High on Life is not going to be a game for everyone. The humor will be hit or miss and it depends a lot on if players like Rick and Morty. Justin Roiland, who helped co-create that series, worked on this title and helped start the company itself, Squanch Games.
High on Life is a nonsensical game where the weapons talk. There are options in the menu to lessen the chatter but that sort of defeats the purpose of this game which is more of a comedy than a robust first-person shooter. So, for those that do like the story and the humor, these are some of the best lines. There will be spoilers up to the end of the game.
8 “I Look So Shootable.”
There are a few NPCs players can come across that refuse to let them through. The first is a kid right before the slums on the main planet. He keeps calling the player fresh meat and shoving them if they get too close.
Instinctually, players may try to shoot this character but Kenny blocks the command, scolding players in the process. That’s when this kid’s chiding continues, talking about how shootable he looks. Eventually, Kenny caves and players get exactly what they want, mayhem in a shooter.
7 “If Any Of Those Guys Were Still Alive, They’d Be Telling You How Much They Respect You.”
This line was delivered by Gus if players have him as their main weapon outside of Old Town. On this planet, there is a bridge under construction by the Mackincheese Brothers. They’re stereotypical lazy and rude workers who shove the player around, forcing their hand to kill again.
Gus will call players the Aloha and say this line about earning their respect. There are more NPC interactions like this, but this will be the final one that will be teased as witnessing the rest organically will make High in Life better.
6 “You Don’t Have To Do Everything The AI Tells You To Do!”
The first mission in the game has players go after 9-Torg in the aforementioned slums. Before the boss fight, players will rescue Gene’s weapon, Knifey, who is bent out of shape for being left behind on a previous mission with Gene.
Once players get back to their house, Knifey begs the player to stab Gene and the UI creates a button prompt to do so. If players choose to stab Gene he will freak out and yell how they didn’t have to listen. It’s a great moment with one of the wildest weapons in the game whose bloodlust cannot be satiated.
5 “We Don’t Even Know How That Works Or If It’s Actually A Problem.”
Magistrate Clugg is the head of the hub planet players land on at the beginning of the game. He can be seen on TVs while exploring the city for secrets, but players will eventually meet him face to face. He wishes to hire the bounty hunter to get rid of the G3 Cartel.
He wants to do more but he is up to his neck with other problems like Gary the Poisoner. That’s when he mentions how he poisoned light poles and is confused if that is a problem or not or even how Gary was able to do it. It’s a fun, one-off line in this comedic game that unfortunately goes nowhere beyond a joke.
4 “Everyone Called Me Crazy, But Look At Me Now, I’m Dead.”
This line was delivered by one of the bosses of High in Life, Dr. Giblets. This game throws players for a loop with many of these encounters, creating some of the most memorable boss fights of 2022.
Dr. Giblets, for example, kills himself and the boss fight is instead in a death arena where a pre-recorded message plays from the good doctor. He expected this to happen and keeps trying to figure out who killed him when he did it all along. This line about being dead as if it were a victory is only one of many great lines from this boss fight.
3 “Being A Dad Is The Best Feeling In The World.”
Creature is the final permanent weapon players will unlock. There is one more past him but he is only used as a story device. Creature’s gimmick is his ability to birth children that players can then fire at enemies. They attack enemies randomly and act a bit like the Mr. And Ms. Zurkon weapons in the Ratchet and Clank series.
The full quote Creature says in his tutorial is a bit long, but it’s about how cool his kids are except for when they die. Some of the lines in here sound like they are delivered from a sketch, specifically the haunted house one from I Think You Should Leave. Tim Robinson, the star of that show, voices Creature.
2 “I’m Trying To Do A Sort Of Psycho Mantis Thing But I Can’t Actually Access Your Play Data.”
The fight with Nipulon is the best boss fight in the game. It’s the most involved as he sends players on a drug trip through their subconscious. While trying to shoot him down, Nipulon will ask players if they are into Fortnite, Minecraft, or Rocket League which is a good spread to detect both casual and hardcore players.
He then says this line about Psycho Mantis which is a reference to the boss fight with him in Metal Gear Solid. If players had Konami games on their memory card that came out before Metal Gear Solid, Psycho Mantis would mention them. Suikoden and Vandal Hearts are two good examples.
1 “Oh Yeah, Everyone Loves Us.”
Garmantuous is the head of the G3 Cartel and warns players that if they didn’t stop taking down his organization, he would harm the ones he loved the most. This is supposed to make players think Garmantuous has their parents, but in the final boss fight, Garmantuous pulls out Jack Black and Susan Sarandon instead.
Garmantuous is confused, asking the player if they don’t love these characters because everyone else on Earth seems to. That’s when Jack Black says this line and agrees with the sentiment before Garmantuous obliterates both actors. It’s a payoff that works well in High in Life.
High on Life was released on December 13, 2022, and is available on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.