Excessive on Life seemingly had one guiding query that fueled each design resolution: What is the funniest factor we will do right here? It is the form of over-the-top, wildly left-field humor that is in step with Rick & Morty, as you’d anticipate, and Excessive on Life 2 takes these concepts to new heights.
I performed it a number of weeks in the past at a Microsoft occasion throughout PAX West weekend, the place we additionally chatted with Squanch Video games COO Matty Studivan about this sequel that takes issues to extra radical locations (in additional methods than one).
In Excessive on Life 2, you need to use your intergalactic hitman talents to take down a sci-fi-comedy metaphor for giant pharma. The speaking weapons from the primary recreation return, although some new ones have joined the fray. Most apparently, nevertheless, is that you may’t dash on this recreation. As a substitute, you skate.
Excessive on Laughs
When you performed the primary recreation or have watched Rick & Morty, you may know precisely what to anticipate with Excessive on Life 2 by way of its narrative and character moments. A major instance from the demo I performed is once I was infiltrating an space to assassinate my goal.
In fact, the entrance door was guarded, so I needed to sneak in by way of another means. In most different video games, you’d discover that vent or elevator shaft and easily use it. Congratulations, you reached the subsequent checkpoint.
In Excessive on Life 2, I simply went barely to the proper and located an elevator being labored on by upkeep. I approached the employee, heard a bit of his spiel, after which walked previous him to get within the elevator, which instantly broke.
From there, he requested if I may assist him repair the elevator by hitting some buttons inside. In some unspecified time in the future, he asks me to carry one button for 20 seconds, then whereas holding it, hit one other button. Astute avid gamers would possibly understand that there is solely, actually, one work together button.
So even if you happen to observe the charade of counting to twenty, you’ll be able to’t do it. And the employee says one thing that factors out that you do not actually have the capability to hit two work together buttons.
In different phrases, it is meta comedy all the way in which down. That meta humor comes into play throughout a boss battle within the demo. I will not spoil it an excessive amount of, however let’s simply say that it surpassed my expectations by way of simply how a lot Squanch Video games is devoted to obliterating the fourth wall. If this would not threat authorized hassle, I am certain they might joke about deleting system32 to unravel a puzzle.
Even the premise of Excessive on Life 2 lives on the road between absurd and ridiculous. My mission was to search out a fictional senator named Muppy Doo, who was giving a speech at a conference. So I needed to go to the Conference Planet and undergo Parking Con and Con Con (once more, meta) to get to his conference. In fact, it was inconceivable to seek out parking at Parking Con.
Love It or Skate It
This type of humor may be fairly polarizing; usually it is both extremely your factor or completely not your factor. Regardless, what’s exhausting to disclaim is that the core gameplay itself is enjoyable, amid all of the jokes and jabs.
This primary-person shooter feels extra energetic and frantic than its prequel, and what actually contributes to the frenetic tempo is the brand new dash mechanic. As a substitute of working, your character whips out a skateboard, instantly altering the trajectory of how you progress.
It takes a bit to get used to only as a result of it actually does really feel like driving a skateboard as an alternative of sprinting in one thing like Name of Responsibility. When you get the cling of it although, you may also leap onto partitions and journey them for a bit. Rails may be grinded on, including an alternative choice for cruising round an enviornment.
The speaking weapons make a return right here, as anticipated. They’re arguably the center and core of Excessive on Life, offering each comedic aid and narrative development. Every has an alternate hearth mode as properly, which might doubly be used to unravel sure puzzles within the atmosphere.
The brand new weapon I discovered within the demo was a three-shot burst rifle named Sheath, and he is voiced by the buttery-brutal tones of Ralph Ineson. His alternate hearth shoots out an enormous spike, and you’ll chain it to a number of enemies to make all of them collide into one another. It provides a pleasant quantity of crowd management that is useful, particularly whenever you get a bit overwhelmed.
Excessive on Life 2 Preview | Remaining Ideas
On the finish of the day, I believe lots of people all for Excessive on Life 2 already know precisely what they’re signing up for. This can be a comedy recreation before everything, which is each its best energy and best weak point. When you like quirky meta humor, you may like this, however the equal and reverse can also be true. On the very least, the tone appears constant within the demo, and it’ll at all times stand out from the pack concerning all of the first-person shooters on the market.
Over the long run, I am curious how properly the narrative will land. Joking all the time can probably get outdated, and I personally ran out of steam partway by way of the primary recreation. However with extra thrilling gameplay, perhaps Excessive on Life 2 may have sufficient juice to maintain issues radical all the way in which to the tip.
Excessive on Life 2 was previewed at an Xbox occasion in Redmond, WA, courtesy of Microsoft.
