High on Life
- December 13, 2022
- Squanch Games
- 10h median play time
High on Life is a hilarious piece of comedy that also makes for an enjoyable first-person shooter, especially if you're into Justin Roiland's brand of humor.
High on Life is a first-person shooter game that takes place in a vibrant, alien world. Players take on the role of a bounty hunter, using unique weapons and abilities to take down cartel bosses and save the universe. The game features witty writing and a distinctive art style, making it a quirky and entertaining experience.
Reviews
- humor5,902 mentions
- 99 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The humor in "High on Life" is a significant draw, heavily influenced by Justin Roiland's signature style, reminiscent of "Rick and Morty." Players either find the absurd, crude, and often self-referential jokes hilarious or overly repetitive and tiresome, with many praising the clever dialogue and character interactions while others criticize the reliance on toilet humor. Overall, the game is seen as a fun, albeit short, experience that caters primarily to fans of Roiland's comedic approach.
“The humor is off the charts, it's packed with clever jokes and witty dialogue that always makes me laugh.”
“I died laughing multiple times and that is hard to do for me especially out of a video game.”
“Dude this game is funny as haha love it idk what else to say honestly other than shoot the annoying brat haha.”
“The game is supposed to be funny, yet I didn't get a good laugh out of it.”
“High on Life is a bad shooter with dull combat, repetitive gameplay, and forced, unfunny humor that never lands and lacks refinement.”
“However, what starts as amusing quickly becomes a tiresome barrage of unfunny, drawn-out conversations.”
- story2,918 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The story of "High on Life" is characterized by its humorous and absurd narrative, heavily influenced by the comedic style of Rick and Morty. While many players find the dialogue and character interactions entertaining, the overall plot is often described as simple and predictable, with a runtime of around 8 to 12 hours, leading to mixed feelings about its value for the price. Despite its brevity, the game is praised for its engaging humor and unique storytelling approach, making it a fun experience for fans of light-hearted, comedic narratives.
“The gameplay is super engaging, and the way the story unfolds is both exciting and entertaining.”
“Amazing and rich story.”
“This game was so good, easy, funny, and a bit emotional at the end. The graphics are pretty good, the story itself is good, and even the voice actors are good.”
“Story-wise, it's fairly quick to run through, and nothing particularly stellar.”
“The story is short and lackluster at best, the different planets have life but feel empty for the most part.”
“The story is just kinda there, and it is not that great.”
- gameplay1,803 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 49 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "High on Life" is characterized by a mix of engaging mechanics and humor, with many players appreciating the unique gunplay and creative abilities of the weapons. However, it often falls into repetitive patterns, with some reviewers noting that the humor can wear thin over time. While the game offers a fun and colorful experience, it is generally seen as lacking depth and variety, leading to mixed feelings about its overall value, especially given its price point.
“The gameplay is super engaging, and the way the story unfolds is both exciting and entertaining.”
“Smooth gameplay, enjoyable dialogue and humor, creative ideas and mechanics.”
“The gameplay is fun and the enemies can be difficult, which is good.”
“I don't particularly care for Rick and Morty, the voice actors are not doing much for me so I had to turn down all the chatter to a minimum, and I hate the linear gameplay pretending to be open world.”
“The gameplay is very repetitive, minor bugs here and there and it gets old very fast, even after only 8 hours.”
“The gameplay is boring, there's nothing new to the story, we've seen it in games and movies a thousand times.”
- graphics956 mentions
- 62 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are frequently praised for their vibrant and colorful art style, often described as visually stunning and reminiscent of a living painting. However, many players report performance issues, including glitches and stuttering, particularly on lower-end PCs, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite these technical challenges, the unique design and attention to detail in the environments are highlighted as significant strengths, contributing to an engaging and humorous atmosphere.
“The graphics are incredibly vibrant and eye-catching, making every scene look like a living painting.”
“The graphics, the mechanics, the voice acting, all of it is awesome.”
“The graphics in High on Life are nothing short of breathtaking.”
“I really wanted to like this game but the visuals were so stuttery that it was unplayable.”
“The result was very poor graphic quality.”
“I really wanted to like this game but the amount of graphical glitches even on the highest setting is absolutely unacceptable especially for how much the game costs.”
- stability331 mentions
- 6 % positive mentions
- 1 % neutral mentions
- 93 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been widely criticized, with numerous players reporting a significant number of glitches and bugs that can disrupt gameplay, including game-breaking issues that require restarts from checkpoints. While some users noted that minor glitches are manageable and do not severely impact the overall experience, many expressed frustration over persistent technical problems, crashes, and performance issues, suggesting that the game lacks polish and may not be worth its price until these issues are addressed. Overall, the consensus indicates that while the game is enjoyable, its stability is a major concern that detracts from the experience.
“It's rare to actually get a good, mostly bug-free game nowadays; this game is a banger.”
“I will say this has been one of the best games that came out with little to no glitches compared to most games that feel like they came out only half done and need extensive updates in a short time frame.”
“Game runs great on the deck; however, it does have some minor lag/frame drops every now and again, but that's more a problem of hardware rather than software.”
“I'm talking multiple game-breaking glitches requiring you to restart and many clips out of bounds.”
“The game is a buggy mess and softlocks constantly.”
“Absolutely a horrible game, it's so buggy it's not even funny; makes the game unplayable and I've only played it for 3 hours because it's so bad.”
- music305 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many players noting its repetitiveness and lack of variety, particularly during combat, which can detract from the overall experience. While some appreciate the ambient tracks and find them fitting for the game's quirky atmosphere, others describe the soundtrack as bland or forgettable, suggesting it could benefit from more diverse compositions. Overall, the music is seen as a decent but underwhelming aspect of the game, with potential for improvement in future installments.
“The music is really appropriate and just seems to fit the weird outer space environment.”
“The game setting is great, the graphics are great, the music is just so on-point too.”
“Super funny, surprisingly great gunplay (especially once you unlock all the guns), fun traversal, cool art style and an incredible soundtrack by Tobacco.”
“The music is nauseating.”
“The soundtrack in this game is unfortunately forgettable.”
“The music loops grew old eventually, but generally speaking, the OST slaps, and slaps hard.”
- optimization257 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 37 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant stuttering and frame rate drops, particularly on PC. While some users with high-end systems experienced smooth performance, others noted that the game is poorly optimized, requiring lower settings to achieve playable frame rates. Overall, the consensus suggests that while the game has great graphics and engaging content, its performance issues detract from the experience, indicating a need for further optimization.
“Great graphics and optimization.”
“Optimization: 4/5 if you have a PC made in the last 7 years for gaming, you can run this.”
“Optimization is amazing, I'm getting great performance on a low-end PC.”
“The game is just stuttering all the time, in the middle of dialogs, fights; simply walking in the world is impossible without a stutter.”
“The performance is trash, another terrible port.”
“The game is rather poorly optimized, and on a 2080 Super and 5600X I couldn't get it to not feel hitchy on 1080p on high graphics.”
- replayability172 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is widely criticized, with many reviewers noting a lack of content and a short playtime that diminishes the incentive to replay. While some players mention minor elements that could encourage a second playthrough, such as hidden easter eggs and different gun interactions, the consensus is that the game offers little to no substantial replay value. Many recommend waiting for a sale due to its limited replayability and short duration.
“Definitely has replay value and 100%ing the game will take time.”
“The ever so dynamic and interactive world along with the multiple paths of writing make the replay value astronomical.”
“All in all this was a very fun game that really does have a lot of replayability and an entertaining storyline.”
“I don’t recommend it because it has no replay value.”
“The biggest weaknesses of the game are the nonexistent replayability and game time.”
“There is no replayability either as once the story is done there's nothing left to do but sit and watch the in-game TV.”
- grinding117 mentions
- 5 % positive mentions
- 32 % neutral mentions
- 63 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game has been widely criticized, with many players noting that it requires an excessive time investment, often feeling tedious and unrewarding. While some found enjoyment in grinding for achievements, the overall sentiment suggests that the repetitive nature of combat and collectibles detracts from the experience, making it feel like a chore rather than a fun challenge. Players recommend being prepared for a significant grind if aiming for 100% completion, often suggesting that it may take "a second life" to fully engage with the game's content.
“Amazing and unique experience for all who play. Challenging and fun, no grinding, just fun.”
“No farming, no boring open world stuff, only a nice colorful game with a special kind of comedy.”
“A bit grindy... sometimes.”
“Level design is meh and every combat encounter is a tedious punishment for buying this game.”
“What would have been 18 hours in my life doing anything better than grinding new save after new save because I somehow get soft locked or can’t grind an achievement I want got poured into this game, hoping I could get something out of it in the end.”
“Unfortunately, instead of the witty, fun-filled experience I anticipated, I found myself wading through a tedious, poorly designed game that leans too heavily on weak jokes and repetitive gameplay.”
- emotional77 mentions
- 97 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is a mixed bag, with some players finding it to be a heartfelt experience filled with touching moments and character attachments, particularly to the sentient weapons and key characters. However, others criticize the dialogue and pacing, feeling that it detracts from the emotional impact, leading to frustration during key dramatic scenes. Overall, while the game successfully blends humor and emotional depth, opinions vary on its execution and effectiveness.
“It's a visually stunning, emotionally enriching, and mentally rejuvenating experience that deserves a special place in every gamer's collection.”
“It's like this emotional rollercoaster that got me all invested.”
“There is an emotional core to the game, and it revolves around the PC's sister, the aging bounty hunter he befriends, and his sentient weapons (Gatlians).”
“It's basically a walking sim with a boring storyline, mediocre gunplay, and some 'Rick & Morty'-like humor sprinkled in between.”
- monetization58 mentions
- 2 % positive mentions
- 5 % neutral mentions
- 93 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with players appreciating the absence of microtransactions and the humorous in-game advertisements, which add to the experience. However, many criticize the high price point and the perception of the DLC as a cash grab, suggesting that the game feels more like an elaborate indie title rather than a full-priced AAA experience. Overall, while the ads and additional content are entertaining, concerns about value and progression persist.
“Funny as hell, well-crafted and functional (an achievement, something to truly behold in today's era of games), no microtransactions (another thing to praise in today's era of pure greed and exploitation within the gaming industry), and quite the ride from beginning to end story-wise.”
“High on Life is still an amazing and hilarious game, but the High on Knife DLC is a shameless cash grab and a criminal detractor from the game.”
“Well, the biggest problem is that it tries to be a full-price AAA title with the advertisement, pricing, and everything around it, while actually being a more elaborate indie game at heart.”
“This game is just a cash grab!!!!”
- atmosphere40 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is described as unique and engaging, blending elements of dark humor and sci-fi with rich world-building and character design reminiscent of shows like "Rick and Morty." While many players appreciate the entertaining visuals and soundtrack that complement the bizarre and slightly foreign ambiance, some critiques point to inconsistencies in quality and execution, particularly after certain gameplay milestones. Overall, the atmosphere is a standout feature, though opinions vary on its effectiveness and coherence throughout the game.
“A bizarre atmosphere, slightly foreign in nature.”
“It has some high-quality textures on the characters, and the cities and environments are very rich and atmospheric.”
“Dark humor, emotional scenes, great atmosphere accompanying incredible music by Tobacco.”
“Atmosphere 4/10”
“From buggy and forgettable boss fights, to soft locks and clipping issues, to the quality of overall story atmosphere dropping severely after the second boss, this game just feels lazy.”
“The soundtrack isn't bad, but it doesn't really match the atmosphere of the game.”
- character development31 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is a mixed bag; while the main character, Kenny, experiences significant growth, many supporting characters lack depth and personality. The character designs are often described as fun and silly, contributing to the game's colorful environment, but some players feel that the humor and dialogue become repetitive and detract from meaningful character interactions. Overall, while there are moments of engaging character dynamics and plot twists, many reviewers express a desire for more substantial development across the cast.
“Plot twists, changes in character dynamics, and deep character development abound, littered with some of the raunchiest humor I've seen since Conker's Bad Fur Day.”
“Kenny, the main blue gun, has a great deal of character development throughout the story, which on one hand is great, but also leaves a lot of development to be desired from the other guns.”
“The story was fun and there was some nice character development.”
“There's no character development.”
“You might think the jokes are funny at first, but they really get dull after a while. The gun screams at your face over and over with the same voice pitch, no character development or personality change... you get different guns after a while, but they won't shut up either.”
“The character designs are (probably intentionally) ugly as hell, and the game really hasn't made me laugh at all. I'm just getting more and more annoyed by being stopped every 2 seconds for the game to point at something and nearly go 'haha isn't that funny.'”
Critic Reviews
High on Life review
High on Life is filled with some fun mechanics and great writing, and while it doesn't reinvent the genre, it makes it more enjoyable.
80%High on Life review
Lacking the sharpness needed by both shooters and comedy, High on Life is a low point in the gaming calendar.
40%High on Life Review #XSX
High on Life? Almost! A mindless fun FPS!
80%