High on Life (video game)

Last updated

High on Life
High on Life cover art.jpg
Developer(s) Squanch Games
Publisher(s) Squanch Games
Producer(s) Matty Studivan
Designer(s) Erich Meyr
Andy Vatter
Programmer(s) Nick Weihs
Dan Weiss
Artist(s) Mikey Spano
James Yavorsky
Colby Wahl
Writer(s) Alec Robbins
Composer(s) Tobacco
Engine Unreal Engine 4
Platform(s) Microsoft Windows
Xbox One
Xbox Series X/S
PlayStation 4
PlayStation 5
ReleaseWindows, Xbox One, Series X/S
  • WW: December 13, 2022
PS4, PS5
  • WW: July 22, 2023
Genre(s) First-person shooter
Mode(s) Single-player

High on Life is a comedic first-person shooter game with action-adventure and Metroidvania elements. It takes place in a science fiction world which features talking guns. [1] It was created by Justin Roiland (also the co-creator for the series Rick and Morty), and developed and published by Squanch Games. [2] The game was released on December 13, 2022 for Microsoft Windows, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. [3] [4] It was later ported to PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 on July 22, 2023. The game received mixed reviews from critics, who were divided on its humor, while criticizing the technical issues upon launch.

Contents

Gameplay

High on Life is a first-person shooter video game with action-adventure and Metroidvania elements. Players are tasked with assassinating select targets, and must fight their way into the target's lair and then fight the targets in a boss battle. [5]

Players attack using living alien weapons, five living guns called "Gatlians" and one sentient knife. The guns have primary, alternate, and special "trick hole" firing modes that can be used in combat. The knife has an additional grapple ability that allows players to use ziplines to move around the world. Weapon specials are also used to solve puzzles and gain access to certain areas in non-combat scenarios. [6]

Players can gain abilities and upgrade their existing abilities by purchasing upgrades at shops or by finding them in chests. As players get new Gatlians and other equipment it is possible to access previously unreachable areas, as in a Metroidvania. [7]

In addition to combat, players encounter traversal and platforming sections, as well as puzzles that are solved using the Gatlians' weapon abilities, and social areas where players can interact with non-player characters. [8]

Plot

The game’s overall plot focuses around an Earth invasion by the G3 Cartel, led by Garmantuous (Hal Lublin) who intends to turn humans into drugs. The player character, with their sister Lizzie (Laura Silverman), teams up with an alien named Kenny (Justin Roiland) to combat this threat. Their adventure begins when they warp their house to Blim City to escape Earth's invasion.

The player, now a bounty hunter trained by Gene Zaroothian (David Herman), is tasked with defeating G3 leaders and rescuing captive Gatlians, a species with unique combat abilities. They successfully defeat 9-Torg (Jennifer Hale), Douglas (Tom Kenny), and Krubis (Echo Kellum), recruiting two more Gatlians, Sweezy (Betsy Sodaro) and Gus (J.B. Smoove), and Knifey (Michael Cusack), a gleefully bloodthirsty sentient knife, along the way.

As the player gains notoriety, Blim City's Magistrate Clugg Nuggin offers them support, providing intelligence on G3 and equipment upgrades. However, personal challenges arise when Lizzie's relationship with an alien boyfriend, Tweeg, leads to conflicts at home.

The player encounters more Gatlians, like Creature (Tim Robinson) and the powerful but catatonic Lezduit (Mike Stoklasa), while dealing with adversaries like the Skrendel Bros and Dr. Jon Giblets (Kevin McDonald). Amidst these conflicts, Kenny confesses his inadvertent role in Gatlus's destruction, causing tension within the group.

The story intensifies as Lizzie goes missing, leading to a confrontation with Tweeg and an attack by the G3. The player's journey takes them to Gatlus, now a toxic wasteland, and back to Earth, which faces a similar fate. The final battle against Garmantuous requires a tough decision, potentially sacrificing a Gatlian to blow him up from the inside.

In a secret ending, the player uncovers Clugg's human experiments, setting the stage for a potential sequel. Dr. Gurgula (Wayne Pygram), a sinister scientist behind the virus that ravaged Gatlus, shoots Clugg and hints at further developments before escaping, while Clugg's sons promise to care for the rescued humans.

High on Knife DLC

Set two years after the original game, the Bounty Hunter, now accompanied by a new female Gatlian, Harper (Sarah Sherman), and with Kenny and Lizzie absent, continues bounty hunting on an Earth shared by humans and Gatlians. Knifey, receiving a letter about an undelivered package from his home planet, embarks on a journey with the Bounty Hunter to Peroxis, a salt planet ironically inhabited by slugs.

In Salt Lick City on Peroxis, they acquire a new weapon, B.A.L.L., and face a series of adventures leading to Muxxalon HQ. There, they are captured by CEO Mux and infected with a parasite, Gary, forcing them into labor. A shocking revelation of human trafficking by Muxxalon jolts them into action. The Bounty Hunter, empowered by a new chainsaw blade upgrade for Knifey, fights their way to Mux and eventually kills her.

Knifey returns to his homeworld, Australia-II, only to find he was exiled for being too violent. Feeling betrayed, Knifey annihilates his kind during their "Sharpening Day" ritual. The story concludes with Knifey returning to Earth, reaffirming his bond with Gene through his traditional stabbing gesture, and planning to settle unfinished business on Peroxis.

Development

Development of High on Life began in 2019, a short time after the release of the studio's previous title, Trover Saves the Universe . The initial concept, conceived by Justin Roiland, was to develop a first-person shooter that featured talking guns that would speak to the player and react to their actions. [9]

The original High on Life trailer was released at the Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase on June 12, 2022, with an anticipated release of October 2022. [10] A two-month delay was announced on August 18, 2022, however that set the release date to December 13, 2022, with the stated reason being to finish improving the game. [11] The game was released for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 on July 22, 2023. [12]

The game features a large ensemble voice cast, including Roiland, J. B. Smoove, Tim Robinson, Betsy Sodaro, Michael Cusack, Hal Lublin, Laura Silverman, David Herman, Kevin McDonald, Mike Stoklasa, Tom Kenny, Echo Kellum, James Urbaniak, Maria Bamford, Joel Haver, Wayne Pygram, Andy Daly, Zach Hadel, Rich Fulcher, Thomas Middleditch, Jack Black, and Susan Sarandon. Original music was composed by Tobacco with additional music provided by Morris Borris, Ryan Elder, Sam Houselander, Pete Maguire, Jonathan Peros, Kevin Temmer and Akash Thakkar. [13]

Justin Roiland was heavily involved in the creation of High on Life. [14] He has received credit for creating the original concept of the game and taking part in the design and development of it. [14] Design director Erich Mayr has described the style of the game to be " Blade Runner meets The Muppets ". [15]

A paid expansion, titled High on Knife, was released on October 3, 2023. [16] It features the voices of Cusack, Ken Marino, Sarah Sherman, and Gabourey Sidibe. [17]

Reception

High on Life received "very positive" reviews on Steam (around 10,500 positive reviews) and "mixed or average reviews" according to review aggregator Metacritic. [18] [19] The game's crude and absurdist humor proved polarizing. In a positive review, IGN called it "an irreverent, absurd shooter that manages to shine with its outrageous humor, silly setting and story", [27] while Eurogamer criticized that the writing "too often settles into edgelord cynicism and the same tedious, punchdown humour as South Park ." [28] The Guardian noted that "the line between entertaining and excruciating here is down to how you feel about listening to a game-length version of Rick and Morty 's Interdimensional Cable ad-libs". [29]

Reviewers also noted that the game suffered from a number of technical issues. Squanch Games released a day-one patch addressing these bugs, along with a second patch on December 16, 2022. [30] [31]

Sales

High on Life was the most played title on Xbox Game Pass during the week of its release, and was the fourth most played title on the Xbox platform overall, and was hailed as a "breakout hit" by Xbox VP of Marketing Aaron Greenberg. It also became the top-selling game on Steam. [32]

Related Research Articles

<i>Red Dead Revolver</i> 2004 video game

Red Dead Revolver is a 2004 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar San Diego and published by Rockstar Games. It is the first entry in the Red Dead series, and was released for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox in May 2004. Set in the 1880s, during the American frontier, the single-player story follows bounty hunter Red Harlow's quest for revenge after the murder of his parents. A local multiplayer mode allows up to four players to face off against each other or AI-controlled bots in free-for-all battles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justin Roiland</span> American voice actor and animator (born 1980)

Mark Justin Roiland is an American voice actor, animator, writer, producer, and director. He is best known as the co-creator of Adult Swim's animated sitcom Rick and Morty, for which he voiced the protagonists Rick Sanchez and Morty Smith from 2013 to 2022, and as the co-creator of Hulu's Solar Opposites, in which he formerly voiced the main character, Korvo, until both networks severed ties with him in 2023. He had also voiced Earl of Lemongrab in Adventure Time, Blendin Blandin in Gravity Falls, and Oscar in Fish Hooks. He founded the animation studio Justin Roiland's Solo Vanity Card Productions! and the video game studio Squanch Games, though he resigned from the latter in 2023.

Rick and Morty is an American adult animated science fiction sitcom created by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon for Cartoon Network's nighttime programming block Adult Swim. The series follows the misadventures of Rick Sanchez, a cynical mad scientist, and his good-hearted but fretful grandson Morty Smith, who split their time between domestic life and interdimensional adventures that take place across an infinite number of realities, often traveling to other planets and dimensions through portals and on Rick's flying saucer. The general concept of Rick and Morty relies on two conflicting scenarios: domestic family drama and a misanthropic grandfather dragging his grandson into hijinks.

<i>Rick and Morty</i> season 1 Season of television series

The first season of the American animated television series, Rick and Morty originally aired in the United States on Cartoon Network's late night programming block, Adult Swim. It premiered on December 2, 2013 with "Pilot" and ended on April 14, 2014 with "Ricksy Business", with a total of eleven episodes. The first season received critical acclaim.

<i>Rick and Morty</i> season 3 Season of television series

The third season of Rick and Morty, an American animated television series created by Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland, originally aired on Cartoon Network's late night programming block, Adult Swim. It premiered with "The Rickshank Rickdemption", which aired unannounced on April 1, 2017, as part of Adult Swim's annual April Fools' prank. As a result of production delays, the remaining episodes began airing weekly nearly four months later, on July 30, 2017. The season comprised ten episodes but it originally was supposed to be fourteen episodes, and its initial airing concluded on October 1, 2017.

<i>Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality</i> 2017 video game

Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality is a virtual reality game compatible with HTC Vive, PlayStation VR and Oculus Rift developed by Owlchemy Labs and published by Adult Swim Games for Microsoft Windows on April 20, 2017. It is based on the American animated series Rick and Morty, whose series co-creator Justin Roiland aided in the development. A port for the PlayStation 4 was released on April 10, 2018.

"Total Rickall" is the fourth episode of the second season of the Adult Swim animated television series Rick and Morty. Written by Mike McMahan and directed by Juan Meza-León, the episode premiered on August 16, 2015. It shows the Smith family, along with Mr. Poopybutthole, overwhelmed by an infestation of parasites who implant false memories into them so they cannot tell who is real.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Squanch Games</span> Video game development studio

Squanch Games is an American video game development studio based in Burbank, California. The company was founded by Justin Roiland in August 2016. The studio is most known for developing Accounting (2016), Trover Saves the Universe (2019) and High on Life (2022). The company has offices in Raleigh, North Carolina, and Burbank, California.

<i>Solar Opposites</i> American animated sitcom

Solar Opposites is an American adult animated science-fiction sitcom created by Justin Roiland and Mike McMahan for Hulu. Originally created for the Fox Broadcasting Company, the project was shelved before being bought by Hulu and given a two-season order consisting of 8 episodes each. The series premiered on May 8, 2020. In June 2021, the series was renewed for a fourth season, which premiered on August 14, 2023. In October 2022, the series was renewed for a fifth season.

<i>Trover Saves the Universe</i> 2019 video game

Trover Saves the Universe is a 2019 action platform game developed and published by Squanch Games for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and Oculus Quest. Envisioned as a comedy game, the title features an optional virtual reality component. Justin Roiland, who was the founder of Squanch Games and the co-creator of Rick and Morty, provided voice work for many characters in this game. It received generally positive reviews upon release.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mr. Meeseeks</span> Fictional character

Mr. Meeseeks is a recurring fictional species in the American animated television series Rick and Morty. Created by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon and based on the title character from Scud: The Disposable Assassin by Rob Schrab, Meeseeks are a powder-blue-skinned species of humanoids who are created to serve a single purpose which they will go to any length to fulfill. Each brought to life by a "Meeseeks Box", they typically live for no more than a few hours in a constant state of pain, vanishing upon completing their assigned task so as to end their own existence and thereby end their suffering; as such, the longer an individual Meeseeks remains alive, the more insane and unhinged they become.

<i>Rick and Morty</i> season 6 Season of television series

The sixth season of the American adult animated television series Rick and Morty premiered on September 4, 2022. Starring Justin Roiland as both titular characters, Rick Sanchez and Morty Smith, and their inter-dimensional counterparts, the season was ordered before the fourth season of the show finished airing, in May 2020. It is the final season to feature Roiland providing any voice as he was fired from the series on January 24, 2023, due to domestic violence allegations.

The Vindicators is an American animated superhero comedy spin-off of the Rick and Morty franchise, owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, whose primary eponymous team consists of Vance Maximus, Supernova, Alan Rails, Crocubot, Million Ants, and Noob Noob, and were created by Sarah Carbiener and Erica Rosbe for the 2017 third season of Rick and Morty, premiering in "Vindicators 3: The Return of Worldender". Following the publication of a comic book sequel and prequel by Oni Press in 2018, the characters were revived after five years with Vindicators 2: Last Stand Between Earth and Doom, a ten-episode miniseries released to the Adult Swim YouTube channel in 2022 as the second television series in the franchise, with Carbiener serving as showrunner, and expressing interest in further seasons of the series being produced.

Rick and Morty is an American animated science-fiction comedy franchise, whose eponymous duo consists of Rick Sanchez and Morty Smith. Rick and Morty were created by cartoonist Justin Roiland for a 2006 parody film of Back to the Future for Channel 101, a short film festival co-founded by Dan Harmon. After six years, the sketch was developed into Rick and Morty, a half-hour prime time show that was a hit for Adult Swim, receiving universal acclaim across all seasons. Alongside the original television series, the characters of the show have been featured in a variety of media, including spin-offs, comic books, musical releases and video games. The show has earned hundreds of millions of dollars in income across their merchandising and media franchise.

<i>Necromunda: Hired Gun</i> 2021 video game

Necromunda: Hired Gun is a 2021 first-person shooter video game developed by Streum On Studio and published by Focus Home Interactive. The game is based on Games Workshop's 1995 tabletop game Necromunda. It is set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, and takes place on the mechanized planet of Necromunda, where the player works for various factions in the planet's criminal underworld.

<i>Grime</i> (video game) 2021 video game

Grime is a 2021 metroidvania video game developed by Israeli game studio Clover Bite and published by Akupara Games. The game was released on August 2, 2021 for Windows and Google Stadia, followed by versions for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S in December 2022, and a Nintendo Switch version in January 2024. It received generally positive reviews from critics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Cusack (animator)</span> Australian animator and voice actor

Michael R. Cusack is an Australian animator, writer, director, producer, photographer, musician, and voice actor. He is the co-creator and co-star, along with fellow animator Zach Hadel, of the Adult Swim animated series, Smiling Friends, and creator and star of YOLO and Koala Man.

<i>Meet Your Maker</i> 2023 video game

Meet Your Maker is a first-person shooter video game developed and published by Behaviour Interactive. In the game, players are tasked to build and raid user-generated outposts filled with traps and guards. The game was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S in April 2023.

<i>Endless Dungeon</i> 2023 video game

Endless Dungeon is a tower defense twin-stick shooter video game developed by Amplitude Studios and published by Sega. The game is a successor to Dungeon of the Endless (2014) and was released on October 19, 2023, for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X and Series S.

<i>Rick and Morty</i> season 7 Season of television series

The seventh season of the American adult animated television series Rick and Morty premiered on October 15, 2023 and concluded on December 17, 2023. It consisted of ten episodes.

References

  1. ↑ Wood, Martin (June 29, 2022). "High on Life's Best Design Choice is Weapons That Talk". Game Rant. Valnet. Retrieved August 27, 2022.
  2. ↑ LeBlanc, Wesley (June 12, 2022). "Squanch Games Reveals High On Life, A First-Person Shooter From Justin Roiland". Game Informer. Retrieved June 12, 2022.
  3. ↑ Mejia, Ozzie (August 23, 2022). "High On Life shows off new boss and December release date". Shacknews . Gamerhub. Retrieved August 27, 2022.
  4. ↑ Hogarty, Steve (June 13, 2022). "The co-creator of Rick & Morty is working on an FPS called High on Life". The Independent. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
  5. ↑ Northup, Travis (December 15, 2022). "High on Life Review". IGN India. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
  6. ↑ "High on Life: Every weapon & Gatlians explained". Dexerto. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
  7. ↑ Reuben, Nic (December 16, 2022). "High on Life review – limp gunplay and questionable taste". the Guardian. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
  8. ↑ McCaffery, Ryan (October 12, 2022). "High on Life: Meet the Talking Guns – IGN First". IGN . Retrieved November 13, 2022.
  9. ↑ Perry, Alex (December 14, 2022). "The best part of 'High on Life' has nothing to do with playing it". Mashable. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
  10. ↑ Makar, Connor (June 12, 2022). "High on Life - a wild looking sci-fi FPS from Rick & Morty creators - has been revealed". VG247. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
  11. ↑ Kuhnke, Oisin (August 21, 2022). "High on Life sees a two month delay, apologises with uncomfortable dating ad". VG247. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
  12. ↑ Yin-Poole, Wesley (July 22, 2023). "Comedy Shooter High on Life Surprise-Launches on PS4 and PS5". IGN. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
  13. ↑ Colantonio, Giovanni (December 12, 2022). "High on Life review: Rick and Morty meets Metroid in memorable shooter". DigitalTrends. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
  14. 1 2 "WHAT THE FAQ?! – High On Life FAQ". Squanch Games. August 16, 2022. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
  15. ↑ Valentine, Rebekah (June 14, 2022). "High on Life: Squanch Games Explains More About the Bonkers FPS - 'Blade Runner Meets the Muppets'". IGN. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
  16. ↑ Marchiano, Massimo (September 28, 2023). "High On Knife DLC Release Date, Gameplay, Story". ClutchPoints | Gaming News. Retrieved November 25, 2023.
  17. ↑ Lyles, Taylor (June 14, 2023). "High on Knife is a New Paid DLC for Squanch Games' High on Life". IGN . Retrieved June 14, 2023.
  18. 1 2 "High on Life for PC Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved January 29, 2023.
  19. 1 2 "High on Life for Xbox Series X Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved January 29, 2023.
  20. ↑ Carter, Chris (December 12, 2022). "Review: High on Life". Destructoid . Retrieved December 12, 2022.
  21. ↑ Evans-Thirlwell, Edwin (December 12, 2022). "High on Life review - a mediocre shooter with an unfunny attitude problem". Eurogamer . Retrieved December 13, 2022.
  22. ↑ Stewart, Marcus (December 15, 2022). "High On Life Review - Low On Laughs". Game Informer . Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  23. ↑ Fanelli, Jason (December 16, 2022). "High On Life Review - Talking Heads". GameSpot . Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  24. ↑ West, Josh (December 12, 2022). "High on Life Review: "Incessantly loud, frequently unhinged, and a trip well worth taking"". GamesRadar+ . Retrieved December 12, 2022.
  25. ↑ Northup, Travis (December 15, 2022). "High on Life Review". IGN . Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  26. ↑ Lane, Rick (December 15, 2022). "High on Life review". PC Gamer . Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  27. ↑ Northup, Travis (December 15, 2022). "High on Life Review". IGN. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
  28. ↑ "High on Life review - a mediocre shooter with an unfunny attitude problem". Eurogamer.net. December 12, 2022. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
  29. ↑ Reuben, Nic (December 16, 2022). "High on Life review – limp gunplay and questionable taste". the Guardian. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
  30. ↑ Carter, Chris (December 14, 2022). "High on Life got a huge day one patch: here's the notes, changes & updates". Destructoid. Retrieved December 17, 2022.
  31. ↑ "High on Life Patch Notes: What Changes in New Update?". GameRevolution. December 16, 2022. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  32. ↑ Holt, Kris (December 19, 2022). "'High On Life' Is A 'Breakout Hit' On Xbox Game Pass And PC Despite Average Reviews". Forbes.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.