High on Life 2 Review (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, & PC)

Humor is subjective. Probably why it can be so hard to find comedy games that are actually good. But every so often, you find comedy games that manage to, at least, cut above the rest. Something that actually gets the attention of more than enough gamers, enough for it to go on and feature a sequel. That’s High on Life for you, a comedy FPS whose jokes either hit the right spot or had you cringing in discomfort. Fans of Rick and Morty will have enjoyed their time with High on Life, given they share the same co-creator and sense of humor. But Rick and Morty, and High on Life, aren’t for everyone. And that much was true after the release of the first game.

But with co-creator Justin Roiland out of the picture, we might be looking at changes big enough to attract newcomers. The character, Kenny, is long gone. And the script is sure to also receive an overhaul with the shift at Squanch Games. Whether that’s for the good or bad of the future of High on Life remains to be seen with the adoption of the sequel. But in my opinion, I think the series is headed in the right direction. It was easy for the original to get distracted by its heavy leanings into humor, especially when it’s as on-the-nose, often obnoxious, crass, and downright vulgar. And when it’s at the cost of the quality of combat and gameplay, then there really has to be re-strategizing of the way forward. 

Fortunately, Squanch Games listened to feedback and fine-tuned the sequel to an outcome I’m not mad at at all. Here’s our High on Life 2 review. Grab your hoverboard, load up those talking guns, and do tag along with me as we blast, skate, and laugh our way through this chaotic sequel.

Intentional Humor

Following in the footsteps of the first game, High on Life 2 takes us on yet another absurd intergalactic adventure. Alien invasions, alongside bonkers, but creative ideas, of using human beings for drugs. Yup, the first game’s aliens discover humans make for good pot. And your character, not too happy with it, becomes a bounty hunter and saves the day. While enjoying their consequent victory, celebrity status, and fandom unlocked, they are wrapped up in another humanitarian crisis. The aliens are at it again, except they’ve hacked a way of using humans for drugs legally. 

Enter a destabilizing crisis with satirical ideas of Big Pharma maximizing profit at the cost of human lives. And it’s in this overall arc that High on Life 2 manages to find a steady footing. When the first game felt silly and absurd for the sake of it, the sequel breaks down more relatable and compelling themes. It focuses its storyline on pretty heavy topics, while not forgetting to poke fun at its satirical take on Big Pharma. This is still very much the same over-the-top intergalactic adventure, battling aliens and eccentric NPCs, but also featuring realistic, corrupt politicians, greedy billionaires, and ingenious scientists. 

Not Just Talking Guns

Humor remains the center of High on Life 2, yet more intentional and realistic. Perhaps due to the talking guns as well, which, rather than mere chatty objects of distractions, now have more complex personalities and interesting backgrounds. Rather than the annoyance of having them ramble on and on, you find yourself actually invested in their stories and progression. Yup, some do have interesting story progression that sees them grow and develop values that make them better people. Whether your brother or broken-hearted spouse, the talking guns aren’t just, well, weapons that can talk, but pretty humane companions you find it a pleasure to be around.

At the start, you only have a few talking guns. But the roster soon grows more diverse the more you play. You can choose to focus on the missions, which by themselves are a pretty satisfying ride. They’re varied and advance the story at a steady pace. At some point, you’ll be tracking down your sister. At another, turning against your own to protect your sister, among other surprising forks in the road. Unlike High on Life, the sequel is less linear, thus you can always step away from the missions and discover what the world is made of. A most colorful and inviting world, for sure, with its myriad of creative environments and detail. 

The Outer Worlds-Like

Your talking guns will draw humor from anything and everything, including the environments. Consumerism. Corporate satire. All plausible points of humor. But it’s not all the time that the humor lands. Certainly, most of which might only go as far as to draw a smile on your face. Unlike the first game, though, the commentaries are less repetitive, leaving room for the annoying ones to be more bearable. For how bold High on Life 2 is with its humor, it’s funny how it cuts to black when potentially sexual or nude scenes come up, like in the copulation chamber. Anyway, fun will definitely be had roaming around The Outer Worlds-like world of High on Life 2. Its goofy nature definitely leaves you all jolly and stress-free.

There are side quests you can distract yourself with. Plenty, in fact, including retro, arcade games you can search for, fishing minigames, visiting human zoos, and drawing your own “Wanted” poster. Some have clunky mechanics that extend to combat, like fishing. You’ll find collectibles and easter eggs, too. But otherwise, not many hidden secrets to discover. You know, the hideouts you stumble on, neatly stacked away, that you’re sure most people will miss.

On the other hand, the fourth-wall “Deadpool” break will always get me, as in the first game. When characters talk to me, or the innovative one of when a boss escapes the battle arena, only to enter my menu screen and start fiddling with the settings. It’s probably the best attention-grabber, as are commentaries on gaming conventions or other franchises.

Tony Hawk Moments

The grapple of the knife is fun and all. But it doesn’t beat the Tony Hawk moments aboard your skateboard, which you get early enough in High on Life 2. It makes all the difference in navigating the environments and advancing the story. Plus, it controls surprisingly smoothly than I expected it to. Simply sprint to hop aboard your skateboard, and cruise along rails, on walls, and past places you’d otherwise waste time passing through.

And when you combo air dashes and double jumps, it feels all the more satisfying to pull off tricks and stunts. Oh, it keeps getting better when High on Life 2 lets you fight enemies while skateboarding. And at this point, I find no reason for skipping out on High on Life 2, if your taste in humor aligns with the silly and absurd, this is a sequel you’ll definitely have fun in. 

And if, another disclaimer, you don’t particularly mind the unsteady performance. Okay, performance is huge, especially for an FPS. But the chaotic battles against the eccentric and diverse enemies of High on Life 2 make combat super ecstatic. It never feels boring to always be on the move, trying to land that damaging shot. And sure, the aim won’t be as steady or responsive as you might hope.

Worse? It might not feel as punchy as competing CoD and the like FPS titles. But it’s fun, even with stutters and frame rate drops here and there. Despite technical issues, a few soft locks, bugs here and there, High on Life 2 remains a fun, silly little groove. And for many gamers, that’s more than enough.

Verdict

High on Life 2 knows exactly what it is, and perhaps it’s easy to give it too many chances based solely on its bonkers idea to have talking guns. But hey, the talking guns are pretty funny. And even when they’re not, it’s easy to brush it off and move on to other chaotic scenes in the game. The world, the characters, and all they stand for are a completely absurd yet often hilarious and entertaining adventure to be a part of. Literally, when the characters break the fourth wall and involve you in their shenanigans.

But perhaps the biggest improvement in this sequel is the more intentional storyline and focus on progression. You aren’t just enjoying over-the-top humor, crass, vulgar, and all, but advancing a story that carries value and relatability to current issues. Big Pharma is a sore topic that High on Life 2 chooses to handle in its silly, goofy way. Yet still leaves room for corporate satire and a realistic take on its key players. Say what you will, but there’s substance here, along with the fulfilled promise of pure, unapologetic fun.