Game Pass’ High on Life is actually one of 2022’s best shooters

It’s tempting to write off High on LifeAs a Justin Roiland-driven comedy game in which your opinions of the show are based solely on his specific brand of humor. And while that’s largely accurate, it glosses over It’s High On LifeOne of the top and most inventive shooters in 2022.

Let’s linger on that first point a little longer: It’s High On LifeIt is a game in its core by Justin Roiland. Both the story and gameplay have been infused in Roiland’s brand of absurdist (anti)humor. Roiland voices your sentient gun, so he’s always right there in your hand, providing a running commentary. Depending on your tolerance, that’s a pretty high barrier to entry. (It’s telling that there’s a setting where you can turn off his incidental dialogue.)

But, just past that, there’s a really creative game that scratches that first-person shooter itch in a year where shooters didn’t exactly stand out (with the exception of Metal: Hellsinger, The combination of Doom-like mechanics combined with custom metal music was a great mix. Hyper DemonThis was built upon the amazing tension and agony of Devil Daggers).

Photo: Squanch Games via Polygon

There are many of It’s High On Life’s creativity stems from its traversal options. Very early on, you’ll pick up Knifey, a homicidal and sentient knife. Knifey is your melee weapon, but he also serves as a grappling hook — much like the greatest thing that’s ever happened to the Halo series, the grappleshot. You can ride zip lines, scale walls previously inaccessible by picking up Knifey. Each of your guns — aliens called Gatlians — has a similar secondary use.

Your primary weapon, Kenny, has a “Glob Shot” that he shoots out of his “trick hole.” In combat, this acts like a grenade, but it also lets you knock down certain walls to create new paths. Gus, a shotgun-like weapon, fires Disc Shots which shoot a huge Frisbee around the area to inflict damage on enemies. You can also shoot them at specific walls and create platforms for climbing. The copyright-safe version of Halo’s Needler, Sweezy, fires a Time Bubble that slows time inside its shell — perfect for getting past spinning fan blades.

Photo: Squanch Games via Polygon

The Jetpack and Mag-Boots allow you to climb steel walls and navigate every area in the world. It’s High On Life It’s a truly satisfying and enjoyable action puzzler shooting game.

Regardless of how you feel about Justin Roiland’s humor, or how annoying you think his running commentary is, It’s High On LifeIt’s a fun game. It’s not perfect, mind you. We’ve run into glitches, clipping issues, and one game-breaking bug about eight hours in — something that doesn’t seem uncommon based on a quick search. Squanch Games representative told Polygon that some of these bugs were already fixed in the first day. More patches will follow.

So, yes, It’s High On Life is an imperfect game that really needs you to buy into Roiland’s Rick and Morty You can embrace this kind of humor with open arms. But if you can endure it, you’re in for a genuinely creative shooter. (That it’s on Xbox Game Pass for free makes that a lot easier.)