High on Life 2 Review: A Spectacular Sequel

The original High on Life was developed by Squanch Games back in 2022, and was their most ambitious project to date. Crafted from the same devious sense of humor that gave birth to Rick and Morty, High on Life was met with some controversy when Squanch Games co-founder Justin Roiland resigned from the company after misconduct allegations not long after the game launched.

For any other team, that would have doomed any possible sequel. The Rick and Morty-style humor had a major influence on what made High on Life so enjoyable, but the team at Squanch didn't let that get them down. They forged ahead, and in doing so, created a game that has all the same twisted charm of the original, but steps far out of the looming Rick and Morty-sized shadow to create something truly special.

High on Life 2 is a textbook example of a great sequel in that it takes everything that worked in the first one and does it better, and takes everything that wasn't so good and either improves or removes it. It ultimately doesn't matter that the voice that created the sandbox for this world to exist isn't involved. In fact, I'd argue that it helps make High on Life 2 feel like a much better, more cohesive and consistent experience.

With a host of new mechanics, a batch of new characters and some exquisite shooting systems, High on Life 2 isn't just a good sequel. It is a fantastic, delightfully funny and twisted experience that excels far beyond its origins.

Old Team, New Tricks

Despite the absence of Justin Roiland, the team at Squanch Games has retained all the charm and outlandish depravity of the first game. As I poured multiple hours into the game, I came away feeling like the team had also managed to both adhere to the principles of this absurd world while also maintaining a sense of honest maturity. That may sound a bit odd for a game of this style, but where High on Life 1 found its humor in the stilted, oddly human delivery of dialogue, the sequel leans into something that feels more like a traditional action-adventure story.

It's certainly still rooted in its wacky characters and over-the-top violence, but the way it presents its story and narrative feels so much more confident than the first game. Despite the absurdity, there's some interesting thematic elements at play here, and a real, genuine sense of character progression that hits rather hard when you consider the game's vulgar tone.

High on Life 2 operates at a brisk, steady pace. New characters, environments and weapons are introduced in a nice, easy flow that never overwhelms the player. It's rare when a game doesn't have any sense of filler, but High on Life is incredibly economical with its time and structure. You'll go from a blistering, high-energy opening with a hilarious montage of outrageous events, to a more calm, relaxed setting, then right back into the fray. Its ebbs and flows are simply terrific.

What really works with each area of the game is how, in spite of the absurdity of the world and its setting, there are certain moments where characters will just act in a certain way that flies in the face of traditional narratives. Characters will often realize just how insane the situation is, comment on it, and then adjust their behavior accordingly. It adds a sense of bizarre realism to the whole thing.

High on Life 2 isn't afraid to let the characters say the most nonsensical thing, but they will often underscore that with an honesty that makes the whole game feel oddly realistic. If you can make a game with aliens, hyperspace travel and talking guns feel realistic, you're certainly doing something right.

Tony Hawk's Pro Shooter

The original High on Life had a shockingly fun combat system. I say shocking because I honestly didn't expect the team who made Trover Saves the Universe, a game that I genuinely love, to make a game that had shooting mechanics that was among the best I've ever played. Not only is the shooting in High on Life 2 better than it was in the first game, but the mass hysteria and chaos it creates during these sections is enough to make me pencil the game in as one of my top shooters of the year.

Early on in High on Life 2, you get access to a skateboard, which is granted to you by one of the game's most entertaining characters. Once you get the skateboard, the game goes from great to incredible rather quickly. The amount of fun and creativity the skateboard unlocks is truly fabulous, as it essentially replaces the sprint button, as well as giving you the ability to grind on rails and race around combat arenas with gleeful destruction.

It helps immensely that the skateboard is as smooth as it is. It's shockingly responsive, and cranks the insanity up in the most dastardly fun ways. This is a team that really understands the concept of game feel, and the way you can seamlessly zip around combat arenas absolutely rocks. What's even better is that it's not dependent on combat. You can hop onto your board at any time and skate around, which also makes exploration a lot more manageable.

High on Life 2 often contrasts its silly characters and setting with bombastic, epic encounters in a way that some of the best sci-fi adventure films have done. If this type of humor hits you in the funny bone, you're going to have a good time with its high-stakes, intergalactic conflicts. It's not easy to make someone laugh as they're trying to survive a horde of bounty hunters trying to kill them, but I certainly had my fair share of cackles in the midst of the violence.

You can really feel a sense of confidence in its design that very few sequels achieve. This team didn't let the unfortunate aftermath of the first game's launch deter them, and their approach to the sequel is a slam dunk. High on Life 2 just feels remarkable to play, and in their effort to improve on the first game, Squanch Games has crafted an exquisite, finely tuned shooter that is one you simply must dive into.

An Interactive Dark Comedy

High on Life 2 is a game bursting at the seams with great combat and a phenomenal story, but it's the world outside of that which feels so alive, and is such a delight to explore. The lively feeling of the world was one of the most defining features of the first High on Life, and the sequel has continued that trend. It's one of those games that really appreciates the unique interactivity and reactive nature of the medium that no other form of entertainment has.

Each area is bustling with so much content, hilarious NPCs and interesting things to interact with. It uses the events of the first game to both influence and add to the High on Life lore, and treats those events like sacred texts. The events of that game matter, and the sequel commits itself even further to creating a world that feels like a tangible place, albeit one with sentient weapons and intergalactic RVs.

Traversing the world by skateboard or on foot also produces the same technical result. On PC, the game runs decently for the most part, targeting 4K and 60FPS. It generally hits that, and maintains that, but the game also has its fair share of stutters and drops. It's nothing devastating, but it's worth pointing out that High on Life 2 is a touch more demanding than I think any of us thought it would be.

The sound design and voice acting is wonderful, hitting all the right notes. Some of the performances are genuinely hilarious, but it also never really goes for the cheap laugh. The comedy is often situational, utilizing sight gags and nonsensical ramblings. Unfortunately, the music suffers quite a bit. It's not inherently bad, it's just fairly forgettable and bland. I didn't necessarily go in expecting a lot, considering the music in the first High on Life was similarly uninteresting, but it's still a little disappointing.

It's a shame, then, that there are a few things preventing world exploration from being all that it could be. More than a few times, I'd find myself stuck in place after a cutscene transition finished, with no way to remedy it beyond resetting the entire game. It's an easy fix, but it's worth pointing out. There's very little to dislike about High on Life 2, and it's one of the year's first shooters that you need to dive into ASAP.

High on Life 2 accomplishes an incredibly rare feat, as it's a sequel that improves every single aspect of the original while forging its own unique path. The addition of the skateboard is a game changer, and the majestic insanity that you can concoct is just oodles of fun. Squanch Games had a lot of work to do in order to both distance itself from its creator and ensure the foundation was solid, which they did in spades. High on Life 2's absurd story, impeccable combat and beautiful world are just a few reasons to explore this sinfully funny shooter.