In a new blog, Microsoft announced Squanch Games’ comedy-shooter is Xbox Game Pass’ biggest launch of 2022. Not only that, it is also the biggest third-party Game Pass launch ever, and “the biggest release of a single player-only game in the service’s history”. Speaking on this news, Squanch Games COO Mike Fridley stated the studio was “blown away by the response” from players, while Xbox’s Matt Percy said High on Life was a “unique title” the company had been “excited about for a long time”. “It’s fantastic to see so many Game Pass members jump into it at launch to experience Squanch’s story for themselves,” he shared. The original story continues below. ORIGINAL 20/12/22: Despite mixed reviews and launch day technical issues, foul-mouthed shooter High on Life has screamed to the top of Xbox Game Pass’ most played list. Squanch Games and Justin Roiland’s effort is now the most popular game in Microsoft’s subscription - in both its PC and console catalogues. On Xbox consoles, more people are playing High on Life through Game Pass than other popular titles such as Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, FIFA 22 and Rainbow Six Siege. Indeed, it is currently being played by more people than any first-party Microsoft release, including Minecraft, Forza Horizon 5, Halo Infinite and Sea of Thieves. On PC, it’s a similar story. High on Life is dominating all of the same games, as well as PC stalwarts like Microsoft Flight Sim and even… Microsoft Solitaire Collection. Of course, High on Life has the advantage of being a new addition to the Xbox Game Pass catalogue - but it has been interesting to see it steadily climbing the service’s Most Popular rankings over the past few days since release. Is it the time of year, with plenty of younger players on holiday keen to play that naughty new shooter with the Rick and Morty adult humour? (High on Life is rated a PEGI 16 for “strong violence, sex, drugs, horror and strong language.) Is it the fact Microsoft doesn’t really have much else new to put in Game Pass itself? (Pentiment, this year’s sole new Xbox first-party release, does not seem to have sparked a similar reaction.) Whatever the reason, plenty of people are seemingly giving High on Life a go, regardless of how it sat with most critics. (Its Xbox version currently sits with a 63 score on Metacritic.) “A miserable cocktail of ideas from other action-platformers and the worst parts of Rick and Morty,” Edwin wrote in Eurogamer’s High on Life review, which advises you avoid the game. “This is a vapid action game and an empty, ramshackle satire locked in a defensive crouch of indifference towards both your and its own existence.” High on Life is available on PC, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S now, and launched through Game Pass.
