High on Life 2 Announced at Xbox Showcase – Can Squanch Games Nail the Satirical FPS Formula This

This year’s Xbox Games Showcase didn’t waste time dropping curveballs: High on Life 2 was revealed with all the chaotic energy, crude humor, and mouthy weaponry you’d expect from Squanch Games. As someone who played (and occasionally cringed through) the first game, this announcement immediately got my attention-partly for what it promises, but also for the baggage and expectations it drags along. Let’s dig into what’s new, what’s familiar, and whether this sequel can really deliver on the irreverent magic the original hinted at.

High on Life 2: More Satire, More Insanity – But Will It Stick the Landing?

• Talking weapons and offbeat humor return – but will the jokes land, or get old fast?
• New hoverboard platforming could shake up the formula if it’s more than a gimmick
• No PS5 release at launch – Xbox Series and PC exclusivity for now
• Squanch Games gets a shot at fixing the first game’s rough edges… or doubling down on chaos

Feature	Specification
Publisher	Squanch Games
Release Date	Winter 2024/2025 (exact TBA)
Genres	First-Person Shooter, Comedy, Platformer
Platforms	Xbox Series X|S, PC

If you played the original High on Life back in 2022, you know what kind of ride Squanch Games is selling: a loud, fourth-wall-breaking FPS drenched in Justin Roiland’s signature brand of absurdity. While Roiland himself is now out of the studio (following some very public controversies), his comedic DNA still runs deep in the series. The first game was divisive-some found its endless banter and meta jokes hilarious, while others tapped out after the hundredth weapon one-liner. The gameplay itself? Serviceable, but hardly revolutionary. It was the personality that set it apart, for better or worse.

So what’s new in High on Life 2? The reveal trailer leaned hard on that “so-bad-it’s-good” humor with a fake antidepressant ad, quickly giving way to what looks like more of the same gun-slinging insanity and lo-fi sci-fi worlds. But there are a few fresh tricks: new weapon types (including a fire-breathing turtle), and-surprisingly—a hoverboard for expanded platforming segments. If that last bit sounds out of left field, I’m right there with you. Platforming and FPS rarely mix well, unless you’ve got Titanfall-level movement design chops. The trailer’s tricks look fun, but it’s going to be a real test to see if they’re more than a gimmick.

What’s really interesting is how Squanch Games is treating this sequel as a chance for redemption—or at least refinement. The first game had its fans, but it was pretty rough around the edges: uneven combat, repetitive jokes, and a general sense that the concept was carrying the experience more than the mechanics. With High on Life 2, they have an opportunity to show they’re not just a one-joke studio. Will they actually deepen the gameplay, or is this just a bigger, louder retread? As a gamer who stuck with the original in hopes it would eventually find its footing, I want to believe, but I’m keeping my expectations in check.

The platform situation is also telling. No PS5 version at launch—just Xbox Series and PC—mirrors the original’s rollout. Eventually, the first game did hit PlayStation, but the delayed release always feels like a calculated move to lock in Game Pass subscribers and play up Xbox’s “quirky exclusives” angle. It’s another sign of how these smaller, personality-driven games are becoming chess pieces in the bigger console war, not just cult oddities for the Steam crowd.

For gamers, the biggest questions are pretty simple: Is the humor still fresh, or are we in for diminishing returns? Does the new platforming add real depth, or just pad out the playtime? And can Squanch Games turn their wild concept into an actual top-tier shooter, not just a meme with a controller? If you love games that are more about the journey than the destination—and don’t mind some jokes missing the mark—High on Life 2 is probably already on your radar. But if you bounced off the first game hard, don’t expect a reinvention. This is a sequel for the fans, with just enough tweaks to reel in the merely curious.

What This Means for Gamers: More of the Good, the Weird, and the Divisive

The original High on Life was a cult hit, not a mainstream smash. Its sequel doubling down on what made the first stand out—wild talking weapons, meta-humor, and oddball world-building—suggests Squanch Games knows its audience. The addition of hoverboard platforming could be inspired… or just another “wacky” feature that fizzles out. Still, in a sea of ultra-serious shooters, there’s room for irreverence—even if it risks being more annoying than funny for some. I’m rooting for this to be the sequel that nails both comedy and gameplay, but my trigger finger is hovering over the skip button until we see more than just a punchline-filled trailer.

In short, High on Life 2 is shaping up to be exactly what you’d expect—and whether that’s a good or bad thing depends entirely on your tolerance for talking guns and offbeat satire. At least Squanch Games is swinging for the fences, and in today’s safe, sequel-heavy industry, that’s worth something.

TL;DR

High on Life 2 was revealed at the Xbox Showcase, bringing back wisecracking weapons, absurd humor, and some new platforming with a hoverboard twist. If you loved the first game’s chaotic energy, you’ll probably get a kick out of the sequel. But whether Squanch Games can fix the first’s flaws and deliver more than just another joke remains to be seen. For now, it’s exclusive to Xbox Series and PC, dropping this winter—expect more laughs, more weirdness, and probably a few groan-worthy gags along the way.