High on Life 2

 Xbox Series X
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 21 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 21
  3. Negative: 1 out of 21
  1. Xbox Achievements
    Feb 12, 2026
    70
    While the new additions to High on Life 2 make for a more enjoyable shooter experience than its predecessor, there’s a lack of technical finesse that holds it back. Overall, however, this is a leaner, meaner, and just all-round better game than the first one.
  2. Indigo GEEK
    Feb 27, 2026
    65
    While High On Life 2 can be an entertaining experience, it falls short in several key areas. The story isn’t as memorable as its predecessor, the gunplay doesn’t evolve enough, and the lack of optimization weighs heavily on the overall experience. If you enjoyed the first game, the humor still lands—just not with the same impact. Our recommendation is clear: wait for additional patches before considering a purchase. Beneath the technical issues there’s a solid game that, with more polish, could deliver plenty of laughs and fun.
  3. But Why Tho?
    Feb 19, 2026
    65
    High on Life 2 is an improvement on the first and one hell of a time. The humor shows just how much in-tune the writers at Squanch game are with their players and that speaks volumes… making it a good time even through its complications.
  5. ZTGD
    Mar 6, 2026
    60
    High on Life 2 capitalizes on what made the original interesting with its guns and boss fights and falls apart on almost everything else. It feels like it isn’t quite finished when it comes to performance and image quality, and a lot of the humor falls flat. I really loved the original game, but the sequel is much harder to recommend. Thankfully it is on Game Pass, so if you subscribe the barrier to entry is low. Otherwise, I have a hard time recommending this one at full price.
  6. IGN
    Feb 12, 2026
    60
    High On Life 2 is a fun sequel that expands on the original’s best ideas, including the absurd and memorable boss fights and charming talking guns, while also introducing some neat new concepts, like the skateboarding mechanic (even if that doesn’t do combat any favors). Unfortunately, it also takes a step backward in plenty of other areas, like its underwhelming story, even sloppier gunplay, and rough technical performance. I was still happy to return to this goofy, completely foul world of offensive creatures and irreverent antiheroes the likes of which we simply don’t get enough of these days – but like any joke you've heard multiple times before, this second stab just doesn’t land quite as well as the original.
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  1. Kotaku
    Feb 13, 2026
    It’s a shame that this game is in such a rough state at launch, including numerous performance hiccups on Xbox Series X. There are some really cool and funny ideas in High on Life 2.