When High On Life launched in 2022, it became a quirky success story — a first-person shooter centred around sentient alien guns and relentless improv comedy. Now, five years later, High On Life 2 arrives with a bigger budget, a larger hub, and a surprisingly radical new mechanic: skateboarding.
Released on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S (Day One on Game Pass), and PC on 13 February 2026 — with a Nintendo Switch 2 version arriving on 20 April — Squanch Games’ sequel not only takes absurdity to new heights.
It adds wheels.
And somehow transforms itself into the galaxy’s strangest hybrid: a first-person Tony Hawk shooter.
Five Years Later: The Stakes Get Personal
The sequel takes place half a decade after the original adventure. You’re no longer just an accidental bounty hunter stumbling into intergalactic trouble — you’ve become a galactic celebrity with a reputation.
That reputation quickly crumbles.
Your sister Lizzie has become one of the most wanted targets in the universe. Framed, manipulated, or worse, she’s now at the centre of a conspiracy involving an intergalactic pharmaceutical conglomerate.
Yes, it’s satire.
Yes, it’s loud about it.
But beneath the chaos, a surprisingly personal story about loyalty, fame, and corporate manipulation emerges.
High On Life 2 doesn’t abandon its irreverent tone but weaves more emotional stakes into the madness.
The Skateboard: A Game-Changer
The biggest addition — and the smartest — is the talking skateboard.
This isn’t a gimmick. It’s a core traversal and combat mechanic.
You can:
- Grind rails mid-firefight
- Launch off half-pipes into aerial slow-mo gunplay
- Kickflip into enemy clusters
- Maintain momentum across sprawling vertical environments
The level design has developed to support this. Verticality is present everywhere. Half-pipes are incorporated into alien cities. Industrial zones also serve as skate parks.
Combat becomes dynamic.
Movement becomes an expression.
You’re no longer simply strafing and shooting.
You’re carving.
The 120fps “Performance Pro” mode on PS5 and Xbox Series X particularly enhances this mechanic. Skateboarding feels smooth, responsive, and genuinely satisfying.
It is the best element the sequel offers.
Talking Arsenal 2.0
The Gatlians return.
New sentient weapons join the cast, each with unique personalities and fire modes.
Without original co-creator Justin Roiland involved, there was understandable skepticism about whether the comedic identity would hold.
Surprisingly, it does.
The humour remains improvisational and absurd, although slightly more focused than before. Weapons still banter mid-fight. They still comment on your performance. They still break the fourth wall.
But there’s slightly less chaotic rambling and more structured wit.
It’s still juvenile.
It’s still loud.
It still won’t be for everyone.
But it feels more refined.
Hub-Based Design Expanded
The sequel features a much larger central hub.
Shops develop.
Side quests expand.
“Living World” events evolve as the story unfolds.
NPCs remember your decisions. Minor story points ripple outward into environmental changes.
It’s not open-world in the usual sense, but it feels more alive than the original’s segmented planet-hopping structure.
Side missions vary from absurd bounty contracts to satirical corporate exposés.
Not all of them succeed.
But enough do.
In-Game Media: The Squanch Signature
One of the franchise’s quirkiest features returns: full-length B-movies embedded within the game world.
Hidden rooms contain playable screens streaming licensed low-budget sci-fi curiosities. You can sit and watch entire films if you wish.
It’s absurd.
It’s pointless.
It’s very Squanch.
Furthermore, new arcade mini-games and “MurderCon” event sequences add to the optional content.
It adds depth to the world — even if most players will only dip into it.
Combat: More Fluid, Still Familiar
Gunplay itself hasn’t fundamentally changed, but the addition of skating transforms how encounters unfold.
Rather than ducking behind cover, you’re encouraged to keep up your speed.
Momentum increases damage bonuses.
Certain Gatlians work well with aerial tricks.
Combat arenas resemble skate parks mixed with war zones.
It’s chaotic in motion.
And at its best, exhilarating.
That said, enemy variety remains a minor weakness. While bosses are inventive and mechanically distinct, standard encounters can feel repetitive over long sessions.
Performance and Technical Polish
On PS5 and Xbox Series X, the game aims for 4K/60fps with optional 120fps performance modes.
In practice, performance remains stable. Frame pacing during skate-heavy combat stays smooth. Load times are quick.
PC performance scales well, although some early reports of shader compilation stutter appear on high-end systems.
The Switch 2 version (previewed but not fully reviewed here) targets 60fps with dynamic resolution scaling.
Overall, it’s a strong technical package.
The Comedy Question
High On Life’s identity depends on humour.
If you disliked the original’s tone, this won’t convince you.
The sequel sharpens pacing and tightens jokes, but it remains deliberately juvenile and surreal.
Fourth-wall breaks.
Corporate satire.
Alien absurdism.
Endless weapon chatter.
For some, it’s hilarious.
For others, exhausting.
It’s still divisive.
Where It Stumbles
While skateboarding enhances traversal, mission structure occasionally reverts to typical FPS pacing.
Some side quests feel padded.
Enemy archetypes don’t expand as much as the movement system warrants.
And while the hub is larger, meaningful systemic depth (crafting, branching endings, faction dynamics) remains limited.
It’s an evolution.
Not a reinvention.
Final Verdict
High On Life 2 succeeds where many sequels struggle: it introduces a transformative mechanic that genuinely changes how you play.
The talking skateboard isn’t just a novelty — it’s the core of the experience.
Combat feels quicker. Levels seem more vertical. Movement becomes more expressive.
The humour remains sharp, though still divisive. The narrative adds emotional stakes without losing its absurdity.
It doesn’t fix every flaw of the original.
But it confidently enhances its strengths.
And when you’re grinding a neon rail while dual-wielding sarcastic alien guns at 120fps, it’s hard not to smile.
