Writing quality dialogue seems like one of the biggest hurdles to conquer in video games today. If the recent backlash toForspokenand the resulting memes are any indication, one spoken word slip-up is enough to potentially taint a game’s reputation. Not to mention the problems with having characters talk too often, something that can hinder even the best games, such asGuardians of the Galaxy.Recently at Gamescom, Squanch Games' upcoming FPS High on Life came under a bit of fire for what some felt was sub-par dialogue, the same people being tired of Justin Roiland’s improvisational style. Having got some hands-on time with the game, though, it’s important to remember that there’s still a great FPS here, one we can’t wait to see more of.
Set in a world where an alien cartel has taken over Earth and plans to use humans as drugs, High on Life has you playing as a recent high school graduate desperately looking for a purpose in life. Luckily, the recent kidnappings of humans and the alien criminals running about suddenly open up the possibilities of a bounty hunter for that much-needed purpose. You begin by getting hooked up via your new alien friend/roommate, much to the annoyance of your sister, and one thing that immediately stands out is the more realistic design of the humans in contrast to the aliens and Roiland’s other work. There’s a unique blend of styles here on display through everything, creating a visually-stunning universe.
But while High on Life is pleasant to look at, is it still pleasant for the ears? Throughout the game, you get assistance from the Gatlians, a race of aliens that serve as your living weaponry and companions. You start out with a blue alien pistol voiced by Roiland, and your first big mission is to rescue a sentient knife called Knifey to help take out our first target, 9-TORG. And honestly, while there was a lot of dialogue, this writer found most of it to be funny. There were a few annoying “meta” quips and the occasional repeated line from enemies, but most of the dark humor was nicely delivered, and there were several moments with dialogue options that led to a lot of amusing choices, such as trying to trick some alien scum at the laundromat into opening the door.
Of course, the demo shown off to us only covered the introductory mission, which explained why a lot of initial dialogue was expository. But for what basically amounts to the tutorial, High on Life already showcased an incredible amount of action, filled with firefights against a good variety of different enemies with just the right level of challenge. Your starting pistol friend has a secondary ability that allows them to lob bombs, necessary not just for taking out foes, but for solving different puzzles and getting around. Likewise, Knifey has the secondary ability to act as a grappling hook and can open certain chests, opening the door for nice secrets and bonuses to find for those who backtrack later.
The culmination of all of this was a boss battle against 9-TORG, the ant-like crime boss who we encountered in the middle of killing another TORG for dominance (turns out there’s actually way more than nine of them). It was a mix of dodging spread bullets, using Knifey to deflect attacks, grappling around the arena to avoid rising slime in a scene that would feel right at home inSwarm,jumping over laser beams and more. It felt like classic FPS action, solidifying that there is indeed an amazing FPS still here underneath Squanch Games' comical stylings, even enhanced by it.
Talking with Roiland and Squanch Games, they admitted some of the bits shown at GDC weren’t exactly the greatest showcases for the game. But now having given the full demo a shot, we can safely say that despite the occasional rough edge, High on Life has the makings of a terrific comedy FPS game – or just a terrific FPS game in general – and we can’t wait to get acquainted with even more of the Gatlians when the game comes out on December 13 for PC and Xbox platforms.
