{"id":347048,"date":"2025-08-20T05:28:18","date_gmt":"2025-08-20T10:28:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/08\/20\/high-on-life-2-how-a-skateboard-a-famous-actor-and-bible-adventures-make-up-one-of-the-wildest-demos-ever\/"},"modified":"2025-08-20T05:28:18","modified_gmt":"2025-08-20T10:28:18","slug":"high-on-life-2-how-a-skateboard-a-famous-actor-and-bible-adventures-make-up-one-of-the-wildest-demos-ever","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/08\/20\/high-on-life-2-how-a-skateboard-a-famous-actor-and-bible-adventures-make-up-one-of-the-wildest-demos-ever\/","title":{"rendered":"High On Life 2: How a Skateboard, a Famous Actor, and Bible Adventures Make Up One of the Wildest Demos Ever"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> [ad_1]<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-xbox-summary\">\n<h3>Summary<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>We go hands-on with the upcoming <em>High On Life 2<\/em> at gamesco 2025.<\/li>\n<li>Ralph Ineson joins the cast of <em>High On Life 2<\/em> alongside the returning actors Betsy Sodaro, J.B. Smoove, and Richard Kind.<\/li>\n<li><em>High On Life 2<\/em> launches for Xbox Series X|S on February 13, 2026, and will be available on day one with Game Pass Ultimate.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>How do you follow one of the most hilarious first-person shooters ever created? Turns out: give us a skateboard and tell us to get nuts. During a recent hands-on opportunity with an early build of <strong><em>High On Life 2<\/em><\/strong>, I could instantly recognize many returning hallmarks from the original, most notably the return of the talking weaponry, Gatlians, but also the ability to use Knifey\u2019s grapple to pull me onto ledges, and tons of sharply written dialog that blend this wild universe together. But it was skateboarding that really caught my attention.<\/p>\n<p>Picking up some time after the end of <em>High On Life<\/em>, the hands-on preview kicked off with me skydiving into the world of ConCon (Convention Convention), which is a planet full of floating platforms housing (you guessed it) conventions. A bounty has led us here, targeting senator Muppy Doo, a politician who is in league with the evil executives at Rhea Pharmaceuticals who are intent on turning humankind into\u2026 prescription pills.<\/p>\n<p>My mission? Make my way through multiple conventions to find him. First up is ParkingCon, a collection of crashed cars piled on top of each other with dozens of aliens fighting over the few remaining parking spaces \u2013 one space was even being \u201cheld\u201d by a plastic chair \u2013 and we need to free one up to give returning character Gene\u2019s flying Winnebago a chance to park by any means necessary (e.g. shooting aliens). \u00a0At first, I came to this with the approach of a standard first-person shooter, focusing on enemy groups one at a time, trying to clear these parking spaces, and cycling between my two available Gatlians: Sweezy (laser pistol) and Gus (shotgun). Then I hopped on the skateboard and everything changed.<\/p>\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;uploadedSrc&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/xboxwire.thesourcemediaassets.com\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/Gamescom_ParkingCon_Screenshot_v4_APPROVED-9e906d2c9e95e2b465a3.jpg&quot;,&quot;figureClassNames&quot;:&quot;wp-block-image size-fullsize&quot;,&quot;figureStyles&quot;:null,&quot;imgClassNames&quot;:&quot;wp-image-210829&quot;,&quot;imgStyles&quot;:null,&quot;targetWidth&quot;:1920,&quot;targetHeight&quot;:1080,&quot;scaleAttr&quot;:false,&quot;ariaLabel&quot;:&quot;Enlarge image: High on Life 2 Screenshot&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;High on Life 2 Screenshot&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" class=\"wp-block-image size-fullsize wp-lightbox-container\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1900\" height=\"1080\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/xboxwire.thesourcemediaassets.com\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Gamescom_ParkingCon_Screenshot_v4_APPROVED-9e906d2c9e95e2b465a3-1900x1080.jpg\" alt=\"High on Life 2 Screenshot\" class=\"wp-image-210829\"\/><button class=\"lightbox-trigger\" type=\"button\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-label=\"Enlarge image: High on Life 2 Screenshot\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-style--right=\"context.imageButtonRight\" data-wp-style--top=\"context.imageButtonTop\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewbox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\"\/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>High On Life Pro Skater Edition<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The skateboard effectively replaces your sprint button, but it\u2019s the speed and agility that comes with it that makes it such a game changer. The more I moved around the level on the board, the more objects I found to grind on by pressing the LB button, like handrails and concrete dividers. I even found some sections that resembled quarter pipes and noticed that certain cars were positioned <em>just<\/em> right to give the impression they were ramps to jump off. That\u2019s when it dawned on me that this entire level was basically a skatepark! This is going to be great.<\/p>\n<p>The speed of battle really picked up the more I became comfortable finding areas to grind, while cutting down enemies left and right with Sweezy and Gus. I could even \u201cthrow\u201d my skateboard at enemies for a one-hit kill and found it hugely helpful that the same button tied to grinding was also Knifey\u2019s head-latching ability, which would smartly pull me to rails or grindable objects if I was going to be coming up short. It means you can get into a real flow, even in a game where you wouldn\u2019t expect it.<\/p>\n<p>If you recall from the first game, traversal with Knifey\u2019s grapple was a big component, unlocking a variety of environmental and platform puzzles. Now with the inclusion of the skateboard, the platforming aspects are all amplified and it wasn\u2019t long until the demo started showcasing what else I could do.<\/p>\n<p>Continuing to the next floating zone involved grinding on floating buses, bouncing on giant inflatable balloons, and then wall riding to safely cross a chasm of clouds, where I reached PoliCon (a politics convention). The skatepark motif continued here as well, with plenty of handrails and other objects to grind swiftly across this new zone, moving through to my next objective. And that\u2019s when our personal assistant Suit-O stepped in.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-fullsize\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1900\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\/\/xboxwire.thesourcemediaassets.com\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Gamescom_Policon_Screenshot_v4_APPROVED-37f144a720e60abc624e-1900x1080.jpg\" alt=\"High on Life 2 Screenshot\" class=\"wp-image-210828\"\/><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>So, What Else Can You Do?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>For our demo, Suit-O was ever vigilant in popping up at the bottom of the screen and making sure we stayed on schedule for our 30-minute preview \u2013 intentionally fast-forwarding us through highlights of the demo, and \u201caccidentally\u201d leading us to the conclusion of a boss battle with one of the game\u2019s new characters, Sheath, voiced by the amazing Ralph Ineson. What followed was a hilarious (and bloody) dissection of his alien bounty hunter character \u2013 whose head is\u00a0then transformed into a new Gatlian. Yep, a boss voiced by a famous actor is <em>also<\/em> a gun in this game.<\/p>\n<p>Sheath complimented Sweezy and Gus nicely with the feel of a battle rifle \u2013 <em>Halo <\/em>fans might find the familiar \u201cpunch\u201d here \u2014 and his alt-attack is an Impaling Spike that can be used to string together subsequent targets and to create Spike ziplines, which I later use to cross over to the next convention, MurderCon (it\u2019s exactly what you might think it is). I love that these Metroidvania-like components are still present from the previous game, opening areas formerly unreachable once you have acquired the specific tool to do the job.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Shoot, Shoot, Shoot!<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Once we\u2019ve stepped through the gates into MurderCon, the demo\u2019s narrative shifted slightly to focus on Knifey who, as returning players may recall, loves to get bloody. He was predictably overjoyed to attend a convention that\u2019s all about one of his favorite subject matters. Before I knew it, we were neck deep in a battle royale, surrounded by a laser tag arena aesthetic with lots of neon strewn about. And, yes, tons of enemies to shoot at. The speedy traversal elements took a backseat here, as the demo showcased more of a traditional multiplayer-like shooter layout, allowing us to lean more into our Gatlians and their abilities.<\/p>\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;uploadedSrc&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/xboxwire.thesourcemediaassets.com\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/Gamescom_Airdrop_Screenshot_v4_WIP-5c5667f350a296ea13df.jpg&quot;,&quot;figureClassNames&quot;:&quot;wp-block-image size-fullsize&quot;,&quot;figureStyles&quot;:null,&quot;imgClassNames&quot;:&quot;wp-image-210831&quot;,&quot;imgStyles&quot;:null,&quot;targetWidth&quot;:1920,&quot;targetHeight&quot;:1080,&quot;scaleAttr&quot;:false,&quot;ariaLabel&quot;:&quot;Enlarge image: High on Life 2 Screenshot&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;High on Life 2 Screenshot&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" class=\"wp-block-image size-fullsize wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1900\" height=\"1080\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/xboxwire.thesourcemediaassets.com\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Gamescom_Airdrop_Screenshot_v4_WIP-5c5667f350a296ea13df-1900x1080.jpg\" alt=\"High on Life 2 Screenshot\" class=\"wp-image-210831\"\/><button class=\"lightbox-trigger\" type=\"button\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-label=\"Enlarge image: High on Life 2 Screenshot\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-style--right=\"context.imageButtonRight\" data-wp-style--top=\"context.imageButtonTop\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewbox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\"\/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n<p>Sheath feels great with that perfect battle rifle punch, and using his Impaling Spike to tie groups of enemies together was incredibly fun. Sweezy is still a solid laser pistol with an alt-attack that creates a slowdown bubble that surrounds a group of enemies. And Gus\u2019 shotgun and disc shot abilities are great at clearing crowds of enemies. All this fighting culminated in a boss battle with a large, ogre-like character named Brutus, who had a giant pyramid-like helmet fused to his head. It wasn\u2019t long after that me and my Gatlians made short work of him and were crowned winners of MurderCon.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, I was whisked forward once again by Suit-O to face off with Muppy Doo. At first, the encounter was your standard fare of dodging incoming attacks and unleashing some hurt with my Gatlians. But it was the next phase of the battle that I wasn\u2019t quite ready for \u2013 and was unlike anything I\u2019ve played. The final boss battle took place\u2026 in the menu screen.<\/p>\n<p>See, Muppy Doo has a shrinking ability and was able to get <em>so small <\/em>that he snuck into my suit\u2019s mainframe and tied up Suit-O. After freeing Suit-O by \u201cclicking\u201d on him, he became my mouse cursor as I clicked through my menu screen, trying to uncover the mini Muppy Doo who was trashing my sub systems.<\/p>\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;uploadedSrc&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/xboxwire.thesourcemediaassets.com\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/GamesCom_HumanCon_Screenshot_v2_APPROVED-5a9b140cbf8bc9387bf0.jpg&quot;,&quot;figureClassNames&quot;:&quot;wp-block-image size-fullsize&quot;,&quot;figureStyles&quot;:null,&quot;imgClassNames&quot;:&quot;wp-image-210830&quot;,&quot;imgStyles&quot;:null,&quot;targetWidth&quot;:1920,&quot;targetHeight&quot;:1080,&quot;scaleAttr&quot;:false,&quot;ariaLabel&quot;:&quot;Enlarge image: High on Life 2 Screenshot&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;High on Life 2 Screenshot&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" class=\"wp-block-image size-fullsize wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1900\" height=\"1080\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/xboxwire.thesourcemediaassets.com\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/GamesCom_HumanCon_Screenshot_v2_APPROVED-5a9b140cbf8bc9387bf0-1900x1080.jpg\" alt=\"High on Life 2 Screenshot\" class=\"wp-image-210830\"\/><button class=\"lightbox-trigger\" type=\"button\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-label=\"Enlarge image: High on Life 2 Screenshot\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-style--right=\"context.imageButtonRight\" data-wp-style--top=\"context.imageButtonTop\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewbox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\"\/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n<p>Muppy would pop his head out from behind an icon, or start destroying menu items, and we\u2019d punch him, forcing him to duck into another sub-menu. After a bit of this click-tag, it became worse for my character, forcing a full system reboot and deleting my save game\u2026 which rebooted into an entirely different game \u2013 <em>Bible Adventures<\/em>. No, really. Eventually, things continued to escalate to the point where the only solution was to have Knifey stab <em>me<\/em> to death \u2013 which he was more than willing to oblige. And thus, we wrapped up our time with <em>High On Life 2<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>A few games under their belt now, I like that Squanch Games is really starting to settle into a mindset of, \u201cWouldn\u2019t it be funny if\u2026\u201d and find ways to go through with it, while making it incredible fun (and incredibly funny) in the process. Finding that balance is not an easy thing to do \u2013 kind of like trying to ride a skateboard while blasting aliens in the face. Of which we\u2019re very excited to try more of once <em>High On Life 2<\/em> launches for Xbox Series X|S on February 13, 2026, available on day one with Game Pass Ultimate.<\/p>\n<div id=\"msp1755593103604\" class=\"\">\n<div class=\"ms-product-badge mspb-large\" data-product-id=\"9nf6xpsbttgb\">\n<div class=\"mspb-primary-image\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/store\/apps\/9nf6xpsbttgb\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/store-images.s-microsoft.com\/image\/apps.24508.13600359535610445.83a29ac7-f121-4e17-8768-bd1631b536e6.f02f14c4-46aa-493a-aa6b-e1b28399f5ef?w=400&amp;h=600\" alt=\"High On Life 2\" class=\"skip-lazy\"\/>&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"mspb-details\">\n<div class=\"mspb-feature-badges\">\n<div class=\"mspb-feature-badge xbox-play-anywhere\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.onestore.ms\/cdnfiles\/sfw-service-web-onestore-onerf-2017-11-8-12\/store\/common\/images\/xpalogo_black.png\" alt=\"Xbox Play Anywhere\" class=\"skip-lazy\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<h2>High On Life 2<\/h2>\n<div class=\"mspb-secondary-details\">\n<div class=\"mspb-left-container\">\n<p>Squanch Games, Inc.<\/p>\n<div class=\"mspb-rating\">\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t<span>\u2606<\/span><span>\u2606<\/span><span>\u2606<\/span><span>\u2606<\/span><span>\u2606<\/span>&#13;\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t<span>\u2605<\/span><span>\u2605<\/span><span>\u2605<\/span><span>\u2605<\/span><span>\u2605<\/span>&#13;\n\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"mspb-right-container\">\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n\t\tYou\u2019ve done it. You\u2019ve taken down an intergalactic cartel, brought humanity back from the brink of extinction, and hunted dangerous bounties to the far corners of the galaxy. Bounty hunting has brought you fortune, fame and love; but when a mysterious figure from your past reappears and puts a price on your sister\u2019s head, your cushy life gets thrown into chaos. <\/p>\n<p>Do you have what it takes to risk it all and bring down an intergalactic conspiracy that once again threatens your favorite species (humans)?<\/p>\n<p>High On Life RETURNS as you and your beloved rag-tag team of alien misfits shoot, stab, and skate your way through gorgeous, dangerous worlds all across the galaxy to blow up the EVIL pharmaceutical conglomerate hell-bent on putting price tags on HUMAN LIFE!\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>[ad_2]<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/news.xbox.com\/en-us\/2025\/08\/20\/high-on-life-2-demo-hands-on-preview-gamescom\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[ad_1] Summary We go hands-on with the upcoming High On Life 2 at gamesco 2025. Ralph Ineson joins the cast of High On Life 2<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":347049,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[160],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/347048"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=347048"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/347048\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/347049"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=347048"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=347048"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=347048"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}