Big Pharma gets a talking gun problem
By Paul Hunter
As someone who already spent a lot of time blasting aliens with wisecracking guns in High on Life, I was more than excited when Squanch Games announced a sequel. High on Life 2 brings back the same foul-mouthed energy, only this time the bounty hunter life is bigger and a lot wackier.
You step back into the boots of the now-famous intergalactic bounty hunter from the first game, backed up by Gatlians, your living guns that never stop talking, roasting enemies and commenting on every bad decision you make. This time the team introduces new toys and ideas, from full skateboard movement to busier hub areas full of side conversations and silly activities that encourage you to wander from the main path.
The sequel also puts more focus on story without losing the dumb jokes, hinting at bigger stakes and giving you even wilder boss fights. In short, this is still the same loud sci-fi shooter concept you remember, only jam-packed with extra chaos and new boisterous guns to argue with. So is this the foul-mouthed bounty hunter return we've been hoping for? Let’s find out!
Lying at the heart of your newfound troubles is Rhea Pharma, a giant drug company using humans as raw material for its pills and trying to dress that up as normal business. The story involves chasing down who is profiting from this shady business and who is covering it up behind the scenes.
What surprised me most is how often my interactions with side characters changed the way certain optional missions and story moments unfolded, and even small decisions can show up again in the epilogue. Through it all, the Gatlians are your constant companions, hilariously reacting to the messes you create and carrying their own arcs across the campaign.
The skateboard is the big new mechanic, and it changes how you move through fights. You can grind rails, bounce between ramps, slam into enemies, and even toss the board out as a short-range strike. Early on I kept slamming into walls in busy arenas, but once I learned to chain rails and shots together, fights turned into frenzied skate sessions where I was weaving through incoming fire and ramming anything that moved.
Outside combat, the game keeps you quite active. Hub regions hide Lugloxes, glowing chests full of loot, in side alleys and rooftops that only open up once you mix Gatlian abilities with skateboard routes. Plus, there are races and challenges that can upgrade the board itself. Suit mods, board cosmetics, home base trinkets, and other little upgrades give you even more to hunt for, so search high and low and taking odd jobs in between bounties feels like worthwhile effort.
Each hub space has its own distinct look and layout, and the skateboard lets you zip through them in fun new ways. You can ride rails above traffic, zip across platforming segments, cut across rooftops, and skateboard into side alleys to reach hidden Lugloxes. The Gatlians are a huge highlight, too, each one is full of little visual touches, from eye rolls to lip curls, that match whatever nonsense they are saying.
Voice acting is really the star of the show, with Gatlians and NPC characters delivering non-stop jokes and even the serious moments have the same absurd energy. Sheath is your calm and collected friend, while Sweezy is rude and condescending to you and enemies alike. You end up getting ten Gatlians in total and each one has their own eccentric personality.
Performance-wise, I did see some texture pop-in and a few frame drops during big fights, plus a small number of crashes, but autosaves kicked in often enough that progress loss was minimal. Thankfully the technical issues were rare and didn't halt the game's fast-paced style or stop me from enjoying long sessions.
Final Score: 8/10 - Great
Developer: Squanch Games
Publisher: Squanch Games
Genre: First-Person Shooter, Action Adventure, Comedy
Modes: Single-player
A key was provided by the publisher.
By Paul Hunter
As someone who already spent a lot of time blasting aliens with wisecracking guns in High on Life, I was more than excited when Squanch Games announced a sequel. High on Life 2 brings back the same foul-mouthed energy, only this time the bounty hunter life is bigger and a lot wackier.
You step back into the boots of the now-famous intergalactic bounty hunter from the first game, backed up by Gatlians, your living guns that never stop talking, roasting enemies and commenting on every bad decision you make. This time the team introduces new toys and ideas, from full skateboard movement to busier hub areas full of side conversations and silly activities that encourage you to wander from the main path.
The sequel also puts more focus on story without losing the dumb jokes, hinting at bigger stakes and giving you even wilder boss fights. In short, this is still the same loud sci-fi shooter concept you remember, only jam-packed with extra chaos and new boisterous guns to argue with. So is this the foul-mouthed bounty hunter return we've been hoping for? Let’s find out!
Story and Narrative
High on Life 2 picks up after the first game’s shenanigans, with your bounty hunter now treated like a celebrity for taking down the G3 cartel. That high does not last as a figure from your past drags old problems back into the spotlight. Then a bounty is put on your sister, and you get pulled back into a mess that makes the last crisis look small by comparison.Lying at the heart of your newfound troubles is Rhea Pharma, a giant drug company using humans as raw material for its pills and trying to dress that up as normal business. The story involves chasing down who is profiting from this shady business and who is covering it up behind the scenes.
What surprised me most is how often my interactions with side characters changed the way certain optional missions and story moments unfolded, and even small decisions can show up again in the epilogue. Through it all, the Gatlians are your constant companions, hilariously reacting to the messes you create and carrying their own arcs across the campaign.
Gameplay and Mechanics
From a gameplay perspective, High on Life 2 is still a shooter game at heart, but now the gunplay is tighter and aiming feels snappier. Each Gatlian has a regular shot, an alternate fire, a utility ability, and each plays a clear role in your loadout. One is great at juggling groups, another punches holes through cover, another fires off slow projectiles you can use for tactical advantage. Boss fights are built around your individual Gatlians to showcase their purpose and strengths, so each new weapon gets a moment to shine.The skateboard is the big new mechanic, and it changes how you move through fights. You can grind rails, bounce between ramps, slam into enemies, and even toss the board out as a short-range strike. Early on I kept slamming into walls in busy arenas, but once I learned to chain rails and shots together, fights turned into frenzied skate sessions where I was weaving through incoming fire and ramming anything that moved.
Outside combat, the game keeps you quite active. Hub regions hide Lugloxes, glowing chests full of loot, in side alleys and rooftops that only open up once you mix Gatlian abilities with skateboard routes. Plus, there are races and challenges that can upgrade the board itself. Suit mods, board cosmetics, home base trinkets, and other little upgrades give you even more to hunt for, so search high and low and taking odd jobs in between bounties feels like worthwhile effort.
Presentation and Audio
Visually, High on Life 2 on PS5 doubles down on the loud and busy environments, with alien districts filled with signage, slime, background jokes, and silly props, while Rhea Pharma offices look sterile in that unsettling way as if something terrible is happening behind the walls.Each hub space has its own distinct look and layout, and the skateboard lets you zip through them in fun new ways. You can ride rails above traffic, zip across platforming segments, cut across rooftops, and skateboard into side alleys to reach hidden Lugloxes. The Gatlians are a huge highlight, too, each one is full of little visual touches, from eye rolls to lip curls, that match whatever nonsense they are saying.
Voice acting is really the star of the show, with Gatlians and NPC characters delivering non-stop jokes and even the serious moments have the same absurd energy. Sheath is your calm and collected friend, while Sweezy is rude and condescending to you and enemies alike. You end up getting ten Gatlians in total and each one has their own eccentric personality.
Performance-wise, I did see some texture pop-in and a few frame drops during big fights, plus a small number of crashes, but autosaves kicked in often enough that progress loss was minimal. Thankfully the technical issues were rare and didn't halt the game's fast-paced style or stop me from enjoying long sessions.
The Verdict
High on Life 2 takes the hilarious, chaotic shooter idea of the first game and builds upon it in satisfying ways. You get a stronger story and a larger arsenal, plus the new skateboard traversal system makes even simple fights more entertaining. The whole thing is wrapped in a bold art style and has great voice acting, with a tone that balances filthy jokes with real heart. Even with a few technical hiccups, this stood out as one of the most memorable shooters I've played in a long time.Final Score: 8/10 - Great
High On Life 2 details
Platform: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PCDeveloper: Squanch Games
Publisher: Squanch Games
Genre: First-Person Shooter, Action Adventure, Comedy
Modes: Single-player
A key was provided by the publisher.