| Feature |
Detail |
| Game Title |
High On Life 2 |
| Release Date |
February 13, 2026 |
| Platforms |
Xbox Series X|S, PC (Xbox Play Anywhere) |
| Service |
Day One on Game Pass Ultimate |
| Key Mechanic |
First-Person Skateboarding Traversal & Combat |
High On Life 2: Why the Skateboard is a Mechanical Game-Changer
We’ve seen sequels play it safe, but
High On Life 2 is throwing the playbook out the window. By ditching the standard sprint button in favor of a skateboard, the team is attempting a genre-mashup we genuinely haven't seen before. This isn't just a cosmetic skin for movement; it’s a total overhaul of the FPS flow that draws directly from some of the best traversal titles in gaming history.
Our take? It looks like the "floaty" feel of the first game is being replaced by something much faster and more aggressive. Chief Design Officer Erich Meyr confirms this was a "haunting" idea that the team has been noodling on since the original game’s development.
The Sunset Overdrive DNA
The most exciting takeaway for veteran gamers is the pedigree behind this new movement system. Meyr and several other leads are Insomniac Games alums who worked on
Sunset Overdrive. If you remember the "environmentally driven flow" of Sunset City, you know why this matters.
The team isn't just mimicking
Tony Hawk—though they did use the Pro Skater series as a baseline for vert ramps and grinds—they’re focusing on how the environment itself dictates combat. Meyr admitted that while they loved the technicality of indies like
Session, they’ve opted for a simplified control scheme to ensure the "gun" part of the "first-person shooter" doesn't get lost in the sauce.
Combat Synergy: Grinding vs. Skating
The devs hit a major crossroads during playtesting: how do you aim while traveling at Mach 5?
The solution is a clever mechanical split:
- Standard Skating: Movement is locked to your viewpoint. This prevents you from bumbling into walls while trying to track enemies. It’s about getting from A to B.
- Grinding: Once you hit a rail or a powerline, you have "free look." This is where you unleash hell with your Gatlians.
This creates a rhythmic "skate to position, grind to kill" loop that should satisfy both movement junkies and traditional shooter fans.
Level Design Built for Shredding
The world-building has clearly pivoted to accommodate this high-speed traversal. We're seeing "skateable objects" meticulously placed throughout levels like the opening zoo or the planet ConCon.
Meyr shared a perfect example of their "stupid things are fun" philosophy: a giant octopus mascot in the middle of a city. Rather than just being set dressing, the team turned it into a grindable object with a "brain bouncer" that launches players into the air. This level of verticality is a massive step up from the first game’s grappling-hook-heavy exploration.
Boss Fights as Skate Parks
Expect the boss encounters to be the ultimate skill check for your boarding abilities. The bounty hunter Sheath, for instance, fights in a room lined with slanted quarter-pipes, forcing players to stay mobile to survive. Another mini-boss, Brutakis, occupies an arena that is essentially a glorified skatepark filled with ramps and rails.
Discovery Over Hand-Holding
One final win for the players: the team is cutting back on the "tutorial fatigue" that plagues modern shooters. Meyr noted that "hand-holding" tests failed miserably. Instead, the game teaches the essentials and lets you discover advanced tech—like using the board as a projectile or finding hidden lines—on your own. We love to see a developer trust the player's intelligence.
High On Life 2 drops tomorrow. If the execution matches the ambition, we’re looking at the most unique movement-shooter of the year. Stay tuned for our full performance breakdown.
