Laughter is It remains a mystery. Science can’t explain what laughter is, even though it can tells us why we laugh when its “wrong” and why laughter is good for us. We know that rats emit a sweet, ultrasonic laugh when they’re tickled. Comedy video games are a great way to entertain yourself. These are more difficult to pinpoint. Funny for 90 minutes can be very different from funny for 90. But 2022’s funniest game may just pull it off.
High Quality Life From the twisted minds of Squanch Games (more well-knownly the twisted minds behind). Rick and MortyFPS ) is hilarious and based on the popular TV format. Your role is that of a normal teen who loses himself in space due to exposition. Hijinks ensue.
The strengths of Life is high You can find it in its writing. It doesn’t matter if you like Rick and Morty is a good litmus test for the fun you’ll find in this game. Creator Justin Roiland, known for voice acting Morty’s signature stammering, brings the same improvisational style to Kenny, your mouthy weapon buddy.
Kenny is not the only talking firearm in the game though, and you’ll encounter a stacked cast of characters throughout including comedy heavyweights like J.B. Smoove and Tim Robinson, alongside game-ier folks like Jennifer Hale and Nolan North. The banter is generally solid. You can even tone down the frequency of Kenny and friends’ quips in the settings.
The talented cast delivers jokes and goons with a quick, but controlled pace. Some gags seem interminable, as if the TV is playing all of 82 minutes. Tammy and T-Rex, an actual, for-real movie from 1994 starring Denise Richards and Paul Walker about an animatronic T-rex implanted with the brain of a murdered high school student who … you know what? If you wanna watch it, it’s there.
There are many jokes about videogames and being a videogame. There’s some debate surrounding the latter (personally, if we’re talking ludonarrative dissonance I find fourth-wall breaking far less annoying than Kratos’ inability to climb a chest-high log). The best of it High Quality of Life You can meet the extraordinary high standard set by South Park A series of games, but it lacks consistency.
Because the gameplay isn’t, humor must be the highlight feature. High on Life It sticks to the basics with some basic systems. Gunplay is deliberately slow to match the feel of the toothpaste-y, goopy, and squishy world. Between fights, there are some environmental puzzles to help keep you engaged.
You’re tasked with being a bounty hunter, which provides the perfect excuse to set up contained, linear areas themed around a boss. Boss fights can present a challenge but those who are familiar with FPS mechanics should be able to handle the default mode. If you want to make more hours, you may need to raise the difficulty. The combat is … fine, but you really want to be here for the jokes. It’s the funniest game this year and well worth playing.
High on Life Xbox Game Pass is now available. It’s also for sale on Xbox and PC.
