games / Reviews
High On Life 2 (Xbox Series X) Review
Image Credit: Squanch Games
Loading...High on Life 2 is exactly what you’d expect from a sequel to one of the strangest shooters in recent memory: louder, brighter, sillier, and a little more refined. It doesn’t reinvent the formula, and it certainly doesn’t smooth out every rough edge, but it confidently doubles down on what made the first game memorable — absurd humour, a wildly distinctive visual style, and chaotic, personality-driven gunplay. The result is a game that’s consistently entertaining, even if it doesn’t quite reach the top tier of the genre.
The biggest factor in my enjoyment was the humour. High on Life 2 lives and dies by its comedy, and thankfully, it mostly lives. The talking guns return, each overflowing with dialogue, tangents, panic attacks, and fourth-wall-breaking nonsense. They argue with you, with each other, and sometimes with the game itself. It’s relentless, chaotic, and deliberately excessive — but that excess is part of the charm.
Not every joke lands. Some bits stretch too long, and occasionally the game confuses being loud with being clever. But more often than not, I found myself genuinely laughing at the sheer unpredictability of it all. NPC conversations spiral into bizarre exchanges, side quests build toward ridiculous punchlines, and environmental gags reward players who take the time to explore. The comedy isn’t confined to cutscenes; it’s embedded in the world. That constant undercurrent of absurdity keeps even routine objectives feeling fresh.
Visually, the game is a standout. High on Life 2 fully commits to its psychedelic sci-fi identity. Every planet bursts with neon color, strange alien architecture, and grotesque creature design. The art direction feels deliberately exaggerated and slightly uncomfortable in the best way. It’s not aiming for realism — it’s aiming for personality — and it absolutely succeeds.
Enemy designs are especially memorable. From squishy, wide-eyed creatures to hulking monstrosities with too many limbs, the game constantly throws unusual silhouettes at you. The weapons themselves are just as expressive, animated with facial reactions and body language that reinforce their personalities. That visual character strengthens both the humour and the immersion. Even when mission objectives follow familiar patterns, the environments rarely feel dull.
Traversal is another area where the sequel noticeably improves. Movement feels faster and more fluid, and the addition of skating mechanics injects genuine energy into exploration. Grinding rails, boosting across open spaces, and chaining movement abilities together makes simple navigation enjoyable. In many shooters, traversal is filler between combat encounters. Here, it feels like a core part of the experience.
Combat itself is fun, even if it doesn’t completely redefine the genre. Each weapon offers a unique firing style and alternate ability, encouraging experimentation instead of sticking to a single strategy. Encounters often emphasize verticality and mobility, pushing you to stay in motion rather than hiding behind cover. When everything clicks — bouncing between platforms, launching enemies into the air, and finishing them off with a sarcastic sidearm — the game feels fast and satisfying.
However, the shooting mechanics don’t quite achieve the tight precision of the best FPS titles. Some fights feel messy, and enemy AI can be inconsistent. A few encounters drag on longer than they should, particularly when tougher enemies soak up damage without adding meaningful challenge. The combat is enjoyable, but it lacks that extra layer of depth or polish that would elevate it further.
Pacing is similarly uneven. The campaign moves briskly for the most part, but there are stretches where momentum dips. A handful of jokes overstay their welcome, and certain mission structures feel repetitive despite the visual variety. The game’s commitment to constant dialogue can also become overwhelming. While I appreciated the density of humour, there were moments where a little quiet would have enhanced the impact.
From a technical standpoint, the experience is generally stable but not flawless. Minor bugs, occasional animation glitches, and small performance hiccups crop up from time to time. None of these issues are severe enough to derail the experience, but they reinforce the sense that the game could have benefited from additional polish.
What ultimately makes High on Life 2 work is its confidence. It fully embraces its weirdness and commits to it. The humour enhances the gameplay rather than distracting from it, and the bold visual identity ensures it never feels generic. Even when the mechanics fall into familiar territory, the personality layered over everything keeps it engaging.
High on Life 2 isn’t trying to be a serious, gritty shooter, and it doesn’t aspire to narrative grandeur. Instead, it offers a colourful, chaotic ride packed with jokes, strange creatures, and lively combat arenas. For players who enjoy irreverent comedy blended with vibrant sci-fi action, there’s a lot here to appreciate.
