Metascore
67

Mixed or average reviews - based on 48 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 25 out of 48
  2. Negative: 5 out of 48
  1. Jan 17, 2023
    95
    High on Life is a fantastic addition to the Xbox catalog. Even if it wasn’t in Xbox Gamepass I would be recommending you play this game for its story, Metroidvania exploration and Trick Holes. Since it’s included with Xbox Gamepass it’s a no-brainer to check out. If you are a fan of the Roiland style humor then you are in for a real treat. There were so many times I had to pause the game and set the controller down because I was so shocked by something that was said or done. It was a pleasant surprise to be caught off guard like that in a game and I really look forward to what Squanch Games does next. Hopefully it's a sequel to this must play game.
  2. Jan 3, 2023
    90
    High on Life perfectly blends tried-and-true Metroidvania and classic first-person shooter elements with Justin Roiland and Squanch Games’ distinctive brand of dark, fourth wall-breaking comedy, resulting in an action-adventure that no gamer should dare miss out on, especially when it is being offered for free to anyone with an Xbox Game Pass subscription.
  3. Dec 14, 2022
    90
    High on Life is a fantastic experience hindered by some technical shortcomings. The world and characters are simply fantastic and it is genuinely hilarious, which is one of the hardest things in gaming to achieve. This game shot up my list of the best of 2022 from the outset and it didn’t disappoint by the end. I really enjoyed my time with it and look forward to what the team works on next. The fact that it is available on Game Pass is just icing on the cake. I can’t recommend this game enough, it is a wonderful way to end the year and more than worth playing through.
  4. Dec 12, 2022
    90
    High On Life is absolutely fantastic, and you should play it.
  5. 85
    High on Life is one of those games that punches hard with style and character. Once you’ve started playing, you won’t be able to stop. Perhaps some people may find the humor a little much at times, but I had a blast.
  6. Dec 21, 2022
    83
    High on Life transports us to a bizarre, strange and hilarious universe in which humanity's only hope is a rookie bounty hunter, a gun that won't shut up and old glory. The art style, constant jokes, and loads of references make High on Life a good way to spend the 10-11 hour or so of the main adventure. Although there are aspects that could have been improved or options that should be present, the set leaves a great title, in which the variety of enemies, the character improvements and the story of High on Life itself, are close to achieving the outstanding.
  7. Dec 16, 2022
    83
    It’s a solid shooter that often manages to nail its jokes, has a unique visual style, and feels pretty great to control the further into the campaign you get. It isn’t going to be the best shooter of all time, but it’s certainly fun while it lasts, and worth checking out.
  8. Jan 30, 2023
    80
    High on Life is an enjoyable yet silly first person shooter that works on most levels. While the humour sometimes misses he target, for the most part it is quite a witty and humouress story with interesting protagonists and antagonists to be found along the way as you explore this immersive alien shooter. Definitely a game for those looking for something unique yet different in the first person shooter genre.
  9. Jan 3, 2023
    80
    Quotation forthcoming.
  10. Jan 3, 2023
    80
    High on life isn't here to change your game of the year or to make history. It knows is place as a great send off to a great year and does this job phenomenally. While it's fun combat lacks the diversity the rest of the game has, the humor, fantastic level design and surprisingly good plot will make you leave with a big smile.
  11. Jan 3, 2023
    80
    High on Life can be extremely annoying to some and extremely fun to others, as there is sarcasm in almost every minute of the game about religion, superstition, politics, daily routines, and even colors. If you are a Justin Roiland fan, there is no doubt that High on Life will be one the best adventures of your life.
  12. Dec 29, 2022
    80
    Even though I had zero expectations and was ready to be disappointed, I can easily say that High On Life turned out to be a very satisfying game, If you want to play an FPS which is dipped in some meta humor sauce and gameplay inspired by Metroid Prime and similar games High On Life is exactly what you are looking for. Of course if it's humor suits you, otherwise you may lower the score by a point or two.
  13. Dec 29, 2022
    80
    High on Life comes to our consoles and is consolidated as one of the great surprises of the year. A fun delivery, full of action and uncensored humor that will make your games incredibly funny.
  14. Dec 21, 2022
    80
    High on Life is a game that keeps its promises. Underneath a skin made up of over the top humor there is a biting irony towards a genre (old school FPS’s) which has far too many tropes to make fun of (and here not even one is left behind). The sometimes chaotic level design, combined with not exactly exciting boss fights, risks overshadowing the merits of the Squanch Games game, but a good sum of game mechanics manages to keep everything afloat, waiting for the next joke and the resulting laugh.
  15. Dec 19, 2022
    80
    High on Life is crass, vulgar, excessive, padded and features a comedy style that is incredibly subjective. However, it also has a ton of heart, strong gunplay, surprisingly good level design, a unique tone and, above all else, it's just plain fun.
  16. Dec 15, 2022
    80
    High on Life is an irreverent, absurd shooter that manages to shine with its outrageous humor, silly setting and story, and some really goofy, foul-mouthed guns that pull the whole thing together for the vast majority of the time. Combat is a bit sloppy, especially during the first act, and the whole sci-fi adventure sometimes has an unpolished feel to it, but once you get some new tools of destruction and movement options, it rises to the occasion. Not all of its jokes find their punchline, but with memorable boss fights, unique alt-fire abilities and exploration, and way more terrible movies to watch than I expected, this wacky journey is definitely worth your time.
  17. Jan 3, 2023
    77
    High On Life unapologetically caters to advent fans of absurdist comedy, which overflows with expletive language and wacky scenarios. Lack of enemy variety and performance issues may be a deterrent for some, however.
  18. Jan 3, 2023
    77
    High On Life combines simple FPS gameplay with an attractive design, a wide variety of weapons, and exaggerated writing that makes every moment unforgettable. Although it has some shortcomings, such as the simple enemy AI and little variety during firefights, it stays fun and engaging, and although it doesn't revolutionize the genre, it's an excellent choice for those who like over-the-top humour and original ideas and want to spend about 12 hours of fun.
  19. 76
    A game written and directed by one of the creators of Rick and Morty could have been a masterpiece, instead turned out to be an interesting and hilarious product only in parts. The gameplay holds up for a few hours but in the long run becomes quite repetitive, fortunately the dark humor that characterizes the entire production manages to lift it up in no small part.
  20. Dec 20, 2022
    75
    Despite having a number of fun and interesting ideas, High on Life falls short of its full potential. The new game from the co-creator of Rick and Morty will give you a good time, but only that.
  21. Dec 20, 2022
    75
    High on Life is an FPS that focuses on making us laugh while enjoying the combat. The game manages to make us laugh in many of the conversations, with that Rick & Morty humor that Justin Roiland is known for. Could have had a little more depth to the gameplay, which makes it lame in this area.
  22. 75
    High On Life is the most video game-like video game to come from the minds of Squanch and Justin Roiland to date, and it shows the studio is capable of more than just lightly-interactive experiences packed with fart and cum jokes. Though it has plenty of those, too.
  23. Dec 19, 2022
    75
    I had a good time with High on Life, but I can’t promise that everyone else will. Although the basic first-person shooter gameplay is hardly a revolution in game design, its certainly more than competent and accomplishes what it needs to, even with its significant lack of variety in the game’s second half. Where High on Life is likely to be polarising is its dialogue and humour, which are prevalent enough that they are hard to ignore. If you’re looking for a decent FPS that doesn’t overstay its welcome and can accept that not every joke is likely to land, then High on Life is certainly worth checking out.
  24. Dec 16, 2022
    75
    High On Life is an ambitious shooter, supported by a brilliant script that manages to make you laugh from start to finish. Unfortunately, the shooting phases struggle to excel and the game clearly suffers from all the limitations typical of independent development.
  25. Dec 15, 2022
    75
    A fun FPS that gets better with every new talking gun you get. The wild situations, constant banter and sense of humor can either be great or a bummer, depending on your tastes. But if you like Rick & Morty, you're going to love it.
This publication does not provide a score for their reviews.
This publication has not posted a final review score yet.
These unscored reviews do not factor into the Metascore calculation.
  1. Dec 12, 2022
    A miserable cocktail of ideas from other action-platformers and the worst parts of Rick and Morty. [Eurogamer AVOID]
  2. Dec 13, 2022
    This is quintessential Roiland humor: Drag out something for so long it starts to make the viewer uncomfortable, then drag it out a little longer until they start to uncomfortably laugh, then drive that laughter home with a dash more discomfort—see, now it’s hilarious. But whereas this formula works (mostly) well in a 22-minute-long Rick and Morty episode, by the time I’m several hours into High On Life, every line of dialogue makes it clear that somehow, I am not high enough.
  3. Dec 13, 2022
    My only major complaint lies in the abrupt ending, with no particular surprises after defeating the final boss or activities to finish. For a game that was filled with voices of the nattering guns, they are strangely silent once we laid waste to the big bad. It was odd and jarring. But, regardless, the destination was enjoyable and is very much worth your time if you enjoy a beautiful-looking, solid shooter that does not take itself at all seriously, with incredible performances from... well, talking guns, horny teddy bears, limbless bounty hunters, and fascist ant people.
  4. Jan 3, 2023
    A bit confusing at first, High On Life is an experience that can finally be enjoyed once you put some hours into it. Regarding its purely FPS component, even though it works very well, it was a bit too wishy-washy. Among the notable flaws, we have the lack of impact in gunfights, a small and repetitive bestiary and bosses that are too easy to take down. On the other hand, the idea of the Gatlians is interesting to explore and this irreverent, vulgar, trashy and absurd humour finally won us over and made us forget some of the game design’s shortcomings. Beware, however, that the lack of ergonomics, particularly with regard to subtitles, could put off many non-English-speaking players from getting involved in the adventure. Although imperfect, Squanch Games’ title remains a solid base for a new licence and manages to take us into its totally ludicrous universe despite quite a negative first impression. Well done!
User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 663 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Negative: 94 out of 663
  1. Dec 15, 2022
    10
    PS5 BOTS WILL TRY TO PUT IN FAKE REVIEWS. IGNORE THEM. THEIR JEALOUS HOW MUCH THEIR CONSOLE ACTUALLY SUCKS.

    This game is absolutely freaking
    PS5 BOTS WILL TRY TO PUT IN FAKE REVIEWS. IGNORE THEM. THEIR JEALOUS HOW MUCH THEIR CONSOLE ACTUALLY SUCKS.

    This game is absolutely freaking amazing and HILARIOUS. I love all the uniqueness of the weapons, and how beautiful the environments look. Especially, how creative the characters and their dialogue are and how funny it is to listen to. You can tell how hard the crew put their all into this game, with so much dialogue and fun combat. The character guns are so cool also, how they talk to you and how their own upgrades cater to them or how they react to everything around you and everyone else. Literally, makes you think how much time actually went into development into that alone. Even the A.I are hilarious, but VERY intelligent. The way they take cover, taunt you, and at times even are programmed to attack other A.I that they don't get along with. Amazing game can't wait to see all the more DLC guns and content for this sick game.
    Full Review »
  2. Dec 14, 2022
    9
    high on life is a masterpiece only haters and fake gamers will say otherwise,if you still don't know you can edit gun chatter that way justinhigh on life is a masterpiece only haters and fake gamers will say otherwise,if you still don't know you can edit gun chatter that way justin roiland and all his pals won't be annoying(for people who find them annoying or dont like joke)and i advise you to get high a lot you have to calm down at some point and stop taking everything at face value life is too short,
    the game is so funny and i'm a fan of rick and morty so yeah i hope to see a dlc or a sequel.
    Full Review »
  3. Dec 14, 2022
    10
    Awsome Game, Games media were upset that this game wasn't inclusive enough and didn't have enough POC representation,,, even though it was setAwsome Game, Games media were upset that this game wasn't inclusive enough and didn't have enough POC representation,,, even though it was set on an Alien planet, filled with diverse Aliens..This game is full of originality and great humour. Tons of work must have gone into this experience with so many interactions voice acted and it pays off. Yet another game that proves not to listen to the ever offended Games Journalist's. Full Review »