Escape To Plastic Beach (partially found iOS and PC game based on Gorillaz album; 2010)
Menu screen from the iOS version of the game.
Status: Found
Escape to Plastic Beach was a 3D action/adventure game based on the virtual band Gorillaz set on the events of the band's third phase and studio album. It was developed by the companies Matmi and the now-defunct Zombie Flesh Eaters, who already worked with Gorillaz on their first two phases.
Information
This game is the third part of a trilogy of games to promote the band's latest album at the time, Plastic Beach. The first two parts (Chapters 1 & 2) were released at the same time in late February of 2010 on Gorillaz.com[1] for free, both only developed by Zombie Flesh Eaters.
A demo was launched on the website in March of 2010; and in that same month, the game was officially launched on the website, and unlike the first two chapters, this game had a cost of $1.49 euros. It included an MP3 of the sixth track on the album, Superfast Jellyfish, featuring De La Soul and Gruff Rhys. The iOS version launched in July of the same year at the price $0.99 dollars.
The game consisted of three chapters with different themes each one: the first was racing/persecution themed, situated on the music video of their song, Stylo. The second was water themed, probably situated on the music video of their song On Melancholy Hill, and the third was flight themed, where you control Gorillaz's fictional bassist, Murdoc F. Niccals, as he glides around their home in that time, the "actual" Plastic Beach.
The game was critically acclaimed by fans of the band and even got a BT Music Digital Award for "Best Artist Promotion".
Perdition
Sadly, due to EMI falling for bankruptcy and by that, the phase ending, on 2014, the web version of the game, along with Chapters 1 & 2 were shut down from the website and due to the band's return with their album "Humanz", on 2016, the whole site got redesigned and the Plastic Beach essence and minigames were gone, now leaving them with less chances of restoring.
Due to issues with the compatibility on newer iPhone and iPad devices, the game is now currently unplayable and not for download.
Findings
Fans have dreamt of playing the game again or for the first time, and thanks to them, some of the assets were found and archived for generations to see.[2]
On July 14th, 2023, Twitter user Piggie responded to a tweet of the official Matmi account asking to bring back the game. Matmi responded by saying they would love to, but they don't have the rights to do it. Thanks to this, the fans decided to make a movement to help restore the game called #returntoplasticbeach, name given by Twitter user @obsess_possess_.
Thanks to the movement, Matmi released a bunch of screenshots of the game during July 14 and July 19 on their official Twitter account. However, after that day, no new info has been found. That was, until November 24 of this year, when LMW user Freedom posted an archive of the iOS version of Escape to Plastic Beach, marking it as found[3].