High on Life 2 Reviews
The sequel to Squanch Games' detestable FPS demonstrates significant improvement, though its biggest features remain its weakest - and technical issues hinder the progress made.
Squanch's FPS sequel has more creativity in its left shoe than most entire games, but High on Life 2 falls short of excellence.
High On Life 2 is a fun sequel that expands on the original’s best ideas, but an underwhelming story and even sloppier gunplay means it also takes a step backward in plenty of areas.
In a genre crowded with self-serious shooters, there is something refreshing about a series so deeply committed to its own identity. Even when the bit falters, even when it reaches for the lowest-hanging fruit, High on Life 2 never feels timid. It is garish and intermittently incisive. At its best, it makes the threat of human extinction feel like an open mic night you’re moderately glad you attended.
Jumps from silly to cynical to satirical to surprising.
This is the kind of game that you can put on, laugh at for a while, and forget what's troubling you, even though reminders might slip in through the pointed social commentary. High On Life 2, despite being a battle against Big Pharma, is just what the doctor ordered.
High On Life 2 may falter in a few key areas, and not everything connects--whether it's a drawn-out gag or a timid shotgun blast--but it stands out in a genre where the self-serious shooter is usually king, by offering an outlandish, comical, and creative alternative. The addition of a skateboard is a literal game-changer, and there's plenty of joy to be had seeing what exactly each mission entails. Its influences are overt, yet it has an identity all its own, and there are definitely worse ways to spend a weekend.
High on Life 2 is a sequel that takes meaningful steps forwards with its storytelling and variety, but also many steps back with its gunplay, level design and lack of refinement. It's an ambitious sequel that's fun in doses, but this comedy bit off way more than it could chew.
Squanch Games had a lot of work to do in order to both distance itself from its creator and ensure the foundation was solid, which they did in spades. High on Life 2's absurd story, impeccable combat and beautiful world are just a few reasons to explore this sinfully funny shooter.
An inventive sequel whose small improvements in gameplay can’t make up for tedious firefights and minigames, and a less witty script.
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Review in Spanish | Read full review
High on Life 2 evolves its chaotic formula with sharper writing, even stronger performances, and some major upgrades across the board.
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Metacritic: High on Life 2 tries to be more of a videogame than High on Life ever was - and to be fair, it actually succeeds. The problem is that nobody really asked for that, especially since, when you strip it down, it's still an average shooter that in this second iteration loses much of the meta‑ironic charge that defined the first game
Review in Italian | Read full review
I didn't expect any revelations from High on Life 2, yet it still managed to disappoint. Without Justin Roiland, Squanch Games has taken a huge step backwards. The sequel loses to the original in every way, offering a derivative story, unfunny jokes, and degraded gameplay.
Review in Russian | Read full review
When High On Life 2 is in its element it is good trashy fun, especially if you enjoy potty mouth humour. However, there are often too many issues plaguing the experience to fully enjoy, such as the bugs and the momentum-stopping puzzle platforming bits. In any case you'll likely enjoy what High On Life 2 offers, just ensure you aren't going to overdose on it.
High on Life 2 is a great sequel that sticks to its guns and refines the best parts of the first game. The skateboard-shooting concept works excellently, elevating the gunplay and creating a more engaging and enjoyable moment-to-moment experience. But all of this is ruined by incredibly poor visual fidelity on PS5 and PS5 Pro that distracts from the release's overall artistic achievements.
Squanch Games is bringing back the '90s vibe of comedy video games in style.
Sure, the puzzles can grind the pace a bit and it's lacking a lot of the usual polish we've come to expect from a mid-budget shooter, but High on Life 2 still manages to be an FPS rollercoaster ride that relishes in the crass vibe it's going for.
There are moments when High on Life 2 feels a little over-caffeinated, and it can be exhausting over long stretches. Overall, though, High on Life 2 demonstrates that the first game’s concepts and mechanics were more than one-off novelties. High on Life 2 keeps a good thing going strong.