High On Life 2

High On Life 2 is an absolute blast, and I dare you to find a funnier game to play this year.

70%Game Brain Score

humor, story

optimization, stability

63% User Score Based on 732 reviews

Critic Score 77%Based on 10 reviews

Platforms

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About

High On Life 2 is a single player shooter game with comedy and science fiction themes. It was developed by Squanch Games, Inc. and was released on February 13, 2026. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

After dismantling an intergalactic cartel and saving humanity, you face new chaos when a shadowy figure targets your sister. With the stakes higher than ever, you must reunite with your quirky team to confront a dangerous conspiracy threatening humans once again. Prepare for a wild bounty-hunting adventure filled with humor and unexpected challenges.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

63%

Audience ScoreBased on 732 reviews

humor156 positive mentions

optimization73 negative mentions

The game is really fun and retains the humor from the first game, making it enjoyable for fans.
The addition of the skateboard mechanic enhances gameplay and traversal, making it more dynamic.
The graphics and overall design are impressive, showcasing a vibrant and colorful world.

The game is plagued with bugs, including frequent crashes and soft locks that hinder progress.
Performance issues are significant, with many players experiencing frame drops and stuttering even on high-end hardware.
The lack of optimization and the need for extensive shader loading times make the game frustrating to play.

optimization
277 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
62%
26%
The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with many players reporting frequent crashes, stuttering, and inconsistent frame rates, particularly on lower-end hardware. While some users with high-end rigs have experienced smoother performance, the consensus is that the game requires substantial updates to address its optimization issues. Overall, players recommend waiting for patches before fully engaging with the game to avoid a frustrating experience.
- “I didn't have the same performance issues a lot of other people had; I have a higher-end rig, or maybe I just got lucky in my 27 hours.”
- “Great game, poorly optimized and with occasional glitches and crashes (an aspect that can be fixed with updates), but the gameplay is super fun.”
- “The gameplay feels great overall, with no stuttering, no crashes, and no lag for me.”
- “It's a shame they didn't spend more time on optimization because it definitely is an issue, and with it, I think this game would be a lot more popular.”
- “Unfortunately, the game is riddled with bugs (both minor and game-breaking), unbearable optimization (consistent dips in fps, shaders loading every other boot, etc.), as well as some crashing (common for others but have been rare for me).”
- “The game is so poorly optimized that it runs at a snail's pace during crucial moments and boss fights.”
humor
157 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
99%
2%
The humor in "High on Life 2" retains much of the bizarre and chaotic charm of its predecessor, with many players appreciating the quirky dialogue and comedic interactions. However, opinions are mixed, as some feel the humor is less impactful or innovative compared to the first game, particularly noting the absence of certain beloved characters. Overall, while the game is still considered funny and entertaining, it may not reach the same comedic heights for all players.
- “A super colorful, trippy fun and hilarious adventure game where you journey across eye candy giant planets trying to stop an evil medicine company.”
- “The humor and creativity are hard to ignore, and it’s clear the developers have put heart into making something unique.”
- “The humor is nonstop.”
- “Not funny without Kenny; it's the same experience as the first game but with a skateboard instead of a jetpack. I wouldn't recommend it for its sense of humor, but I would recommend it as a chill game and playing experience. In my opinion, it lacks the humor compared to the first game with Kenny.”
- “The jokes fall flat and the humor feels forced. It seems like they tried too hard to be funny but missed the mark completely.”
- “I expected a lot more laughs, but the humor is stale and repetitive. It just doesn't hit the same way as previous titles.”
story
144 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
66%
2%
The story of "High on Life 2" has received mixed feedback, with many players appreciating its humor and engaging narrative that builds on the first game, while others criticize it for being less impactful and more buggy. Numerous reports highlight frustrating technical issues, such as soft locks and crashes, which detract from the overall experience and hinder progression. Despite these problems, some players still find the story enjoyable and entertaining, particularly for fans of the original.
- “The story itself has lore from the previous games, jabs at current events, and it honestly feels as good as the original.”
- “The gameplay, story, and humor is a lot of fun with this sequel, but there are too many underlying technical issues to give this a positive review and makes the game a slog to play through.”
- “I honestly think they outdid themselves plot-wise and on the design of the missions and the map.”
- “Gameplay is okay, but the story, commentary, and characters are way less engaging than the first iteration.”
- “Half of the events bug out, crash, or soft lock; main missions got the same treatment.”
- “Difficult to get into the story with this giant overhead of stability issues.”
gameplay
100 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
43%
3%
The gameplay of "High on Life 2" has received mixed reviews, with many praising its fun mechanics, particularly the new skateboard feature that enhances exploration and combat. However, numerous players have reported significant optimization issues, including frequent crashes and frame rate drops, which detract from the overall experience. While the core gameplay is seen as an improvement over the first game, the technical problems have led some to question the game's value at its current price point.
- “The gameplay is by far the best aspect of the game, especially with the new guns and skateboard mechanics, and the story is a powerful piece of commentary on the corruption within the pharmaceutical industry and the legal system.”
- “The skateboard mechanics alone make it so worth it.”
- “Overall, I actually really enjoyed this game; the story was good and the gameplay felt great.”
- “Not 'needs some tweaks.' Not 'minor launch bugs.' Not 'a rare crash.' It is consistently crashing to the point where actual gameplay is impossible.”
- “The core gameplay is a big improvement over the first game (which I really liked), but there were so many bugs that it doesn’t feel worth the full asking price right now.”
- “I know it's unrealistic for games to be perfect on release--but for $60... way too expensive of a game for choppy gameplay and multiple softlocks.”
graphics
94 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
74%
4%
The graphics of "High on Life 2" have received mixed reviews, with many players praising the vibrant art style and visual improvements over the first game, while others report significant performance issues, including crashes, frame drops, and texture pop-ins. Despite some players achieving smooth gameplay on high settings with powerful hardware, many others have had to lower their graphics settings to maintain stability, indicating that the game is poorly optimized for a range of PC configurations. Overall, while the visuals are appreciated, the technical performance detracts from the experience for a substantial number of players.
- “With otherworldly graphics and a wacky story, this game is a blast!”
- “The art style pops, the lighting is clean, and the worlds feel more alive than in the first game.”
- “High on Life 2 is up there with Ratchet and Clank on the PS5 in terms of graphics (probably even better, in my opinion).”
- “I currently have a graphics bug and cannot get past the second boss due to it. There have been bugs where it freezes your game and you have to go to the previous checkpoint, and that was only 30 minutes into playing the game.”
- “The bad: for a UE5 game, it actually runs pretty decent... however, there are lots of dips in frame rate and the optimization is bad as you'd expect. There's zero noticeable difference in visuals or performance going from high settings to low settings aside from shadow quality.”
- “Complete unoptimized UE5 slop. Even with graphics on medium, DLSS + 60fps cap + lossless scaling, it's still unplayable with permanent stutters and areas where my FPS drops to 15-20... with a 3080 and i9 11900k.”
stability
74 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
88%
The game's stability has been widely criticized, with numerous players reporting frequent crashes, glitches, and performance issues that hinder gameplay. While some users experienced minimal problems, many others faced significant bugs, including soft locks and graphical errors, leading to frustration and the need for frequent restarts. Overall, the game is deemed poorly optimized and in need of substantial updates to address these stability concerns.
- “It runs great for me.”
- “Looks good, and runs great even at maxed settings.”
- “Runs great on Bazzite.”
- “I just completed this game, as of writing this review it is still very buggy, crashes, and has some missing collectibles.”
- “Unfortunately, the game is buggy and needs a bit more work.”
- “The game is just unfinished and buggy as hell.”
music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
24%
38%
The music in the game has received high praise for its quality, with a standout vaporwave soundtrack that enhances the sci-fi atmosphere and complements the game's humor and visuals. Reviewers noted that the combat music is significantly improved from the previous installment, although some experienced issues with music playing during unintended moments. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a strong asset that enriches the gaming experience.
- “The soundtrack supports the sci-fi atmosphere well, especially during boss fights and exploration segments.”
- “Everything I liked about the first game is here: colorful visuals, great humor, voice acting, and a chill vaporwave soundtrack (plus the combat music is much less grating than in the first game).”
- “The atmosphere, the world, and the music is everything you'd want as someone who enjoyed the first game.”
- “The objective said 'fight off bikers', combat music kept playing, but there is absolutely no way to get back up to the arena.”
- “I'm stuck on an endless loading screen where I can just hear music.”
- “Everything I liked about the first game is here: colourful visuals, great humour, voice acting, and a chill vaporwave soundtrack (plus the combat music is much less grating than in the first game).”
emotional
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is generally viewed as lacking depth, focusing instead on entertainment and fun. While it doesn't aim for profound emotional engagement, it manages to create a strangely heartfelt experience through its celebration of quirky elements like slime and satire. Players appreciate the lightheartedness and engaging gameplay, even if it doesn't evoke strong emotions.
- “It celebrates slime, satire, spectacle, and stupidity - and somehow binds it all together into something weirdly heartfelt.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its engaging sci-fi soundtrack, which enhances both exploration and boss fights. Reviewers appreciate the fun and humorous vibe, making it ideal for a relaxed gaming experience, while also noting that it successfully builds on the world and music from the first game.
- “The soundtrack supports the sci-fi atmosphere well, especially during boss fights and exploration segments.”
- “The humor, atmosphere, and overall vibe make it perfect for chilling rather than taking things too seriously.”
- “The atmosphere, the world, and the music are everything you'd want as someone who enjoyed the first game.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be light in content, with some noting that it resembles the mechanics of Tony Hawk games. While engaging in side quests, the grinding experience primarily involves riding a skateboard and grinding rails, which may not offer enough depth for those seeking more substantial gameplay.
- “Did some side quests while not grinding to 100% completion of what is known; it feels very light in content.”
- “I watched videos of the devs talking about how it was inspired by the Tony Hawk games, and that’s exactly what it is. The 30 minutes I spent on the game was riding around on a skateboard, grinding rails.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express concerns about the game's current lack of engaging content, citing entire areas devoid of NPCs, which diminishes replayability. However, some users indicate a willingness to revisit the game in the future, hoping for improvements that enhance its playability.
- “There are entire playable areas without a single NPC to interact with.”
- “I'm refunding, and I totally intend on buying it again in a few months once they make the game more playable.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game is not directly addressed in the user's feedback, which primarily focuses on technical issues related to controls and window focus. Therefore, no specific insights on monetization can be derived from this review.