Goodbye Volcano High

Part visual novel, part rhythm game, part interactive animated movie, Goodbye Volcano High taps into the sacred relationship between music and coming-of-age in ways that would be impossible in any other media format.

I can barely find the words to describe the emotional experience that is Goodbye Volcano High. While there are a few sound blips, the music, voice acting, and story were phenomenal, and these teenage dinosaurs were truly relatable.

Goodbye Volcano High is a terrifically-crafted slice of high school drama that succeeds thanks to the strength of its lovable cast of characters, amazing music and a sweet story about perseverance in the face of uncertainty, be it the possibility of your best friends moving on or the possible end of the world. It's one to recommend, and while it may not be this year's greatest visual novel (if only because the genre has a lot of heavy hitters this year), it is one that does indeed cap off the summer gaming season with a bang.

Canadian developer KO_OP has been away from Sony's ecosystem for quite a while. Its first game, GNOG, launched on PS4 back in 2017 and is a fun, colourful puzzler that works great in PSVR. Fast forward a number of years, and they’ve returned to PlayStation with Goodbye Volcano High, a visual novel about the hardships of discovering oneself with an impending global catastrophe serving as a backdrop.

The last year of high school is a weird time; you’re still treated like a kid yet you’re asked to make so many life altering and adult decisions. To paraphrase Britney Spears – you’re a teen, not yet a grown-up. The narrative rhythm game Goodbye Volcano High deals with the complexities that come with this time in someone’s life. Add into the mix the possibility of an asteroid colliding with Earth and the teens of Volcano High’s lives become shrouded in more uncertainty and intensity.

Goodbye Volcano High is a heartfelt coming-of-age drama about a group of teen dinosaurs confronted with an uncertain future. Dreamy pop ballads and an absorbing dialogue system offer a gateway into an introspective story about being young, queer, and chasing your dreams in the face of impending disaster.

As the lyrics from the song Reunion asks, was it worth it all? I can happily say, yes. Despite its problems, Goodbye Volcano High is every bit worth it, and I’d happily spend more time with Worm Drama if I could.

Goodbye Volcano High has been the subject of a lot more attention, and the accompanying online slings and arrows, than your typical indie visual novel. The game’s quirky “dinosaur teenagers on the eve of the apocalypse” premise garnered a lot of attention when it was announced as a PlayStation console exclusive back in 2020, and in the years since, it’s suffered through several delays, a complete revamp of its story, and other controversies. Despite all this, Montreal-based developer KO_OP weathered the storm, and Goodbye Volcano High was finally released this week (without review codes going ...

It's the final year of high school, and graduation looms on the horizon. Will the students of Volcano High have enough time to figure themselves out before it's all over? Is it too late to tell their crush how they feel? Are they even ready for what comes next? Goodbye Volcano High is a cinematic narrative game about the end of an era, and the beginning of a love story. PS5 version reviewed.

For a game about dinosaurs and the end of the world, Goodbye Volcano High’s coming of age tale ironically plays things far too safe. Those looking for a comfort tale akin to an anime will enjoy its trappings, but those who have already graduated have no doubt seen what this title has to offer.