High on Life 2 Game Review – Same Comedy, Much Better Game 

They’re back. You, the player, and your arsenal of talking guns (Gatlians) take up the reins yet again, continuing the saga where the first High on Life game left off. One of the most surprising reveals at Summer Game Fest 2025, High on Life 2 quickly became one of the event’s most talked-about announcements—especially after a media demo teased the game’s chaotic opening act.

What was initially labelled as a Rick and Morty spin-off game has blossomed into a title that can stand on its own feet. This new adventure adds the same level of humour fans are used to from the animated series, thanks to the inclusion and budding of the initial concept from Rick and Morty co-creator Justin Roiland. One cannot take away the huge impact and influence he had on the game, especially as the studio head of Squanch Games at the time of the first game’s release. Having resigned in 2023 as a result of the allegations against him, leading to his dismissal from the Rick and Morty franchise as well, fans of the game were left in limbo as to its continuation. This is one of the reasons why it was such a huge surprise to audiences in August when the sequel was announced, with Squanch Games now under new leadership.

High on Life 2 picks up almost immediately where the first game left off. For any newcomers considering whether they should purchase the original game before getting to enjoy the sequel, you don’t necessarily have to. Firstly, the game and story can stand alone, with hints and exposition added where there are gaps needing to be filled if you haven’t played it previously. Secondly, there’s also a nifty opening act that plays like a reminder of the first game, your journey as a bounty hunter and your popularity, which is also a nicely disguised tutorial on the basic gameplay dynamics.

From a storyline perspective, the continuation feels seamless. Having saved humanity, you’d think you’d be able to enjoy your newfound fame and riches and simply enjoy life. Unfortunately, things don’t turn out to be that simple. In fact, what you uncovered was only the surface level of what was happening behind the scenes. This time around, things have gotten a bit more political. An alien pharmaceutical giant is working on a new drug, HumanzaPro, and using their political ties to make it legal. As the name suggests, the drug is made from humans, who are being farmed and killed to extract the ingredients to manufacture it.

Things take a turn for the worse when Lizzie has a bounty placed on her as a result of her actions, for reasons unbeknownst to the player. Attempting to save her, you actively turn against the bounty hunter federation, adding yourself as a target for all other bounty hunters. Once a legend to all bounty hunters, some have a keen interest in taking you down, while others feel more betrayed by your actions, having looked up to you. There’s another subset you’re able to talk to and convince of your reasoning – to save the human race from being farmed and driven to extinction again – and they later become allies to your cause. In your endeavours, you meet up with some of your Gatlian friends from the first game, while also acquiring new weapons – I mean friends – along the journey.

While the first game relied heavily on its humour and story to progress, it glossed over many of its shortcomings in gameplay. A lot was made of elements from the original game that were left out due to scope, but a heavier emphasis has been placed on High on Life 2 being a game first, and a comedy adventure second. As a result, much of the gameplay has been adapted to feel smoother and faster. In a true sense, you as the player are rewarded by the gameplay for keeping on the move, creating a more fluid style of play. With the inclusion of the new skateboard dynamic, it becomes your primary mode of traversing the map. You’re still able to walk freely, but running has been swapped out for skateboard use, allowing the gameplay to be sped up quite dramatically. The skateboard also doubles as a weapon to hit and throw at enemies, leaving you to run around for a few seconds before picking up the board again. You’ll definitely notice the difference in speed between the two modes.

This sets up High on Life 2 as a whole. There’s a lot more fast-paced action to enjoy than before. Enemies come at you from all angles, with each scenario better served by a different Gatlian to be utilised. For the most part, however, I often found that the fast-paced nature of the skateboard allowed for close-range combat and the excessive use of Knifey, who has his own reputation as a maniac to uphold. This refers to the High on Knife DLC from the first game, where Knifey returns to his home planet, Australia-II, and you discover that his species is a peaceful society that exiled him due to his excessive violence. In return, he takes out his vengeance by going on a killing spree. Elements of that are extended into High on Life 2, making the most of Knifey’s abilities as a deranged killer knife. Each of the new guns – I mean Gatlians – also has its own unique set of abilities, adding to the new gameplay mechanics to enjoy.

For the most part, the fast-action gameplay is enjoyable and far more engaging overall. At times, however, it can get bogged down by the automated railing system that pins you to rails, edges, and other items to grind your skateboard on. You’ll need to jump off these every now and then to regain control of your character, but you often end up right back on them when using the speed function to get around. This is especially annoying during high-paced action with multiple enemies when you’re dangerously short on life.

As mentioned earlier, the original High on Life lived and died by its comedy. The jokes landed more often than not, but a few punchlines overstayed their welcome. This time around, the developers clearly paid attention to fan and critic feedback, delivering a tighter, faster-paced sequel that prioritises gameplay first and lets the humour enhance the experience instead of carrying it. The result? A sharper, more focused adventure. The Gatlians return with fresh personalities and story beats, all while doubling as your primary way of interacting with the bizarre world around you.

Lastly, there are plenty of meta elements in the game. When you think you’re in the middle of a straightforward battle, you’re suddenly thrust into a completely different dynamic. This includes battling within the game’s menu system, rebooting your suit, and entering command prompt mode. The integration of ’80s and ’90s NES-type games is also scattered throughout. It may seem at times that throwing all this in is somewhat of a distraction, but for me, it adds to the fun and frenetic nature of the game. It’s the point.

High on Life 2 is a much better game, focusing on gameplay at its core, bringing fast-paced action to fans and ironing out a lot of the original game’s issues. What’s great about the game is that it can also be played as a standalone experience for players wanting to jump straight into the action without needing to play the first. It’s fun.

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Watch our full video review here.