HIGH ON LIFE
Weapon of voice
★★★★
RELEASED OUT NOW!
Reviewed on Xbox Series X
Also on Xbox One, PC
Publisher Squanch Games
High On Life is a first-person shooter unlike any other, something which shouldn’t come as much of a surprise once you discover that it’s a game that sprang from the mind of Justin Roiland, the co-creator of Rick And Morty.
In this space-trotting adventure, your every move is narrated to you by talking living weapons known as Gatlians. From Knifey, the knife that craves blood to Creature, the launcher that uses its own offspring as ammunition, they provide more than a few unexpected, and hilarious, lines of dialogue.
A lot of the game’s comedy comes from the off-hand comments your weapons make as observations, or even when you just hit pause. Sometimes you’ll find yourself wanting a bit of peace, but the quality of Roiland’s writing always shines through.
You’ll need this bizarre arsenal to save the entire human race – including your parents – from becoming Hyperbong fuel for the intergalactic Mafia. It turns out that humans are an amazing drug, and unless you systematically take down the G3 cartel, that’s going to be your destiny.
The story unfolds with some brilliant moments, both in terms of core story beats and character development, and there are some seriously memorable enemy encounters.
However, despite the excellent writing and fun combat, you can be left wanting a little more. The game has a shorter duration than you might expect, and although the planets you visit along the way (such as jungle world Zephyr Paradise) are vibrant and detailed, they lack more than surface-level reasons to explore further than is absolutely necessary.
Still, this is a weird, wonderful and colourful adventure that you certainly won’t forget in a hurry. Sam Loveridge
For some reason, you can watch the entirety of 1994’s Tammy And The T-rex on the TV in your house.
The quality of Roiland’s writing always shines through