Goodbye Volcano High, the review of the musical adventure of a group of teenage dinosaurs

What if the end of high school was as traumatic as an asteroid hitting Earth? We tell you about it in the review of Goodbye Volcano High.

In "The Last Day of the Dinosaurs. An Asteroid, Extinction, and the Beginning of Our World" (History Press, 2022), paleontologist and writer Riley Black offers a completely original perspective on events known from her coming out as transgender. woman, which occurred just a few years earlier. Black, well known in the world of scientific dissemination and already a consultant for the blockbuster Jurassic World (2015), writes about how the asteroid that wiped out most of the planet Dinosaurs Sixty-five million years ago also allowed new forms of life to take center stage. The same dualism occurred in her experience as a transgender woman, with her progressive awareness of her gender identity as a traumatic process, but also a harbinger of positivity and greater inner peace.

This brave comparison is very similar to what the Canadian study did. KO_OP in his Goodbye Volcano High, a cinematic narrative adventure with excellent interactive musical sections, a considerable weight of dialogue options and, above all, an intriguing basic idea. In fact, in the fantasy world of Fang and his friends, the end of high school, with its anxieties and fears for the future, coincides with the arrival of an asteroid that will have unknown effects on life on Earth. An intense and engaging teen drama follows, despite some narrative inconsistencies that take some of the flavor out of the experience.

We tell you about Fang, his lively dinosaur clique, and the menacing asteroid in ours. Review of Goodbye Volcán Alto.

The end of the institute... and the world

The world created by KO_OP is populated by a group of teenage dinosaurs who attend Volcano High, a high school located in a coastal town. Also thanks to some narrative resources, the presence of adults is reduced to a minimum throughout the entire trip of Fang and company, giving full centrality to the experience of young people, between school classes and the pop rock group's rehearsals. worm drama, music contests and, of course, friendship and falling in love, without forgetting some L&L sessions (a fantastic version of Dungeons & Dragons).

However, a mysterious threat looms over the lives of Fang, Naomi, Trish and all the other colorful dinosaurs: at the beginning of the adventure (which lasts approximately six hours) you will discover that a mysterious asteroid is approaching Earth and that its trajectory could cause a collision with the planet. In the development of the plot, in our opinion, the evolution of this danger is not very clear: the issue of the asteroid remains in the background and then emerges strongly in the last third of the adventure, without the problem developing in any way. organic form. manner and consistent throughout the narrative.

La plot of Goodbye Volcano High takes place on different levels and an important part of the pleasure derived from using KO_OP's work comes from following the social networks accessible from the game menu in real time. It's a kind of Twitter/X where young dinosaurs write their thoughts. There is everything: from complaints about schoolwork to very deep thoughts about existence and the future, to comments of various kinds about friends and lovers. Goodbye Volcano High tells the story very well teenagers today, who grew up with the cell phone and the computer practically incorporated, as if they were an extension of their flesh. The end of the adventure, however, will return to the dinosaur protagonists all the pleasure and all the importance of physical contact and livelier sociability. This is also possible thanks to the dialogues, written in a natural and well-focused way, as well as superbly translated. en español along with the rest of the lyrics. The English dubbing is excellent, very careful in detail and capable of transmitting a wide range of emotions on the part of the cast.

Musical and narrative options.

The gameplay of Goodbye Volcano High is divided into numerous dialog options which will change the relationships between the characters. Nothing too incisive and, above all, nothing of such magnitude that it could substantially change the end of the adventure, firmly anchored in a precise conclusion. If the presence of several options in the answers certainly creates a certain emotional investment on the part of the player, unfortunately towards the final lines Fang's gestures continue to be more guided, with less agency and control on the part of the user.

The choices made will open up new options in the future and exclude others, consistent with the direction we will give Fang's character and his relationships. Then, little by little, a series of functions will be unlocked. retrospective scene structured like cute comics, in such a way that it delves into fun and meaningful episodes from Fang and his friends' past. The most emblematic moments in history, however, are collected in a kind of photo album accompanied by a commentary.

It is the musical sections that give the most space to the musicians' contributions: Fang and the members of the band Worm Drama, in fact, are busy rehearsing to compete in the annual Battle of the Bands, a competition in which local groups compete due to public popularity. attention of the city. very nice selection original songs, capable of ranging from dynamic and lively pop rock to also making room for quieter and contemplative ballads. By pressing the keys indicated on the screen and moving the sticks in the indicated directions you will be able to complete the song in question, and everything is embellished on PlayStation 5 by an excellent use of the Innovative DualSense Features, which stimulates both touch and hearing in an extremely pleasant and satisfying way.

During our game we found some bugs right in the musical sections, with clearly unwanted zooms on some details of the setting or characters. However, our experience with Goodbye Volcano High went without any technical problems. We conclude with a round of applause for the graphic sector, since the design of characters and settings, with its cartoonish style, is truly excellent.

Conclusions

Tested version PlayStation 5 digital delivery PlayStation Store Price 24.99 € Holygamerz.com 8.0 Readers (16) 7.2 your vote

Goodbye Volcano High compares the exit of adolescence to the fall of an asteroid, with all the powerful and fearsome consequences that follow. The ambiguity of this force of nature, both destructive and constructive, opens new possibilities in the minds of those subject to its whim. KO_OP manages to make us smile, move us and reflect with an irresistible cast of cartoon dinosaurs that will remain engraved in our hearts for a long time. It is a shame for some technical problems and for the development of the plot that can be noted in some parts, but these defects are not such that they jeopardize the high quality of this fascinating set.

PRO

• Goodbye Volcano High's cartoon dinosaurs have style and personality
• Juxtaposing the entrance to adulthood and the arrival of an asteroid is brilliant
• Pleasant dialogues to follow.
• Interesting musical sections.

AGAINST

• Some technical problems during the execution of the pieces.
• The plot can be seen again in some parts.