Goodbye Volcano High Part 4. Redundant stress. (New Game Blind)
1Part Synopsis: At the assembly, Fang sits with Trish and Rosa. Fang appears to be uncomfortable around Rosa, similarly to the phone chat from before, although why is uncertain. Naomi speaks on stage, albeit quite nervously about the yearbook photos. Naser talks next, mainly just to help motivate the student body.
In the hallway, Naomi mentions being part of an engineering club while Fang and Rosa have a conversation alone. Fang later meets with Trish and Reed in the Music Room. An idea is proposed on one of three songs already made to remodify for the upcoming audition. Fang sides with Trish's suggestion.
Back at home, Fang retrieves a midi controller to modify the music. The three practice extensively for the following days. A mishap from being startled spills nail polish on the device, essentially ruining it. At the yearbook photo shoot, Fang brings the controller to Naomi.
Having experience with electronics, she believes it can be salvaged. With Reed nowhere to be seen, Naomi asks Fang to find him for the photo shoot. On the roof, Fang convinces Reed to take part in the activity. Despite showing anxiety over this, he does do as asked; satisfying Naomi. Trish's turn, having brought Mango, she ends up ruining the backdrop with her fluids.
Playthrough Information: This is a blind let's play. I will be starting a New Game and finish it to completion. Spoken dialogue will be played normally. Unspoken dialogue I will say out loud on my own. This isn't a complete coverage playthrough. Featuring all achievements, any changes in story progression or any possible secrets aren't a focus here. It's meant to be done once and showcase my reactions to what's happening. All videos will have commentary and webcam usage. Gameplay shown on PS5.
About Game: Goodbye Volcano High is a narrative adventure game developed and published by Montreal-based video game studio KO_OP. The game was released on 29 August 2023, for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Windows.
Gameplay: The game features narrative segments, and rhythm minigames during performances by VVorm Drama.
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, guitarist Trish and drummer Reed, alongside the school's student council president Naomi and Fang's brother Naser, as they venture through the highs and lows of their final year as Volcano High seniors with graduation looming over the horizon while coming to terms with their own impending extinction from an asteroid.
Development: The game was initially announced during Sony's "Future of Gaming" online presentation on 11 June 2020, with a release window of 2021. 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. The new narrative direction was largely inspired by the experiences of high school seniors graduating during the pandemic. In November 2022, the game was delayed to 2023. A new gameplay trailer premiered during a Sony "State of Play" presentation on 23 February 2023, announcing a release date of 15 June but was delayed to 29 August.
Reception: Following the revamped game's showing at PAX East 2023, it was positively received by critics. Kyle LeClair of Hardcore Gamer praised the game, saying its rhythm game elements had the "perfect level of challenge", and that its music was "ear-pleasing". He called the character designs "striking", praising Fang as a "terrific and likeable protagonist" with "great voice acting", and predicting it would be a "deep and unique tale". Rachel Watts of Rock Paper Shotgun wrote that she "had a great time with the demo", comparing it to the adventure game Life Is Strange.
Awards: The game won the Tribeca Games Award at the 2023 Tribeca Festival, where it was featured as part of the "Games & Immersive Experience" selection.
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