Groundhog Day Sequel is happening with Like Father Like Son: Release date and interview with developer

One of the things that I discovered at PAX West 2019 is a lot of awesome cosplayers, not to mention a VR game that is now available for PlayStation® VR, Oculus Rift, and HTC Vive known as Groundhog Day: Like Father Like Son. Once I heard that this game has been made, I had all kinds of questions:

Why a Sequel to Groundhog Day?

I figured that you have at least heard of Groundhog Day, a Bill Murray film that came out a quarter-century ago that is about a man who is repeating the same day over and over. It is a film that was incredibly influential, not only for Murray’s career, but believe it or not, “Time Loop” is an official genre on Netflix. If you don’t believe me, check out the show Russian Doll.

Honestly, it is one of my favorite films and I’ll try to not gush on it too much. I think that this video from a YouTuber says it all:

Now, Groundhog Day is one of those films that would be ruined if it had a sequel, like Inception. The story of its main character, Phil Connors, had pretty much been told, and we can assume that he and Rita (Andie MacDowell) lived happily ever after now that the time loop had ceased.

Well, as it turns out, Phil has a son, also named Phil (junior), and now he is repeating the same day over and over. Granted, it is not a movie or TV series, but a VR game.

So what happens in Groundhog Day: Like Father Like Son?

Phil Connors Jr. is a vlogger who had lived underneath the shadow of his father, who has become a celebrity in the small town of Phuxatawney. After all, Phil Sr. lived for what could have been ten thousand years in the same day, and had got to know everyone. Suddenly, Phil Jr. discovers that he is living the same day over again like his Dad, but it is the day before Groundhog Day, February 1st.

What is the gameplay of Groundhog Day: Like Father Like Son?

I have to admit that when I first tried out the demo at PAX West 2019, I was more than disappointed. What I was hoping for was an exploration of Punxsutawney, along with a chance to kind of do what Phil and every other hero does in Time Loop films.

Instead, I was doing this funky thing where I was destroying coffee beans, seriously. Granted, I had some fun doing it, but it was not what I was thinking with a game based on Groundhog Day. Oh, there was also a game where I was spray painting.

As it turns out, the game is pretty much what you think. That is, you can do things in the world, and then it steps up. I had a chance to talk to Ethan Stearns, EVP of Content at MWM Immersive, one of the companies that made the game (besides Sony Pictures Virtual Reality and Tequila Works).

Ethan told me that the original Groundhog Day is a story that uses a lot of gaming dynamics. That is, you do something, and if that doesn’t work, you need to do it again. Most games involve dying and respawning, which Phil learns to do in Groundhog Day to a nauseating degree. However, the gameplay won’t be the same thing over and over, but like Phil, the player will learn new skills in order to progress.

Any returning cast members to Groundhog Day: Like Father Like Son?

I’m pretty certain that Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell didn’t reprise their roles, but their characters are there. Another character is Ned Ryerson, and isn’t voiced by Stephen Tobolowsky, from what I can tell.

However, the player will encounter a lot of Easter eggs from the original film, and explore the entire town of Punxsutawney. The game got a lot of support from Danny Rubin, and there was some help from Telltale Games.

Sony/Columbia was partnered with MWM, and the project uses very much gaming mentality to work. The narrative could work really well with gaming. Had writers from Telltale Games to help out.

Is there any explanation for the time loop in Groundhog Day: Like Father Like Son?

This was one question that I wanted an answer for. This is a spoiler, but there is not really an explanation for the time loop in Groundhog Day. That is, there is no attempt to give a cause, supernatural or otherwise. I asked Ethan if the game will have some kind of detailed explanation of the cause, but he wouldn’t let me know this.

Well, it sounds like it is a really interesting game, and it is available globally on PlayStation® VR, Oculus Rift, and HTC Vive.