High On Life 2 picks up where the first game left off, only this time it's wilder, richer in colour and more creative, yet also more focused. This action-adventure shooter, which features talking weapons and skating instead of running, is unique and, for the most part, hilarious.
High On Life 2 begins right where the first game left off. The player has risen to become the galaxy's most successful bounty hunter, saving humanity from the fate of being smoked by aliens for the purpose of getting 'high'. However, things take a turn when Lizzie, the protagonist's sister, uncovers a conspiracy involving a pharmaceutical company and a loophole that puts people in peril once more. Suddenly, the player finds themselves caught up in the web and becomes the target of the very same bounty hunters who once held them up as the best of the best.
The game begins with a phenomenal, breathless montage in which the player relives the time after becoming the galaxy's most successful bounty hunter at full speed, including a Bachelor-esque wedding and a battle against a giant alien in the streets, while quickly signing an autograph beforehand. The opening sequence is equally impressive and creative, setting the stage for a hero who loses everything and becomes a wanted outlaw, fighting against Big Pharma.
The design of High On Life 2 is essentially very similar to that of its predecessor, but it is much more focused and on point — albeit still hyperactive, brightly coloured, cheeky and very fast-paced. The talking, living alien guns (Gatlians) are back, with context-sensitive dialogue for almost everything — sometimes it's a bit too much, but the voiceovers are top-notch. Incidentally, Kenny, the weapon voiced by Justin Roiland, does not feature in this game. Roiland, the co-creator of Rick and Morty and former studio head of Squanch Games, was not involved in the project following his resignation from the company in 2023. Instead, there are new Gatlians, as well as returning characters such as Knifey and Gus. Many of the references and punchlines land, but not all of them. However, there are more than enough absurd scenes, fourth-wall breaks, satire and minigames — not to mention wacky ideas like a murder investigation on a cruise ship. Additionally, there are now dialogue options in conversations with equipment for the first time.
High On Life 2 © Squanch Games
The shooter combat is good, but not outstanding. The hit feedback could be better, the enemies are too simplistic and, despite the great animations, the weapons could be more diverse and complex when shooting, rather than when chatting. One of the biggest changes is the skateboard, which replaces the sprint button. This allows players to not only navigate the world faster, but also ride along walls, grind on rails and throw the skateboard at enemies as a weapon in combat. This greatly enriches combat and traversal and makes it even more frenetic.
Rather than just one central city, there are now three different hub worlds (including Circuit Arcadia) structured in a Metroidvania style. Players gradually unlock new paths and interactions with new abilities and resources. The character design is outstanding, as is the extremely vivid game world, which is full of numerous details. However, the visual impact also comes with performance issues (and bugs) on both PC and consoles, which even the day-one patch couldn't fix. What a shame! The main campaign offers 10 to 12 hours of gameplay, but has limited replayability as it is quite linear. In addition, there is also side content. High On Life 2 is single-player only. There is no multiplayer option.
High On Life 2 © Squanch Games
"Our team loved working on the first High On Life, and we knew that we - and our fans - wouldn't be satisfied with a few new planets and talking guns and calling it a day. We really pushed ourselves to the limit with High On Life 2, adding as much weird stuff as possible. We added a new skateboarding mechanic that's used for traversal and combat, we've got massive side activities that are completely optional, and we've refined and blown out what made the first game so memorable. And we did add a few new biomes and talking guns, too." - Mike Fridley, Squanch's CEO and Studio Director
Founded in 2016 by Justin Roiland and Tanya Watson, Squanch Games boasts a leadership team with a shared passion for bringing comedic experiences to VR, handheld and traditional gaming platforms. Since then, the studio has released a variety of multiplatform titles, including Dr. Splorchy Presents: Space Heroes, Accounting, Accounting+, Trover Saves the Universe (2019), High on Life (2022), and the High on Knife DLC (2023). The studio employs around 80 people.
High On Life 2 was released on Friday 13 February 2025 for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, and is available with Game Pass Ultimate. The game is only available in a standard edition, priced at €58.99 on PC and €59.99 on consoles. The Switch 2 version is scheduled for release on 20 April 2026.
High On Life 2 is a shooter bursting with creativity, absurd comedy bits, and colorful ideas, but it still has to contend with technical issues (performance and bugs).
