High On Life 2

Although high in shock value, jokes remain the same.

Title: High On Life 2

Release: February 13, 2026

Platform: PS5 PC Xbox X|S

Developer: Squanch Games

Publisher: Squanch Games

Genre: FPS Action

ESRB: M

Reviewed on: PC

Time Played: 8.5 Hours

High on Life 2 is a direct extension of its predecessor, picking up almost immediately after the previous events. The experience begins with a short montage detailing our rise to fame as a bounty hunter and the subsequent poor choices that lead us to the life of a washed-up veteran long past our prime. Shortly into the adventure, my sister requires assistance due to her questionable activities across the galaxy, which sends me down a path full of danger and far removed from the idolized hero I once was.


The various designs and vibrant colors used throughout this world make for an incredible visual trip. The talking guns, known as Gatlions, look impressive and remain highly interactive during the journey. The creators threw around some truly wild ideas when designing the different alien races I had to confront or negotiate with. Visually speaking, the entire game feels like one long, chaotic hallucination.


While I genuinely appreciated the aesthetic, other elements began to fall short of that standard. The gun handling is exceptional, especially with the variety of options available, but the movement feels finicky. Instead of a traditional sprint, the game utilizes a skateboard for faster traversal. It is a neat concept in theory, but there were numerous occasions where I tried to escape an enemy quickly and accidentally hopped onto a grind spot. This would send me careening in a bizarre direction, usually right back into the dangerous situation I was trying to avoid. There is a lot to manage in terms of mobility while projectiles are flying, and I eventually found it more effective to stay behind cover rather than attempting stylish maneuvers to eliminate the opposition.


I enjoyed the humor initially, much like the first entry, but the comedy begins to feel forced and redundant before long. Most of the jokes rely on shock value, often leaning into extremely off-putting sexual themes. There is certainly plenty to laugh at, and the game features some excellently timed moments, but it is easy to grow tired of the constant barrage. If you want to keep the comedy fresh, it is probably best to play in short sessions rather than trying to marathon through the entire thing.


The protagonist remains silent, leaving the speaking roles to the Gatlions. On many occasions, I was given a choice of how to respond and selected one of my weapons to act as my voice. There are several choices throughout the game that can alter minor details, though nothing significantly changes the main path. The exception is one specific choice involving an achievement, which you can discover for yourself. Once I became familiar with the different Gatlions, it became easy to predict how each would respond to a given situation.


The progression isn't just a simple run and gun experience. Along with different combat styles, each Gatlion possesses a special ability used outside of combat to solve specific puzzles or overcome obstacles. Most of these were enjoyable, but the puzzles requiring me to swap between multiple Gatlions repeatedly became a chore. While swapping weapons is simple enough, the constant back and forth turned small sections into tedious hurdles.

I focused primarily on the main story during my time with the game, leaving the side activities until after the credits rolled. The primary path takes about ten hours to complete, with perhaps another ten hours available for those who want to track down missing chests or finish extra content. The activities I sampled after the ending were fun, such as chasing a high score in a skateboard mini-game or performing at a stand-up club, but I felt no regret for ignoring them during my initial run.



Overall, I don’t feel this game justifies the full asking price of a new release. The humor and gameplay mechanics were not quite enough to keep me fully entertained. It is perfect for a few cheap laughs, but the experience starts to feel repetitive. If you are someone who cannot get enough of the specific humor from the first entry, you will likely enjoy this.