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) | – | 73 | 174 |
| Creator reviews (1 tracked) | – | 97 | 2 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 72% | 68 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 63 | 90 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 76% | 71 | 288 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Jun 1, 2026) · 288 reviews sampled · 259 total reviews in window · weighted 166.4 up / 51.4 down · computed 1h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (100)
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.
- 40
“I didn't expect any revelations from High on Life 2, yet it still managed to disappoint. Without Justin Roiland, Squanch Games has taken a huge step backwards. The sequel loses to the original in every way, offering a derivative story, unfunny jokes, and degraded gameplay.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“High On Life 2 is a confident and entertaining sequel that improves where it matters most. The gunplay is sharper, the level design feels more refined, and the chaotic humour remains intact throughout. While its visuals don’t quite keep pace with other modern shooters, the moment-to-moment action and creative encounters more than make up for it. It may not be a technical showcase, but it is consistently fun, and for fans of irreverent sci-fi shooters, that’s what counts.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Summing up this odyssey, we find ourselves faced with a work that thrives on constant playful and emotional contrasts, capable of eliciting laughter thanks to a satirical joke and then plunging the player into frustration due to disastrous technical aspects. Despite the developers' commendable desire to broaden the franchise's horizons by exploring mature themes such as the commodification of human beings by ruthless pharmaceutical corporations, the lack of adequate overall polish and the excessive verbosity of numerous passages end up heavily watering down the overall experience.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“High on Life 2 is a must-have for fans of the original. It expands upon the original in several key areas while adding some decent innovations and twists to feel fresh. However, performance woes hamper the fun at times.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“High on Life 2, while lacking some of the more outrageous humor and novelty factor of the first rendition, makes up for it in other areas, namely the skateboard inclusion, more gun varieties, and a smattering of neat easter eggs.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“High on Life 2 is a welcomed improvement over the original in many aspects, refining the insane gameplay while delivering much better comedy, though technical issues in its current state make it a cautious sell.”
read full review ↗ - 68
“High on Life 2 is a sequel that expands the franchise's universe without truly transforming it. Its humor remains its biggest selling point, but that's about it.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“High on Life 2 is a great sequel that sticks to its guns and refines the best parts of the first game. The skateboard-shooting concept works excellently, elevating the gunplay and creating a more engaging and enjoyable moment-to-moment experience. But all of this is ruined by incredibly poor visual fidelity on PS5 and PS5 Pro that distracts from the release's overall artistic achievements.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“High on Life 2 improves on everything from its predecessor. The game skillfully combines clever satire with surreal, meta-humor and numerous pop culture references. Gameplay, story and jokes are tightly intertwined, creating a unique and incredibly funny symbiosis. The game offers enough ideas for a dozen titles. The mission design is full of variety, and the gunplay has received a significant upgrade. Particularly noteworthy are the brilliant skateboard mechanics, which shake up both the level design and the shooter gameplay. Unfortunately, poor technical implementation and visual issues accompany this otherwise thoroughly enjoyable sci-fi package.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“High On Life 2 is a tragic case of one massive step forward, and about three frames-per-second back. At this point, wait for a decent performance patch or revisit the previous game.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“High on Life 2 feels like a sequel that understands what worked and tries to fix what didn’t - louder, bigger and mechanically stronger.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“High on Life 2 is unfortunately a game not worth recommending. For a price tag of a full $60, players should expect a level of polish, content, and quality that the game simply does not harbor for itself. Along with regressing in many areas and doubling down on an identity that doesn’t entirely work in 2026, one begs to question who High on Life as a franchise is exactly for.”
read full review ↗
GameMAG
GamesHedge
STWGames Italia
Total Gaming Network
VGChartz
Nexus Hub
Pizza Fria
Push Square
Digitec Magazine
Capsule Computers
Minimap…and 88 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Build Notes for Patch 3Jun 1, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Build Notes for Hotfix 4May 8, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Build Notes for Patch 2May 5, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Build Notes for Hotfix 3Mar 13, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Build Notes for Patch 1Mar 3, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Build Notes for Hotfix 2Feb 20, 2026significant · resets scoring window