High On Life

High On Life is a comedic first-person shooter action-adventure developed by Squanch Games. Set in a vibrant, absurd science-fiction universe, the game casts players as a silent teenager turned intergalactic bounty hunter. The story kicks off when an alien cartel known as the G3 invades Earth to use humanity as a new hyper-potent drug. Distinguished by its unique weaponry, the player wields "Gatlians"—sentient, talking guns with distinct personalities and abilities—navigating colorful biomes to assassinate cartel leaders and save the human race.

Upon its release, High On Life became a viral sensation and one of the biggest launches on Xbox Game Pass, driven by its distinct brand of improvisational humor reminiscent of "Rick and Morty." The gameplay loop combines fast-paced arcade-style shooting with light Metroidvania elements, utilizing specific Gatlian abilities (like slowing time or creating platforms) to traverse the environment and unlock new areas. While strictly a single-player narrative experience with no competitive scene, its popularity stems from its chaotic energy, satirical writing, and vibrant art style.

From a hardware perspective, High On Life runs on Unreal Engine 4 and is moderately demanding, particularly regarding CPU overhead and shader compilation. While the minimum specs allow for 1080p gameplay on older hardware, the game features dense, colorful environments that can tax the GPU at higher resolutions. For a smooth 60 FPS experience at 1440p or above, a modern mid-range graphics card is recommended. To assist with performance, the game supports upscaling technologies like NVIDIA DLSS and AMD FSR 2.0, which are highly recommended settings for users looking to maximize framerates without significant visual compromise.