High on Life Review

The impact it has had rick and morty As a series, it has led to the creation of a video game developer studio derived from one of its iconic phrases, Squash Games. Said study was founded by one of the creators of the aforementioned series, Justin Roiland, and so far, it has launched four games, including the one that concerns us today, High on Life.

High on Life, is an irreverent FPS title that doesn’t even take itself seriously, in a good way. It proposes us to live a space adventure in which there will not be a second of silence, thanks to one or more talking firearms that never shut up. Sure, while humor is covered, some gameplay issues have their flaws, but more on that later.

You’re talking to me?

At the level of what can be expected we will have tons of house brand humor. This even translates to how the story is developed and the thousands of jokes, references and winks about modern popular culture. It is not a story to surprise us or make us cry, rather to make us laugh at every step.

The plot goes like this: the typical mute protagonist who is a teenager with parents he hardly sees, an annoying sister and a common adolescent life. Everything turns upside down when some aliens decide to invade Earth to use us as raw material for a new drug they are developing. After a series of events, we are forced to become a stellar level Bounty Hunter.

As we have already said, humor is the cornerstone of the plot, which takes place in a well-constructed world that is very similar to our current society. What stands out the most, however, is the inclusion of talking weapons, called Gatlins. And when we say that they speak, it means that they don’t shut up even when another NPC speaks to us. Luckily, you can adjust the level of conversation in the settings menu.

Jokes are not only present in what we see, but also that they break the fourth wall. We will even have the opportunity to see a complete movie from the 90s, starring none other than Paul Walker (Fast and Furious) and Denise Richards (StarShip Troopers). In addition, we will have some achievements for doing unlikely things like lasting a certain number of hours in a certain place. Unfortunately, so many jokes at each step end up overwhelming and tiring the player, because we will feel that they tell the same ones several times.

Than if you talk to me?

Regarding the playable part, High on Life is made up of two more pillars, its Metroidvania-like exploration and its gunplay. The game consists of levels that we can access either on foot or by teleporting with a central level that serves as the central base. The game encourages us to explore it and soon we realize that we will need other components to explore every corner of each level.

Each area has a considerable extension with all that that implies, between secrets, enemies and collectibles. Additionally, many sections offer small puzzles to progress through, giving the formula some variety. We will be searching every corner for a long time in search of treasures and artifacts that will help us in our adventure.

One of the main mechanics in High on Life is the chattering weapons. We will have a series of main weapons in which some would be the counterparts of real weapons. Kenny, the gun at the beginning of the game with infinite ammunition. Sweezy, a pistol that is very reminiscent of the Needler from Halo. Creature, a kind of launcher. Gus, what appears to be a shotgun.

Each weapon, including the melee knife, has its own personalities. All weapons have a secondary function, which in addition to serving to dispatch enemies, are used to solve environmental puzzles. Unfortunately, the action is not the most fun and has a generic AI that uses the numerical superiority to try to finish us off. We must add to it, the boss fights, which here things improve a lot, since they have patterns that make us use all our tricks to be victorious.

squanchtacular

Regarding its graphics, the game has a very vibrant color palette, so much so that it seems like a game for children. But what stands out the most is its alien city setting, featuring impossible architecture and bustling streets with many species. It is a correct game on a technical level, without boasting of power, but that keeps its parts together.

Regarding its sound section, it has songs that, although they are generic, fulfill their objective of setting the situation. However, what stands out the most is his voice acting, with the interpretation of Justin Roiland himself as Kenny the gun and a cast of well-known reputable actors.

Verdict

High on Life is an irreverent game that relies (perhaps too much) on silly humor, comedic situations, and constant references to modern pop culture. However, the program is not completely round, due to its irregular battle system, as well as not being very varied. It offers huge levels that are a joy to explore, once we have the necessary tools. If we are lovers of the Justin Roiland series, we will half love this game.