High on Life lost me with its bad Gamescom trailer, but its demo won me back
The gameplay reel for the upcoming Xbox console exclusive High on Life that aired during Gamescom Opening Night Live is perhaps the worst trailer for a game I’ve ever seen. Filled with weak jokes made worse by awkward timing, I left the show presentation sure it would be one of 2022’s most derided games come December.
I don’t say that to be cruel. I’m saying it to emphasize how much of a 180 I did on the game once I actually got to play it.
During Gamescom, I played a 20-minute demo of High on Life, which culminated in the boss fight showcased during Gamescom Opening Night Live. While some of the concerns I had with the game were still present, I’m feeling much more optimistic about Squanch Games’ upcoming comedy shooter. Not every joke landed, but it got some big laughs out of me – and this is coming from someone who felt secondhand embarrassment when they saw its trailer 12 hours before.
You’ll probably know whether or not you’ll like High on Life just based on who’s involved with it. It’s the brainchild of Squanch Games, a studio founded by Rick and Morty co-creator Justin Roiland. The creator’s sense of humor is all over the project, from its stuttery comedic delivery to its reliance on absurd and often edgy jokes.
If you were turned off by the humor in the Gamescom Opening Night Live trailer, you might be glad to hear that everything that comes before it is much funnier (and more fun). Set in a sci-fi world not so different from Rick and Morty, I took on the role of a bounty hunter out to kill some colorful aliens. Armed with a talking gun that’s basically just a bloodthirsty Morty, I set out to some sludge-filled slums to track down my first target.
Within 20 minutes, I’d hit a few moments that gave me a genuine
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