High on Life 2

High On Life 2 delivers fast-paced FPS action wrapped in irreverent sci-fi comedy, with talking weapons, sharp satire, and a surprisingly fluid skate traversal system that keeps combat dynamic and stylish. The sequel expands on the original’s personality and creativity, offering vibrant visuals and memorable characters. However, performance issues on PlayStation 5, including frame rate drops and low internal resolution, hold it back from reaching its full potential.

Unfortunately, the game is very simple. The platforming, combat, and puzzles are extremely easy. While High on Life 2 manages to excel in moments where it pushes its own boundaries and presents unconventional sections, 90% of the adventure consists of segments where all the game's good ideas are executed in the simplest way possible, to the point that some players won't have the energy to reach the end. It's not a bad game, and there are stages that manage to capture your attention, but it's not something everyone should experience.

Not everything in High on Life 2 is as symbiotic, but it’s still a quality experience that’s a clear step up from its promising predecessor. Like that original, not every attempt at humor lands, however, enough of them do and make for a sequel that is both funnier and more consistent. Gunplay isn’t able to keep up with this consistency, as it requires more than a few upgrades and stronger firearms to more accurately fulfill its potential. Perhaps another follow-up could smooth out these rougher patches and be a more powerful dose of Squanch Games’ signature comedy shooter blend, but High on Life 2 is still a potent enough high.

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.

High on Life 2 might be bigger, but does that make it better? In a few ways, yes, it is fun because it has some new mechanics, like a skateboard to explore and lots of charming guns to use. Those come at the cost of clear technical mishaps, including slowdowns and glitches that often rear their ugly heads.

High on Life 2 boasts an inventive FPS campaign that kept me hooked throughout its runtime thanks to varied level designs and excellent setpieces and bossfights. But skateboarding and its effect on both the speed of the game and the pace of the combat were the real stars of the show. And while there are some groan-worthy jokes, I found the humor to be stronger this time around, mostly thanks to some less obnoxious characters. However, a litany of performance and glitch issues holds it back from true greatness.

Funny in bursts, regularly creative, yet held back by distinctly average combat and poor exploration elements. High on Life 2 is a surreal trip well worth taking, although you'll need to adjust your expectations accordingly. Do that, and it'll regularly put a (sometimes guilty) smile on your face.

High on Life 2 improves some of the original game’s weak points, but it still lacks something to truly be a fun experience. If you’re a fan of Rick and Morty–style humor, you’ll probably enjoy the game more than I did, but performance issues, poor visual quality, lack of quality-of-life features in the “open world,” and the campaign’s uneven pacing didn’t appeal to me that much.

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 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.

High on Life 2’s biggest issue outside of technical issues, is that the new additions to the game feel so counter intuitive and work against what made the first game such a cult hit.

I’m willing to bet High on Life 2 does not reflect whatever Squanch envisioned for it. I could practically smell the cutbacks and downscaling as I traipsed through a world that promised much more than it delivered, unraveling a story full of setpieces that didn’t come close to reaching their potential. It has funny moments, some great concepts, and it's better than the original in a few key areas, but the substance is in short supply. It's a step forward for something that's a step back.