Screenshots & trailers
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (OpenCritic) | – | 69 | 99 |
| Creator reviews (3 tracked) | – | 47 | 3 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 89% | 83 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 79 | 341 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 90% | 84 | 3000 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Sep 27, 2023) · 300 reviews sampled · 10803 total reviews in window · weighted 199.8 up / 21.1 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (108)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 50
“The most fun I had with High on Life was watching the entirety of Tammy and the T-Rex on an in-game television, and that’s not a compliment. It’s indicative of a game that doesn’t know how to exploit the interactivity of videogames and settles instead on yelling ideas as unsubtly as possible. With its relentless avalanche of jokes and screeches, it’ll talk your ears off but has exactly zero bite to go with its cacophonous barking. Its best ideas are borrowed from elsewhere. Its worst ideas are borrowed from elsewhere. The aggressively layered comedy is a smokescreen for the fact it's got nothing else going for it. It’s a clamorous joke delivery vehicle in which your role as a player is to passively observe and occasionally shoot stuff. You might as well sit down and watch TV. ”
read full review ↗ - 10
- 70
“High on Life is a strong enough game with some fun gameplay segments and okay-ish plot, all of which can outweigh some of the obvious shortcomings. Basically this new release from Squanch Games is a competently made FPS with some szechuan sauce on the side.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“The humor in High on Life isn’t for everyone. Some may find it overly crude for its own sake, but a biting, well-crafted satire, even if it’s politically incorrect, will always work. The game is quite violent, which stands in sharp contrast to its childlike graphics. If you like a modern action style spiced up with adventure elements, Metroidvania-style revisiting of locations, and humor similar to *Rick and Morty* (I really need to check that out sometime), go for it. The game doesn’t place much emphasis on the story itself, but rather on the scripts of individual mini-scenes and all sorts of gags.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“Humor is the most important thing about High on Life. It single-handedly decides about how you will feel about the game. If it works for you, everything should.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Nonetheless, High On Life is a rock-solid shooter and a great way to idly spend a weekend's worth of time blasting aliens. More than anything, I see the mold of a game that could really break the surface if Squanch Games and company decided they want to revisit this world and series. Just please, less holes next time, y'all.”
read full review ↗ - 73
“Social satire and demented humour are the beating heart of High on Life: the way they are conveyed to the player is of excellent quality. However, beyond that the game doesn’t have much to offer.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Though a little unpolished in places, High on Life surprises with its fast-paced combat, enhanced traversal upgrades, and yes, even its humor. This game from Rick and Morty creator Justin Roiland won't be for everyone, but it's an easy recommend for anybody that enjoys a vulgar, humorous romp infused with DOOM-style combat.”
read full review ↗ - 65
“Squanch Games is certainly onto something when it comes to the satirical motifs laced with chaotic action, but the formula could use some refining and further fleshing out.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Though it has plenty of great ideas, High on Life is too overbearing and never quite commits to its best moments.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“When the humour lands, it's usually a light chuckle, never a wheezing gasp of laughter. Most of the time, High of Life is obnoxious with how it hammers crude jokes with Roiland's signature stammering, improvisational delivery. It's a good-looking game with bright, cartoony imagery, and the shooting has a solid foundation, but players will need a strong stomach to withstand the utter noise-vomit of the constant quips.”
read full review ↗ - 40
“High On Life combines sloppy shooter action with Justin Roiland and all of his pals being incredibly annoying. You're either going to love it or hate it, really, so it's lucky this one's hitting Game Pass so you can check it out and decide for yourselves. Personally, this reviewer hated the humour, there's something very off and deeply troubling at the heart of where this game is coming from, it feels as though it's looking down, sneering and hateful. But that's the comedy style it's going for so we guess we need to relax, bro. Some people are going to eat this stuff up, regardless of what we think, so it's a shame that it ties this sneering attitude to bland gameplay, tired puzzles, dumb AI and a world that just isn't fun to explore or inhabit in any way. Dude. That is harsh.”
read full review ↗
The Jimquisition
Stryftek
GameMAG
Gaming Professors
GRYOnline.pl
Paste Magazine
SpaceNerd.it
Total Gaming Network
VGChartz
Gfinity
Cubed3
Pure Xbox…and 96 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Build Notes for DLC Hotfix 2Nov 1, 2023
- Build Notes for DLC Hotfix 1Oct 17, 2023
- Build Notes for Patch 05Sep 27, 2023significant · resets scoring window
- Build Notes for Patch 04Mar 2, 2023significant · resets scoring window