High On Life 2 Hands-On From FPS to Pro Skater
Following the daring adventure of the hilarious shooter called High On Life, Squanch Games has introduced a wild new kind of gameplay speed-mechanics skateboarding. The recent demo presented skating levels completely reconstructing the speed and fighting possibilities, albeit returning the talking Gatlians and sharp dialogue.
The Mission on ConCon
The storyline continues from the last game, dumping the players into ConCon (Convention Convention), a planet made up of floating platforms that are home to various conventions. The target is Senator Muppy Doo, a seemingly corrupt politician going in with Rhea Pharmaceuticals to turn humans into prescription pills.
The mission starts on ParkingCon, where the first objective is to clear a parking spot for Gene's flying Winnebago, killing aliens fighting over the space in the process.
How Skateboarding Changes Everything
The skateboard has replaced the sprint button, but a new layer of speed agility has been added. Grind on the rails and use crashed cars as ramps, and instantly one will know that the levels are set up as enormous skate parks. This will change combat from that of a shooter into an on-the-fast-lane dance involving grinding, shooting, and seeking new lines of attack.
- Fluid Movement: Smooth transition from shooting to grinding on objects like handrails and dividers.
- Integrated Abilities: The same button that activates the grind also controls Knifey's grapple, intelligently pulling the player toward grindable rails.
- Skateboard Attack: You can even throw the skateboard at enemies for a one-hit kill.
The new traversal system amplifies platforming puzzles, requiring players to grind on floating buses and wall ride to cross large gaps between conventions like PoliCon and MurderCon.
New Tools Sheath the Battle Rifle
Among other bosses you encounter in the demo is a bounty hunter named Sheath, voiced by Ralph Ineson. Upon being defeated, the head of the bounty hunter is transformed into a new Gatlian weapon.
- Primary Fire: Works like a powerful battle rifle.
- Alternate Fire: Launches an Impaling Spike to either connect enemies with one another or create temporary ziplines that grant access into previously unreachable areas, allowing for some Metroidvania-level exploration.
A Shift to Arena-Style Combat
As soon as you enter MurderCon, the game systems shift into an arena-style combat. Traversal, which is big and open, is almost relegated to the old-school mechanics of traditional shooters and is there purely for gunplay. In this setting, it did much to showcase the weaponry, allowing us to use Sheath's mighty rifle, slow time with Sweezy's laser pistol encased in a bubble, and wipe out hordes with Gus's shotgun.
A Boss Fight Inside Your Menu Screen
The preview wraps with a twisted and creative boss fight against Muppy Doo. Using shrinkage powers, he hijacks your suit's mainframe, and the battle occurs entirely from the menu screen of the game. Players utilize the in-game assistant, Suit-O, to function as a mouse cursor, click on, and smash with attacks upon the tiny boss as he dashes behind icons and demolishes menu items.
With the climax involving Act-Of-God rebooting to a different game (Bible Adventures), it wraps up with the player having to allow Knifey to stab him to death to win. This is a prime demonstration of how Squanch Games has brought the "Wouldn't it be funny if..." design philosophy right to the fore.
Release Information
Squanch Games continues to blend chaotic fun with genuinely creative gameplay ideas. High On Life 2 is scheduled to launch for Xbox Series X|S on February 13, 2026, and will be available day one with Game Pass Ultimate.
