High on Life is indeed one of the best shooter games in 2022

It’s tempting to write off high on life As a comedy game fueled by Justin Roiland where your opinion of it depends solely on whether or not his particular brand of comedy lands with you. And while that’s pretty much accurate, it’s a glitch high on life Being one of the best and most innovative shooting games released in 2022.

Let’s dwell on that first point for a little longer: high on life It is basically a game by Justin Roiland. Its story and gameplay is steeped in his brand of off-color, absurd, and (anti)self-referential humor. Roiland articulates your conscious gun, so he’s always there for you, and provides quick commentary. Depending on your stamina, this is a very high barrier to entry. (Obviously, there is a place where you can turn off his occasional dialogue.)

But, then, there’s a really creative game that’s scratching your first-person shooter itch in a year where shooters haven’t exactly stood out (except Minerals: Helsinger, which mixed Doom-like mechanics with custom metal music to great effect, and Hyper demonwhich is built on wonderfully painful tension Devil’s daggers).

Many of high on lifeHer creativity stems from her traversal choices. Very early on, you will pick up Knifey, a deadly knife and emote. Knifey is your melee weapon, but it also works as a grappling hook – much like the greatest thing that ever happened to the Halo series, the grapple shot. Knifey capture lets you ride zip lines and scalable walls previously unscalable. Each of your weapons – aliens called Gatlians – have a similar secondary use.

Your primary weapon, Kenny, has a “Glob Shot” that he fires from his “trick hole”. In combat, this action works like a grenade, but it also allows you to demolish some walls to create new pathways. The shotgun-like Gus fires disc shots that launch a giant Frisbee that bounces around the level to damage enemies. Shoot them at certain walls, and they create platforms that you can climb on. The copyrighted version of Halo’s Needler, Sweezy, shoots a time-slowing bubble of time inside its shell – perfect for bypassing the spinning blades of a fan.

Photo: Squanch Games via Polygon

Add to that the Jetpack and Mag-Boots that let you climb metal walls and navigate each world and area high on life It becomes a really satisfying puzzle shooter.

No matter how you feel about Justin Roiland’s humor, or how annoying his running commentary is, high on life is a good game. It’s not perfect, mind you. We ran into glitches, trimming issues, and one bug that broke the game about eight hours in — which, based on a quick search, doesn’t seem uncommon. Some of these bugs have already been addressed in the day one patch, with more patches to follow, a Squanch Games representative told Polygon.

So, yes, high on life It is an incomplete game that you really need to buy in Roiland Rick and Morty Humor style to fully embrace it. But if you can stomach it, you’re in for a really creative shooter. (Having it on Xbox Game Pass for free makes that a lot easier.)