High On Life 2 Review: Hilarious Chaos or Forced Humor?

Welcome to the High On Life universe, get ready for a sarcastic adventure packed with hilarious moments - and plenty of absurdity in between. The original game, released in 2022, made a name for itself with irreverent humor and worldly references. The sequel, High On Life 2, builds on that foundation with a more urgent storyline. Squanch Games returns, blending first-person shooter action with pointed social commentary, all set in a vibrant, chaotic sci-fi stylized world.

I’m Famous!

High On Life 2 picks up five years after the first game. You’re back as a star bounty hunter, now famous for saving humanity. Things escalate quickly when your sister Lizzie becomes one of the galaxy’s most wanted and your bounty, pulling you into a conspiracy involving Rhea Pharma - an alien pharmaceutical company planning to farm humans.

The humor is still a highlight, with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments and some jokes that miss the mark. The game pokes fun at real-life issues, gags and world events, bringing a level of humor to our struggling world.

The over-the-top humor is found throughout the environments. Murdercon, a laser-tag convention for aspiring killers, is a neon-lit sensory overload that would drop anyone with epilepsy, while Humancon features giant inflatable human baby balloons that hits with the games sense of humor but yet is rather unsettling. The environmental design stands out, with richly vibrant colored areas, while the open mall are feels somewhat unpopulated though features a vertical world worth exploring.

Moving Forward and Backward

One of the biggest gameplay changes is the addition of a skateboard - think Tony Hawk, but in first-person. This transforms your dash into a rail-grinding mechanic, letting you shoot while skating adding to the game’s chaos and excitement. The skateboard adds variety and each level features some sort of rail-grinding sense of movement helping me traverse the world in front of me. The grapple mechanic from the first game returns, along with other movement systems and light puzzle sequences, keeping gameplay fresh.

Enemies are mostly varied, but boss fights are still a weak point. Bosses feel limited and can quickly figure out their routine that become easy to counter. While their personalities are memorable, the actual fights are less exciting and feel like a step backward.

Guns Up

Combat is a mixed bag for me. On one hand, it’s simple yet thrilling as enemies rush you, but I was hoping for more depth. Some weapons, like the Sheath, my favorite (next to Bowie) with his deep tones and wisecracks are satisfying, while others lack the impact I wanted. Sound design is average, with moments of intense audio, but nothing particularly memorable. The guns’ banter can be fun, but often characters talk over each other, making it hard to follow and cluttered.

Exploration can be rewarding, though sometimes empty. Side content is interesting but often feels forced, breaking up the on-going bounty hunting storyline. It’s intended to part ways from the story but I found myself more engaged with the story, rather the side quests of meeting my family or helping my father. The environmental design begs for the player to wander off the main path to discover strange encounters or visual jokes but certainly isn’t necessary and completely optional.

The upgrades are underwhelming. A simple purchase from adds a faster reload or a headshot multiplier, met with funny banter from Jorb is welcoming and once again on point aligning with the games sense of sarcastic humor. Something I truly love about the game.

A Worldly Villian

Making Big Pharma the villain is a stroke of genius. It gives the story a more concrete and relevant foundation while keeping the game whimsical. The wild storyline of paid-off companies and billionaire who capitalize on their worldly winnings, delivers on the wisecracking jokes with real world punch. High On Life 2 knows its humor and doesn’t hold back. This will work for some players but might put off others.

Who Are These Crazy Characters

Bosses benefit from strong world-building, setting up each encounter. Technically, they’re not always the most fun to fight, but their personalities are memorable and kept me interested in moving on to the next encounter. The game’s detailed with spaces that are richly colored and often vibrant - though the skate-park-like mall still feels empty.

The cast of returning and new characters have personalities that stuck with me long after playing. Some characters are wildly over-the-top, while some dialogue feels forced and falls flat.

Where’s The Humor?

I ran into a few noticeable bugs during my playthrough. Sometimes environmental events wouldn’t trigger, or I would get stuck within the world, forcing me to reload more times than I had hoped. Platforming combined with the skateboard often sent me flying in directions I never intended. Jumping from log to log while trying to get under a gate was frustrating and irritating, and there were several moments like this throughout the game where the humor fell apart.

My Finaly Bounty

Ultimately, High On Life 2 brings its chaotic sense of humor, featuring moments of brilliance alongside stretches that feel forced and drag out the gameplay. While it builds on the legacy of its predecessors, it doesn’t quite match the level of humor of previous title but still presents an engaging world with a unique style. I’m left feeling mixed - the game is fun and enjoyable, but it falls short of delivering the excitement and wild ride I found in previous titles.