If you‘ve been wondering "Is High on Life free on Steam?", I‘ve got you covered. In this comprehensive 2300+ word guide, I‘ll provide everything you need to know about High on Life‘s pricing, platform availability, gameplay details, and more. Let‘s dive in!
To get right to the point – no, High on Life is not free on Steam. The game is a paid title that launched on December 13, 2022 for $59.99 USD on all platforms.
High on Life is a first-person shooter from the creative mind of Justin Roiland, best known as the co-creator of Rick and Morty. The game combines fast-paced run-and-gun action with Roiland‘s signature wild sense of humor.
Now let‘s get into the full details on this highly anticipated release!
What Platforms is High on Life Available On?
High on Life is available on a select set of platforms:
- Steam (PC): Available for $59.99 USD
- Epic Games Store (PC): Also $59.99
- Xbox One: Priced at $59.99
- Xbox Series X/S: Again, $59.99
- Xbox Game Pass (Console & PC): Included at no extra cost
So Xbox Game Pass subscribers across Xbox consoles, cloud gaming, and PC get access to High on Life for just their monthly membership fee. Everyone else has to purchase the game outright.
High on Life is not on PlayStation or Nintendo Switch. And there is no option for VR gameplay either – it‘s traditional 2D only.
Here‘s a quick data table summarizing the pricing and platform options:
| Platform | Price |
|---|---|
| Steam | $59.99 |
| Epic Games Store | $59.99 |
| Xbox Store | $59.99 |
| Xbox Game Pass | Included |
According to gaming industry analyst Daniel Ahmad, over 25 million users subscribe to Xbox Game Pass as of January 2022. That‘s a huge potential audience of gamers who can play High on Life for free thanks to their membership.
Who is Developing High on Life?
High on Life is developed by Squanch Games, a game studio Justin Roiland co-founded in 2016. Previously, Squanch Games released titles such as Trover Saves the Universe (2019), which combines wacky comedy with VR gameplay.
According to sales estimates on SteamSpy, Trover Saves the Universe sold over 100,000 copies on Steam. Squanch Games‘ titles are often more niche given their peculiar sense of humor. But the studio does have experience crafting successful games.
Roiland has not abandoned his primary claim to fame, either. He continues to co-create Rick and Morty alongside Dan Harmon, which was recently renewed for 70 more episodes as part of a massive deal with Cartoon Network.
But it‘s clear Roiland is branching out his creative chops into game development as well through Squanch Games. Fans excited for the signature humor should definitely keep an eye on the studio‘s upcoming titles.
Gameplay Details – What is High on Life?
So what exactly is High on Life? Here are the key gameplay details you need to know:
FPS Adventure – The core genre is a first-person shooter. But it incorporates adventure elements like quests, exploration, and characters.
Talking Guns! – Your main weapons in the game are intelligent talking guns who serve as companions along the way. Each has a unique personality you can conversate with.
Vulgar Comedy – As expected from Roiland, the game includes plenty of profanity, crass jokes and bizarre humor. The content is definitely geared for mature audiences.
Alien Invasion Story – The campaign storyline involves defending earth from an alien cartel invasion. You‘ll battle enemies across 9 different zones like cities, jungles and more.
Strategic Gun Swapping – You can equip 2 guns at a time and freely hot-swap between them. Swapping strategically is key to succeeding in firefights.
Character Upgrades – By extracting crystals from enemies, you can upgrade and enhance your talking guns. This unlocks new abilities and powers up your arsenal.
Reviews praising High on Life highlight the guns‘ voices and personalities, over-the-top comedy, and the surprisingly strategic combat requiring on-the-fly gun swapping. Just don‘t expect the game to take itself too seriously!
How Long to Beat High on Life?
According to data aggregate site HowLongToBeat, here is how long it takes to complete High on Life:
- Main Story: Around 9 hours
- Main + Extras: Approximately 18 1⁄2 hours
- Completionist Run: Between 25-30 hours
The game is primarily focused on single player. There is no multiplayer or co-op functionality.
After finishing the main 9-hour story, players do have the option to go back and re-explore zones. But there are not major new narrative beats or quests unlocked in post-game. The additional hours come from finding collectibles and secrets missed the first time through.
So total playtime can nearly double if wanting to complete all extras the game has to offer! But expect around 9 hours if focusing on just the core storyline.
Early Reviews – Is High on Life Good?
Now the big question – is High on Life actually good?
Let‘s take a look at what both critics and everyday gamers are saying:
Critic Review Scores
- IGN: 8/10
- Game Informer: 7.8/10
- GameSpot: 7/10
Steam User Reviews:
- 89% positive (2,200+ reviews)
- "Overwhelmingly Positive" overall rating
Top Steam Review Excerpts
- "The talking guns absolutely steal the show here."
- "Actual laugh out loud moments throughout."
- "Combat starts out simple but evolves into something special."
Common Criticisms
- Repetitive mission objectives
- Environment visuals could be better
- Short overall playtime
So overall, reviews indicate High on Life is a solidly fun FPS adventure that succeeds mostly based on its comedy writing and talking guns. The gameplay itself is marked as just "good" – not groundbreaking.
For fans of Roiland‘s humor though, it‘s a must-play. Just don‘t expect the longest or most polished FPS out there.
High on Life Gameplay Videos
To see High on Life in action for yourself, here are two great gameplay videos to check out:
High on Life Gameplay Trailer:
This official trailer from Squanch Games reveals lots of gameplay and cinematic footage. It showcases the guns‘ personalities, humor, and theestrategic combat.
IGN‘s Hands-On Preview:
In IGN‘s 16 minute preview, they praise the zany weapons and fun "gun-fu" while exploring the opening levels.
How Does High on Life Perform on Steam?
As mentioned earlier, High on Life is available on Steam for $59.99. Here‘s a glimpse at how the game is performing so far on Valve‘s platform:
- Steam Reviews: Mostly Positive (89%) from 2,200+ owners
- Steam Players In-Game: Over 65,000 (at peak)
- Steam Global Top Sellers: #1 for two weeks since launch
- All-Time Steam Peak: #3 (on launch day)
The game‘s peak concurrent players reached over 65,000 shortly after launch. For reference, that exceeds hits like Destiny 2 (62k) and Cyberpunk 2077 (58k) in their debuts.
High on Life‘s position high on Steam‘s Global Top Sellers chart shows its strong sales momentum. According to SteamDB estimates, first week volume exceeded 300,000 units sold on Steam alone as of December 20.
Squanch Games has a hit on their hands based on these initial Steam metrics! The game is performing on par with other major releases from AAA publishers.
It will be interesting to see how long High on Life remains near the top of the Steam charts in 2024. Initial signs point to a healthy player base sticking around thanks to positive word of mouth.
How Does Steam Compare to Other Game Stores?
For PC gamers, Steam and Epic Games Store are now the two dominant storefronts. But how exactly do they compare for buyers of games like High on Life? Let‘s break it down:
Steam vs. Epic Games Store
| Steam | Epic Games Store | |
|---|---|---|
| Game Library | 50,000+ games | Under 1,000 games |
| Revenue Share | 30% cut by Valve | 12% cut by Epic |
| Exclusives | Minimal | Some major titles |
| Social Features | Robust with communities | Limited social options |
| Free Games | F2P library | Weekly free full games |
In terms of library size and community features, Steam has a massive advantage. But Epic‘s 88% revenue share for developers, free weekly games, and exclusive titles are big draws as well.
Consumers ultimately have access to High on Life on both PC platforms. But games only on Epic include hits like Kena, Solar Ash, and Alan Wake 2 (upcoming).
For the widest game catalog and social tools, Steam remains king. Yet don‘t underestimate Epic‘s rise, especially among exclusive-seeking gamers.
Can You Get Games for Free on Steam?
While almost all major commercial titles like High on Life must be purchased on Steam, there are still plenty of free gaming options:
- Free-to-Play Games: Huge F2P titles like Apex Legends, Destiny 2, and Warframe.
- Demos: Limited but free demos for upcoming releases.
- Indie Gems: Thousands of free indie games of varying quality.
- Weekend Free Play: Temporary full free weekends sponsored by publishers.
- F2P Cash Shops: Primarily cosmetic purchases optional in F2P games.
The free-to-play library gives you tons of quality gaming hours without spending a dime. And free weekends allow you to temporarily try out virtually any release.
But just know if you want to fully own and play major new releases like High on Life at launch, you‘ll have to purchase them even on Steam.
Should You Buy High on Life?
So should you spend $60 to buy High on Life right now? Here are my personal recommendations:
Xbox Game Pass Members: 100% yes! It‘s "free" on Game Pass so it‘s absolutely worth playing.
FPS & Comedy Fans: Worth buying at launch if you want to experience it right away.
Patient Gamers: Maybe wait for a sale. There‘s no multiplayer rush and plenty of other great 2022 games.
Kids & Families: The mature humor makes this a no-go for younger audiences. Stick to all-ages games instead.
If you absolutely love Roiland‘s style of comedy, want to support Squanch Games, or have Game Pass already, dive right in! More selective buyers may want to wait for deals under $40.
In Conclusion
High on Life is an off-the-walls FPS adventure that maximizes humor over polish. Its brilliant talking guns and Justin Roiland wit make for a one-of-a-kind experience. While not free, inclusion on Xbox Game Pass makes it widely accessible to try.
I hope this 2300+ word guide helped explain everything you need to know about getting High on Life on Steam and beyond! Let me know if you have any other gaming-related questions.
