Excessive on Life didn’t set my world on fireplace, nevertheless it positive lit up the Xbox Sport Go charts. You can say it was an ideal Sport Go venture since joke video games aren’t precisely flourishing in the intervening time, and at launch, it was method too tough to warrant diving in at full value. With a brief DLC growth below its belt, it’s a tad bit extra alluring, however don’t get too excited.

Excessive on Knife (PC, Xbox One, Xbox Collection X/S [reviewed on a Series X])
Developer: Squanch Video games
Writer: Squanch Video games
Launched: October, 2023
MSRP: $9.99

Excessive on Knife picks up two years after the occasions of the principle recreation, which permits it to cleverly sidestep the powder keg that’s the Justin Roiland scenario and function a standalone story. I don’t really want to remind you that Roiland was jettisoned from each venture he was hooked up to up to now few months, and all of them have cleverly discovered methods to clarify his absence. Rick & Morty is using soundalikes (that are fairly shut!), Photo voltaic Opposites simply changed him with actor Dan Stevens, and Excessive on Knife eradicated his [gun] character completely. After a fast little bit of exposition (your participant character “misplaced” the gun that Roiland performs, and he doesn’t voice any facet characters), you’re in your method.

What begins out as a traditional day turns into an errand, then a grand journey on a brand new planet along with your melee weapon Knifey as the main focus. It’s extra of the identical set to a special scene, full with the acquainted janky platforming and repeating enemy sorts. To Excessive on Life‘s credit score, there have been a number of stability patches and plenty of bug fixes, so I discovered the sport much more playable than it was at launch. Once more, platforming specifically remains to be very janky, however a missed connection outcomes straight away respawn and no actual misplaced progress, so it’s very simple to choose again up and transfer on.

Be aware that the Excessive on Life DLC is fully separate from the core narrative. In different phrases, you aren’t capable of revisit outdated areas with the DLC upgrades and objects, which works for and in opposition to it; relying on what you need out of it. It’s good that newer gamers can simply dive in and never be too misplaced (a quick optionally available recap will get you in control), however I want I might have taken every little thing into the outdated sandboxes; particularly the brand new “Ball” gun that operates like a weaponized pinball machine. Though the DLC is named “Excessive on Knife” you don’t actually be taught something significantly mind-blowing about Knifey himself, although author/actor Michael Cusack is as amusing as ever as a bloodthirsty scamp.

The truth that Excessive on Knife is a extra centered expertise additionally provides it a special really feel than the common marketing campaign. There are nonetheless loads of optionally available rooms, jokes to find, and collectibles to search out, and it feels a bit much less aimless because of this. Talking of jokes: the entire “comedy recreation” style appealed to me because the ’90s, and I form of miss it. Not each joke lands, however with out Roiland’s incessant “smorphy smoogaladoo!” child discuss shouting at you each jiffy, it permits a wider vary of voice actors to shine, particularly in among the smaller bit elements.

In case you’re considering “Nicely it is a brief evaluation,” effectively, that’s just about all there may be to say about Excessive on Life. It’s a number of hours of delicate enjoyable with some optionally available diversions after which it’s over. In order for you, you may seize all of the collectibles and wander across the new planet a bit, which might final you one other hour tops.

After enjoying by way of Excessive on Knife (and thus, a way more secure construct of the sport), I really feel like I’m recreation for a sequel. It’s clear that the group can keep it up with out Roiland, and I’d prefer to see them deal with the old-school FPS style once more with all of the methods they’ve discovered alongside the best way (and a little bit extra polish).

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}