High on Life 2 is the kind of game you can put in, laugh for a while, forget what's bothering you, even if the memories can go into the social details.
Rise to Life 2 review
High On Life 2 is timely. In a time that seems to be getting darker and darker, Squanch Games' latest project steps in to let you escape for a while and laugh like crazy while doing it.Classic Squanch comedy – the kind you might find on Adult Swim shows like Rick and Morty and Smiling Friends – abounds in dialogue, sight gags and unexpected plot twists.The fights and movements feel good thanks to the new skateboarding system, the world has hidden in the corners to leave you wanting more, and all this fits into the first 10 to 12 hour package for a shooter that, although long in the tooth, does not overstay its welcome.
High On Life 2 has the same Bounty Hunter from the first game, but this time he has undergone a personality change.He is now The Outlaw, after a failed initial mission, forced to use his weapon against other bounty hunters, breaking the code in the process.The pharmaceutical company that caused the failure, Rhea Pharmaceuticals, wants to once again use humans as medicine for aliens, only this time they want to distribute the stuff as a prescription drug.Well, it's time to take on Big Pharma.
To do this, you'll select and hunt down specific targets associated with Rhea Pharma, including the billionaire elite who fund the company, politicians trying to push legislation that would benefit the company, and more. The social commentary is as subtle as a hammer to the skull, but the story is well-written, making the commentary worth experiencing.
Villains are once again equipped with Gatlians, talking weapons that provide as much commentary as they do on the awesomeness of the battle.Each Gatlian that joins you meets a specific type of firearm architect: Sweezy is an automatic pistol, Gus is a shotgun, and Sheath is an assault rifle, among others.
There is also a new character named Jeppy, a human/gatlian hybrid who, once his gauge is charged, can enter combat and perform three powerful electrical attacks before disappearing.He can also only say his own name, although he says it with such joy that smiles are inevitable.
Unfortunately, Zeppy was also present in the Xbox version which was criticized due to strange technical problems.Any move by Zeppy can cause the game to stop.No warning, no verification, nothing but the main menu of the Xbox dashboard.It starts in the first battle after meeting Zeppy, and continues in the next battle.Fortunately, Zeppy didn't need to be used in every battle, and he randomly summoned Zeppy.But this happened in the last wave of enemies before the final boss, and by then it was too little too late.In total, the game crashed five times during this review, but three of them were related to Zeppy, and the other two were one-time events.
While the world of High on Life 2 isn't overly large, Squanch has taken the city by storm with a new skateboarding mechanic that often turns this first-person shooter into a first-person skater.Traversing the world on this skateboard is quick and easy, with plenty of places to grind rails or jump high platforms.Start permission.
This new animation, combined with the diverse weapons, creates a combat system that is very satisfying.Blasting through hordes of colorful and silly enemies is a joy, especially in later missions when you have more combat options to consider.Zooming around the battlefield, dodging enemy attacks, and retreating creates the best kind of chaos, while Gatlian cheers from the outside while exploding.
This extends to the boss fights, which are mostly standard "huge arena vs. huge enemy" type fights, but still offer plenty of good action.In fact, there is a phase of one particular boss fight that is so unorthodox, I honestly don't think I've ever seen anything like it.It's a cliché, yes, but in this case, it's hard to find anything comparable to any game in recent memory.
In and out of battle, the Gatlians are still very good at making you laugh, even if most of the jokes fall into the irreverent Adult Swim style of humor.This style isn't for everyone, but the swearing and fart jokes go hand in hand with some genuinely funny and clever moments.The mushroom world shopping area has some laughable features, and you'll also visit the chain restaurant for dinner - although it's not Space Applebees this time.
In addition, the highest level you will get from High On Life 2 is the real innovation on display.It is clear that Squanch Games asked, "What if we do this?"Many during development and most of those crazy ideas made it to the final game.Wild ideas like "What if we create two weapons, a Gatlian couple is about to divorce and explore that dynamic" or "Um, we need a performer for an NPC, what does John Waters do?"They do incredibly well throughout the game and you never know what will happen next.
High On Life 2 aims to make you laugh and it does well.It also aims to bring you modern and agile combat with cool moves and it also does well.This is the kind of game where you can joke for a while and forget what bothers you, even if reminders can be skipped through prominent social commentary.High On Life 2 Even taking Big Pharma is just what the doctor prescribes.
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