If you’re a fan of games that are bold and bizarre, one you should keep an eye on is High On Life. Announced earlier this year and currently expected to release during the 2022 holiday season, this wacky Xbox and PC exclusive shooter looks like it’s going to be one of the strangest games ever made. We wouldn’t expect anything less from Rick and Morty co-creator Justin Roiland and Squanch Games, the studio he founded in 2016.
Here’s a complete overview of everything we know about High On Life ahead of its launch, including its specific release date, gameplay, what platforms the game will be on, and more.
High On Life release date
High On Life was originally set to launch on Oct. 25, 2022, shortly after it was revealed for the first time earlier this year. However, developer Squanch Games recently announced a short delay for the game so that the studio could “work to polish the best possible gaming experience for High On Life.”Â
As a result of the delay, the game now has a new release date of Dec. 13, 2022. Ultimately, while it’s a bummer that fans will have to wait a little longer before they can play High On Life, the silver lining is that it isn’t a long one compared to many other 2022 game delays that have pushed some release dates well into 2023.
High On Life development and reveal
Like many other upcoming Xbox and PC exclusives, High On Life was originally revealed during the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase 2022 show that ran on Jun. 12, 2022, during the E3 season. The announcement trailer for the game instantly captivated many fans interested in chaotic shooter action and comedic writing, with High On Life quickly becoming one of the most highly anticipated upcoming Xbox titles.
The game is being developed by Squanch Games, which previously released the VR game Accounting, the Google Daydream title Dr. Splorchy Presents: Space Heroes, and the action platformer Trover Saves the Universe. It was founded by Justin Roiland, the co-creator of Rick and Morty and Solar Opposites. In addition to creating these adult sitcoms and voicing many of their characters, Roiland has also contributed to several other TV shows, including Adventure Time, Gravity Falls, Out There, and Pig Goat Banana Cricket.
High On Life story and setting
Based on all of the trailers, dialogue, and descriptions that we’ve seen and heard so far, we know that High On Life takes place across multiple colorful planets and has a distinct organic sci-fi art direction. You play as a human fresh out of high school, with no job or plans — that is, until a ruthless alien cartel suddenly invades Earth and attempts to consume humanity like a drug, literally getting high off human bodies. It’s up to you to become a deadly intergalactic bounty hunter so that you can track down and stop Garmantuous, the leader of the alien forces.
As you might expect from a game being developed by the co-creator of Rick and Morty, High On Life will have a silly, immature, and comedic tone, complete with lots of swearing, adult jokes, fourth wall breaks, ridiculous characters, and absurd scenarios. Overall, we expect that High On Life’s mood will be very similar to what players have grown to expect from Borderlands, and it may end up being one of the best Xbox games for players looking for a laugh.
High On Life gameplay
Recent gameplay footage of High On Life from Gamescom 2022 leads us to believe that the shooter will have an action-adventure feel, allowing players to journey across the galaxy and eliminate various alien bounty targets (potentially non-linearly) as they get closer and closer to figuring out where the antagonist Garmantuous is.
Throughout your journey, you’ll rescue a variety of talking weapons, adding each one to your arsenal as you do. You’ll also meet many different wacky and eccentric characters along the way that may assist or stand against you, and will also have opportunities to hunt down intergalactic criminals for extra rewards.
Overall, it seems like High On Life’s talking weapons will be your primary tools both in and out of combat. In addition to allowing you to shoot, stab, or otherwise kill enemies, these weapons also come with extra abilities that can be used in multiple different ways. For example, Kenny, a pistol-type weapon, can fire a large glob of goo capable of crowd controlling enemies by knocking them back and knocking objects down so you can use them as platforms. Knifey, the player’s melee weapon, can be used to deflect enemy projectiles, to tether and swing the player between grapple points, and to open Lugloxes (containers with money and other loot).
Similar to the boss fights of Borderlands, High On Life also features boss battles with your bounty targets that require skilled usage of your weapons. One of these bosses, a vicious ant queen named 9-Torg, was featured in the gameplay footage shown during Gamescom 2022. In the fight, the player has to use Knifey’s tether ability to swing from the ceiling and avoid toxic goo in the boss arena while dealing damage to 9-Torg and her minions with Kenny.
High On Life trailers
There have been several trailers for High On Life since it was announced earlier this year, including the official game trailer, the 9-Torg gameplay trailer, and several animations that were made to advertise the game. We’ve embedded all of them here for easy viewing, as well as Squanch Games’ presentation during the Xbox Booth Live show at Gamescom 2022.
High On Life price, preorder, and platforms
High On Life will cost $60 and will launch on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One consoles, and Windows PCs through both Steam and the Epic Games Store. Preorders for the game are available now on both Xbox and PC, though currently PC players can only preorder the game via the Epic Games Store.
Is High On Life coming to Xbox Game Pass?
Since High On Life will be an Xbox and PC exclusive at launch, many fans have wondered whether the game was coming to Xbox Game Pass. We have good news: High On Life will be fully available to Xbox Game Pass subscribers on day one, and will also be playable through Xbox Cloud Gaming for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members.
Is High On Life coming to PS5?
If you’re a PlayStation owner hoping to play High On Life when it releases, the hard truth is that you won’t be able to since High On Life is exclusively releasing on Xbox consoles and PC. Squanch Games also hasn’t publicly announced plans to bring the game to PS5, suggesting that the game won’t be available on Sony’s console for a lengthy period of time after it comes out, either.
That doesn’t mean that High On Life won’t eventually make its way to PlayStation, though. It’s entirely possible that Squanch Games might make a PlayStation version of the game at some point in the next year or two, giving PS4 and PS5 gamers the opportunity to experience Justin Roiland’s bizarre new comedic shooter.
