High On Life 2 Review: A Funny Kind of First Person Shooter
Nick Gillett Published February 16, 2026
Now that the day one patch has addressed most technical problems, GameCentral delivers a final verdict on the Justin Roiland-less sequel to High On Life. Humour is notoriously difficult to master in video games, where players control the pace and exposure to action and dialogue. Comic timing becomes a challenge when audiences might not be attentive to the humorist.
Evolution from the Original
The first High On Life embraced the Rick and Morty style, directly appealing to the show's large fanbase. With creator Justin Roiland involved, the anarchic first person shooter became an instant success. Roiland also voiced the initial weapon, as the mute protagonist relied on guns with distinct, exaggerated personalities for all conversations, which varied based on the equipped firearm.
Since Roiland's departure from Squanch Games, his unique vocal style and brutal humour are absent, giving High On Life 2 a different tone. It is less funny, with jokes often eliciting wry smiles rather than genuine laughter. The game now leans heavily on the boorish personalities of weapons, which sometimes use swearing as a substitute for wit.
Gameplay Improvements and Satire
However, the sequel improves in some areas, notably its more pointed satire. In High On Life, aliens smoked humans like pot, and players fought a galactic drug cartel. The sequel features humans farmed and turned into pills by an evil pharmaceutical conglomerate, mirroring real-world big pharma's profit-driven ruthlessness.
Traversal has been streamlined with a skateboard addition; the sprint button activates boarding for faster movement and rail grinding, abundant in every environment. Players also gain early access to a knife grapple hook, alongside double jumps and air dashes, making navigation through vertiginous, brightly colored levels less cumbersome.
Combat and Technical Flaws
Gunplay receives an upgrade, addressing issues from the first game like weak weapons and clunky aiming. Despite improvements, firefights remain tedious, with boss fights offering occasional creativity. The game defaults to easy mode, as normal mode features bullet-sponge enemies and unseen attackers, making battles messy. Easy mode ensures manageability but reduces challenge, with auto-aim feeling patronizing.
Puzzles are overly simplified, with onscreen instructions and character prompts that repeat if players delay. Including puzzle elements only to oversimplify them wastes development time that could have polished other mechanics.
Technical Issues and Creative Ideas
Technical problems persist post-patch, such as an early boss fight crashing PlayStation 5 initially and soft-locks from missing key items. Players may resort to glitches to progress, highlighting unresolved bugs.
Beneath its rough exterior, High On Life 2 bursts with offbeat ideas: playable retro arcade games, full-length B-movies, a boss invading HUD menus, and absurdist weaponry, including an Agatha Christie-style murder mystery. Yet, these elements fail to inspire engaging gameplay.
Final Assessment
High On Life 2 frustratingly nears quality but is overshadowed by rough edges that drown out inventiveness. Shooting and minigames lack fun, and reduced humour in dialogue diminishes joy. With more polish, its crazy concepts could shine, but currently, it feels more miss than hit.
In Short: An inventive sequel whose minor gameplay improvements cannot compensate for tedious combat, minigames, and a less witty script.
- Pros: Eccentric ideas, colorful environments, skateboard traversal, and Ralph Ineson's voice acting for a gun.
- Cons: Unentertaining shooting and minigames, lengthy unamusing dialogues, persistent bugs post-patch.
- Score: 5/10
- Formats: PlayStation 5 (reviewed), Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC
- Price: £49.99
- Publisher: Squanch Games
- Developer: Squanch Games
- Release Date: 13th February 2026 (20/4 on Switch 2)
- Age Rating: 18
