“High On Life” is a comedy first-person shooter developed by Squanch Games Inc., with creative input from Justin Roiland, known for his work on the popular animated series “Rick and Morty.” While Roiland has faced some controversy unrelated to the game, let’s focus on discussing the game itself.
Squanch Games, initially named Squanchtendo, was founded by Justin Roiland in 2016. Over the years, they have developed several games, including the notable title “Trover Saves the Universe,” which received praise for its humor, particularly if you enjoy the style found in “Rick and Morty.”
“High On Life” is the latest from Squanch Games and the humor is pretty much what you’d expect. So, in terms of just sheer comedy, your mileage may vary. I know some friends who absolutely don’t get the style of humor. But so far, I did enjoy a lot of it myself. I do find it interesting that Justin Roiland is not the main writer for the game. But then again, it is his concept.
Story:
The story of “High On Life” is that there is an alien invasion. Mainly, aliens just discovered Earth and they use humans as their main source of drugs. As in humans are the main ingredient for the alien BONG! So, your mission is to save the humans with the help of another alien race called Gatlians. In turn, Gatlians are basically talking guns with different abilities. Ultimately, your objective is to stop the evil alien drug cartel called the G3.
The character that you use is without a name. As the player, you’re given a choice what you look like. But actually, it doesn’t matter what you look like. Since you’ll only see it once in the choice selection screen, after that, you won’t see it ever again. What’s important is everyone else. Your character can talk, you just won’t hear it. And your character only talks in small amounts. Furthermore, everyone else around you have greater importance. I mean, a lot of the characters here talk a lot. Mostly the guns themselves. But in any case, they are fun, and each character has a very distinct personality.
I think the only character that feels a bit overused is Kenny. He is the main gun you get from the start of “High on Life.” Kenny sounds exactly like Morty from the “Rick and Morty” cartoon. I mean the way he speaks and stutters and all. Exactly the same. Since I watch the cartoon, I can only think of Morty when I play the game, especially when I close my eyes. It’s too familiar. Thus, it’s a bit disorienting. But other than that, the voice acting in the game overall is impressive.
High on Life has a stellar cast. From Nolan North, Jennifer Hale, Tara Strong and a lot more. They even got the people from Red Letter Media and Smiling Friends. Not to mention a guest appearance from Jack Black (Super Mario Bros Movie) and Susan Sarandon (Monarch).
Gameplay:
The game itself is a first-person shooter and it’s not a complicated one. But it draws inspiration from games like “Castlevania” and “Metroid.” Specifically, once you get a particular weapon, you may gain access to other sections of the map because of its special ability. There is one weapon that can flip certain walls, another can make platforms you can stand on. Moreover, there is one that can slow down time, another that can control enemies. In addition, there is one that can attach themselves to ziplines. Speaking of ziplines, that alone reminded me of “Bioshock Infinite.”
Yes, that’s pretty much it. That’s all the weapons at your disposal. You don’t immediately get them. In fact, you have to unlock them through the game. Meanwhile, the weapons themselves are interesting too. They have the ability to communicate with each other even though you aren’t actively wielding them. Kenny is the basic weapon, which is best for regular shooting and long-range attacks. Knifey is only used for close combat. Gus is pretty much a shotgun, which has its bullets spread out. Squeezy has rapid fire. Creature (yes, that’s his name) has very inaccurate bullets (actually the bullets are his own kids) but can move on their own and attack enemies.
There are a few level varieties. The main city (Nova Sanctus), which is not so big, but this also includes the slums. The forest (Zephyr Paradise) includes the mines. The desert (Port Terrene) includes a western town, a cyberpunk city and a spa. And there is Earth, which is basically the intro and the main ending. So, the game is not really big. I think you can even finish the game in one or two days.
The game does force you to go back to previous levels since in general, there are only 7 bosses in total. You only meet them on certain story elements. The bosses are unlocked 2 at a time. You have the option in which boss to go to. But it doesn’t really offer much flexibility other than that. But note, specific weapons can help defeat the bosses. The game actually reminded me of a very simple “MegaMan” game.
The last weapon I got, which is Creature, is actually a very powerful weapon compared to the rest. This doesn’t include the last and final weapon. Creature, with his kids attacking anything near them just makes the game a breeze on most occasions. I don’t need to target anymore when I use Creature. The only time I change is when I need to target snipers, which are too far for the reach for Creature. Not only that, but Creature also has a mod which can steal health for you once they return.
The game does offer some variety. There was a point in the game where I didn’t have to fight my way through. I had to ask NPCs where to look for the evil boss. It’s an easy task, but it was fun to have something to do without relying on the guns. The final boss is another thing that surprised me. Without revealing much about it, the fight reminded me of “Returnal.” Where you are bombarded with a rain of bullets, and you have to know the bullet pattern to get less damage.
Longevity:
Even though the game is short, you can still continue the game after the credits roll. You can try to look for all the secrets that you can find. It’s no secret now that the game also includes a few full-length films that can be seen in your home base, and a movie theater. The movies are entertaining as well if you are into the B-movie genre.
I’m not sure if there is any plan for an expansion. But the game does show that it can accommodate one for sure. It could depend on how popular the game gets in the long run.
So, is it worth the money you’ll spend for the game? Right now, it’s a fully priced game at $59 on Steam. With a game that can only last you a couple of days, that can be a bit too much. And note that repeating the game won’t really do much, but maybe get a bit more achievements if you are into that. But it is entertaining from start to finish.
Overall:
With that said, it is worth it depending on a certain point of view. If you are here, just for entertainment, then it’s a fun ride until it ends pretty quickly. But there is love and effort done in this. All the voice acting, the game elements, the graphics are well done, the bonus full movies. There is a reason to buy it for yourself. But again, as I said earlier, your mileage may vary. Personally, I enjoyed it a lot. But I think I am happier that I played it on Gamepass, because it might not be a game I’d keep in the long run. I am happy to have experienced it, and it was worth my time. But for some, even though the gameplay doesn’t offer anything new, it may be an experience like no other. Which may be worth keeping in the long run.
Overall, I’m giving it a 3.75 out of 5.
- Title: High On Life
- System: Xbox Series X (also available on Xbox Series S, Xbox One and PC)
- Developer: Squanch Games
- Publisher: Squanch Games
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