The second part of the craziest shooter seeks to double the bet.
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High on Life was a proof of concept, a demonstration that making a FPS with irreverent humor not only is possible but also profitable, as long as it’s well made. Such was the success of that installment that four years later, the team at Squanch Games brings us the sequel to the story, promising the same dysfunctional situations and insane action as the first part, but with even more speed and constant frenzy.
The story this time revolves around Lizzie, the protagonist’s sister, who has decided to join a group of revolutionaries considered terrorists by most of the population, but who are actually fighting against Rhea, a pharmaceutical conglomerate that uses propaganda and lies to create human farms to sell as drugs in alien galaxies.
The protagonist, along with their lethal and talkative (and sarcastic) guns, must protect his sister, making the bounty hunter community put a price on his own head for being considered a traitor, and fight against an immense corporation while performing all sorts of activities that seem to come from the deepest part of a mind overwhelmed by hashish (and maybe it is).
Join me on this curious and entertaining journey through various worlds of a galaxy as deadly as it is unhinged. It will be a tour you won’t want to miss, I can assure you.
Technical Section
The aesthetics of the first installment seemed exquisite to me, not only because of the character designs, which are truly wonderful, but also due to the choice of colors by the designers. In this installment, I don’t see significant changes, just a continuation of what was already done, with some minor improvements, which is more than fine.
The game is localized in subtitles and interface in Latin American Spanish and does not have a European variant. I can already hear the complaints from the old continent, but beyond that, great job by the localization team, which managed to interpret the tone and double-meaning jokes of the game, translating the message to our language.
The dialogue voices are only available in English and are truly excellent, even featuring Ralph Ineson, who played Galactus in Fantastic Four: First Steps.
The negative point goes to the music, which, at times, is really good, but in the parts where action abounds, an electronic melody emerges that I understand is meant to be disturbing, but it does so with too much ferocity and managed to distract me even when I was well advanced in the game.
During the time I spent playing the title on Xbox Series S, I didn’t experience any bugs or failures worth mentioning, so my congratulations also go to the optimization.
Gameplay
The mechanic that catches the most attention is the incorporation of a skateboard from a certain point in the story, which will accompany the player throughout the game, making displacements much faster from one point to another on the map and allowing for some acrobatics and special jumps.
If I think about it coldly, and this game has given me very little time to even stop and think, this must be the first time in my life that I’ve played a shooter that gives me the possibility of skateboarding while shooting, another point for the originality of the franchise, which did not exhaust its extravagant potential in the first part, and that’s saying a lot. Some stores also offer the possibility of buying new grip tapes, decks, wheels, and axles for the skateboard, as well as clothes for the protagonist and some additional items that enhance abilities, such as adding the ability to double jump.
The action unfolds with the same speed, violence, and fun as the first part. Certain enemies that seem very harmless can end up beheaded or with their heads exploded in a matter of seconds. After all, if it’s not them, it’s you. But beyond the action and almost constant shooting, the game also offers the possibility of some breaks to solve certain puzzles that open the door to some collectibles like cards and comics, cosmetic items, and more. In fact, to get a fedora, I had to circumcise an alien phallus with a laser in a museum. That sentence by itself could be the most precise and concise summary of the entire game, given how outrageous it is at times.
One of these more relaxed moments also made me investigate a murder as if it were a well-known board game, and even made me snort cocaine with one of the game’s new guns, Travis, who is nothing more than an alien with terrible luck in love, trying to get married with little success, although that makes him one of the most likable and funny characters in this installment.
High on Life 2, unlike the first part, offers some dialogue options to use with enemies and allies, a nice nod if you want to play again and explore different reactions, although the final result is always the same regarding the story.
At its core, it’s also possible to enjoy some real arcades from back in the day, like BOB, and some invented ones, but of very good quality, like a beat ’em up titled NAME, which had me pressing buttons for a long time and which I’m sure will do the same to many more people. In fact, getting the boards for the arcade machines is another collectible point.
Initially, in addition to the two main firearms, the knife, and Travis, the so-called Flint Turtles appear as a novelty, a kind of armadillo that can be picked up and will serve as flamethrowers to incinerate enemies without remorse. To not spoil the surprise, I won’t say much more, but be prepared to use bows, two guns at once, and some other magic.
Regarding difficulty, the title opens options for all types of audiences, with up to 4 possibilities, either to enjoy the story with almost no challenge or another excessive one, ideal for those who like to play and suffer at the same time, constantly.
Duration
High on Life 2 maintains more or less the same length as its predecessor, about 15 hours will be enough to finish the story and get most of the collectibles, although it’s worth giving the title another run to laugh even more with other dialogue options.
Conclusion
An extreme shooter, with a narrative as crazy as it is well thought out, and which does not give in to the norms of a genre that seems to take everything to the dark side of seriousness. High on Life 2 continues to say that you can make a FPS with humor and mix other playable mechanics without fear of scorn.
If you liked the first part, you’ll love this installment. If you didn’t play the previous one, you can enter this one without problems, and I assure you that you’ll have a blast if you like the genre and have a sense of humor that doesn’t offend easily. Plus, it’s available on Game Pass from day one, what more could you want?
Translator and video game localiser with a passion for retro titles and simulators. He has never let go of a controller since he was given an Atari 2600. He collaborates with different developers in the localisation of their titles into Spanish through Camelot Translations.
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