When I booted up High On Life for the primary time, I knew what I used to be getting myself into. I’m aware of the work of not solely Justin Roiland (Rick and Morty, Solar Opposites) but additionally of his sport studio Squanch Games (Trover Saves The Universe, Accounting+), so I had an concept of the kind of comedy that was coming my method. What I didn’t anticipate, nonetheless, was a 3D shooter with Metroidvania vibes that echo among the greatest video games of my youth, and extra importantly does them justice.High On Life tells the story of an unnamed protagonist–whom everybody calls “Bounty Hunter,” even their very own sister–fighting in opposition to an alien drug cartel that is invaded Earth. The cartel needs to spherical up each human on the planet and promote them because the drug, which different aliens can devour by way of elaborate machines. Our bounty hunter hero is armed with Gatlians, a race of speaking weapons, and every Gatlian possesses its personal assaults and skills. The idea is admittedly very bizarre, however it’s a well-told story that stored me guessing till the top.
Size:640 × 360480 × 270
Want us to recollect this setting for all of your gadgets?
Sign up or Sign in now!
Please use a html5 video succesful browser to observe movies.
This video has an invalid file format.
Sorry, however you’ll be able to’t entry this content material!Please enter your date of beginning to view this videoJanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031Yr202220212020201920182017201620152014201320122011201020092008200720062005200420032002200120001999199819971996199519941993199219911990198919881987198619851984198319821981198019791978197719761975197419731972197119701969196819671966196519641963196219611960195919581957195619551954195319521951195019491948194719461945194419431942194119401939193819371936193519341933193219311930192919281927192619251924192319221921192019191918191719161915191419131912191119101909190819071906190519041903190219011900
By clicking ‘enter’, you comply with GameSpot’s
Terms of Use and
Privacy Policyenter
Now Playing: High On Life Everything to Know
At this level, it bears acknowledging that that is 100% a Justin Roiland mission, full with all of the hallmarks of his comedic philosophy. Rapid-fire monologues, fart jokes, demolition of the fourth wall, ad-libs, darkish comedy–it’s all intertwined inside the sport’s narrative and presentation. If issues like Rick and Morty, Trover Saves The Universe, or Solar Opposites aren’t your cup of tea, this may not be both. That stated, I’ve a really excessive tolerance for this kind of goofiness and I discovered myself laughing all through the 10-hour journey.I acquired a kick out of the truth that Squanch Games licensed 4 full-length schlocky B-movies for gamers to “enjoy” just because it might. Every time a voice actor in clear ad-lib mode would giggle in the course of a diatribe, I might additionally giggle. The referential humor at all times acquired a response out of me–particularly mentions of different video video games, just like the full-throated endorsement of indie darling Donut County by Kenny the pistol.There’s a real attraction in all of it. Sure, among the jokes do not land, and the ramblings of the gun in my hand can typically go on too lengthy, however it’s clear in each try that the event crew was having enjoyable making High On Life. I by no means knew what was going to occur as scenes progressed, and that lack of predictability enhances the expertise. Honestly, this unruly strategy is the one method sure jokes work–which contains, for instance, a complete scene that performs out in “Space Applebee’s,” full with waiter interruptions as you order meals.However, Squanch Games additionally is aware of this model of humor is not for everybody, and it offers the choice to tone down banter so these turned off by fixed chatter can nonetheless benefit from the sport. I left my settings to “Frequent” banter and did not assume it was too much–in comparability, I didn’t discover the banter to be as egregious as what earned Horizon: Forbidden West criticism earlier this yr. This may very well be as a result of the characters weren’t talking out loud in regards to the puzzles in entrance of me, which made the dialogue really feel extra pure for the setting.Once you get previous the goofiness and deal with the sport itself, High On Life delivers a strong 3D shooter expertise that emulates the exploits of Samus Aran. Each of the totally different biomes I explored had been brimming with secrets and techniques, from dwelling chests stuffed with gold to random NPCs providing a fast zinger or transient aspect quest. As the sport progresses, vertical motion is launched due to discovering a jetpack, and that opens up exploration much more.These worlds are giant, as effectively, which the sport tries to counter with a waypoint system that enables me to see during which route my goal lies and the way distant it sits. Sometimes this technique will get its wires crossed, and reaching one waypoint in some way turns into me returning to the waypoint I simply got here from, however most of the time, a easy faucet of the D-Pad factors me in the precise route. The waypoints additionally turned one thing of a crutch within the later elements of the sport, as not utilizing them typically led to me touring to the fallacious a part of the map and getting misplaced. It’s not an ideal system, however the waypoints are useful most of the time.The Gatlians every stand out from each other, each of their quips and the way they’re utilized in fight. Kenny is the resident pistol, Gus is a shotgun, Knifey is the… uh, knife, and Sweezy acts just like the Needler from Halo. The most fascinating of the weapons is Creature, which acts as a kind of Pikmin system, launching small creatures at enemies for injury over time. All 4 are potent in fight, as they possess benefits over sure foes and make it important to change by weapons throughout a struggle.Each gun has a second energy that aids with touring and environmental puzzles, which slowly opens extra of the world to me as I progress. Kenny shoots blasts of thick slime which is able to hit designated obstacles and help you go. Sweezy can fireplace a shot that slows time within the space round the place it lands, making her the right option to get previous fast-spinning followers that might in any other case trigger injury. These particular pictures can in a struggle as well–Kenny’s slime pictures will launch opponents within the air for further hits, for example–which provides me much more choices.Using the Gatlians in battle is a whole lot of enjoyable, and the enemies I’m dealing with match proper into the bizarre and foolish aesthetic of the remainder of the sport. The unhealthy guys are every coated in a kind of yellow goo–the origin of which I can’t spoil–and as you deal injury, the goo wears off, exposing their grey our bodies beneath. While unusual, it serves as a straightforward visible assist for the way a lot injury you have executed to a sure enemy, and it additionally lets you create your individual weak factors. If an enemy is hiding behind cowl, however there is a patch of grey pores and skin uncovered on its arm, goal that spot and the enemy will fall rapidly. It’s an ingenious concept of displaying fight injury on enemies with out giving them well being bars or one thing comparable.That stated, a lot of the enemies I encountered are dumb as rocks. I might run as much as any one of many regular grunts and both shoot or melee them to demise with out taking a whole lot of injury. There had been instances I’d be overwhelmed and must retry a battle, however these had been extra as a consequence of my being overzealous somewhat than enemies outsmarting me.Sure, among the jokes do not land, and the ramblings of the gun in my hand can typically go on too lengthy, however it’s clear in each try that the event crew was having enjoyable making High On LifeBoss fights aren’t a lot better, as nearly all of them boil down to easily capturing and dodging. Some of them shake issues up a bit, whether or not they implement the particular shot of the Gatlian you’re about to rescue–Krubis fires giant discs you’ll be able to mirror again at him, which it seems is the ability of Gus the shotgun–or provide you with a number of bosses to struggle without delay. At their core, nonetheless, it’s extra of the identical fight you get from grunts, simply with greater baddies.While total fight is enjoyable, the place it turns into tedious is the size of some skirmishes. Each encounter tends to play out in waves, with two or three units of enemies popping out earlier than the battle is over. Some of them stretch far longer than that, to the purpose the place Kenny the pistol says, “Oh my god, MORE?!” and I’m feeling precisely the identical. These fights develop into a check of persistence as a lot as a check of talent. Boss fights do not have this difficulty for essentially the most half, however a few of them fall into their very own issues–one struggle specifically nonetheless makes me indignant simply occupied with how troublesome it turned in its remaining stage.Ultimately, High On Life is, in its personal bizarre method, a tackle what a contemporary Metroid Prime sport may very well be, by the lens of Justin Roiland’s comedy antics. There’s an identical sense of exploration combined with fast-paced moments of fight, solely right here it is also swelling with expletive-laden jokes and typically incoherent rambling. The story, off-beat as it might be, is informed extremely effectively, with characters and moments I’ll be referencing for some time. Even for those who’re not a fan of the sort of humor High On Life presents, the sport that is right here is definitely worth the journey.