The coolest game of the fair, just like in the title. And this is from Squanch Games studio, co-founded by Justin Roiland – one of the fathers of Rick and Morti. For me – the undisputed black horse of this year’s gamescom.
In an imaginary world where people coexist with aliens, we play the role of a teenager who, at the urging of a three-eyed and legless alien, catches himself for the profession of a galactic bounty hunter. The profession is a bit dangerous, gives you quick income and generates a lot of adventures. In cooperation with talking weapons, prompting us to do evil deeds, we set off on a hunt in a space city that looks a bit like cyberpunk Night City, transferred to a cartoon. On the occasion of the mission, our task is to recover the stolen knife of our cosmic friend.
Filled with absurd humor, the game takes us through a colorful, slightly dingy world. The setting looks like it was taken straight out of cartoons, which is not surprising considering the creator behind it. The locations are not very extensive, and the weapons that talk like a barrel organ tells us to introduce us to the secrets of the profession of a head hunter, helping us at various stages of hunting. And so, when looking for our trophy, we enter into discussions with locals, talking washing machines, gates, and malicious ant-like guards who do not necessarily like us. The fight itself, at times, looks more like a platformer, because more than once we will have to jump on various platforms and combine with elements of the environment to get to the target place, rather than with a racial shooting. You have to move a lot, jump, dodge, this is the title in which we move both vertically and horizontally.
Although the weapons have bad tongues, contrary to appearances, they do not tire at all. The talking knocker, which is somehow our friend, in combination with the pathological knife, which only stabs, cuts off limbs and a bloody massacre (which he passionately urges us to do), is a narrative conducted in the style of Rocket from the Guardians of the Galaxy. If you feel this absurd atmosphere and humor, you will be bought with this concept just like me. If not – like Roger for example – you don’t necessarily have to share my enthusiasm.
The game is full of absurd humor from the very first minute, and the arsenal of weapons with which we will operate has many interesting functions, e.g. shooting with a green slime to unlock the passage. Some of the weapon’s abilities allow you to grab the elements of the environment with a kind of rope, others shoot a huge ball throwing enemies into the air, and these can also be juggled with the right weapon. Sometimes it is not so much about killing enemies that counts, as doing it in a unique style, and weapons allow you to combine and have fun.
There will also be dialogues with several issues to choose from. Interestingly, they do not translate into the plot and various endings, but choosing one of the issues during the dialogue unlocks, for example, various options for getting to a given location, so there is a certain non-linearity in this concept. This small diversion simply gives a substitute for agency and freedom, breaking the linearity of the game. High on Life is definitely my favorite at this year’s fair and I am looking forward to the premiere. And what is worth remembering – the game will debut in Xbox Game Pass.
Author: Monika