinematic, choice-based narrative game”. Through the decisions that you make, you will allow the story to unfold along several branching narratives. If you play the game on PS5, the pressure of making choices will be amplified through the use of the DualSense’s haptic features, as KO_OP explains on the PlayStation Blog.
Fang, like all their friends, is a dinosaur. They are non-binary and, in their final year in high-school, find an opportunity to escape their regular rut and introduce change into their life. The developers claim they hope the story will resonate with people during “a time where we’re all feeling a little lost and scared”. For anyone interesting in a captivating narrative experience, Goodbye Volcano High looks like a game worth waiting for. Screenshots released reveal a stunning art style with hand-drawn backgrounds.
Goodbye Volcano High has been delayed to 2022 on all platforms. It is set to release on PS4, PS5 and PC.