One of the funniest parts of High on Life might just be its warp disc feature. As players progress further into the game, they are able to unlock a device that allows them to warp random scenarios onto a planet. These scenarios are pretty funny, and many of them feel ripped straight from an episode of Rick and Morty. However, the feature feels like it's missing something.
The High on Life warp mechanic plays a role in one bounty before getting relegated to a little side activity that players can mess around with if they want. It is definitely worth checking out, but Squanch Games could have done a lot more with it. The warp mechanic just feels like an afterthought in its current state when it could have been a real game changer. While it is too late to change it now, it may have improved the game immensely if more work was put into it.
High on Life's Warp Mechanic Explained
Throughout High on Life, players will most likely acquire warp crystals from the various Warp Bases that will appear during combat. These crystals can be grabbed from the base after the player has wiped out High on Life's alien enemies, but they cannot do anything with these crystals until later in the story. When they are pursuing Krubis, players will be given a warp remote that they will use to call in Krubis' base so that they can take him out. After the boss fight ends, players will unlock the fun warp mechanic and are finally able to spend their warp crystals.
These warp crystals can be spent at Blorto's Kiosk in Blim City, and he sells six different warp discs for players to mess around with. To use these warp discs, players must access the Bounty 5,000 and open up a portal to a previously visited location. They can then activate the warp disc at a special blue warp point and will be met with a funny scenario depending upon which one they used. They can warp to Cutie Town, a movie theater where they can watch Demon Wind, a skate park with a skateboarding mini-game, a representation of the classic trolley problem, a toilet puzzle, and a nice little cottage.
Squanch Games Could Have Done More With Warps
The warp discs are fun little bonuses that should incite a chuckle or two, but the function feels very limited. It could have been the game's version of Rick Sanchez's portal gun from Rick and Morty, and it could have lead to all sorts of laugh-out-loud moments. While those moments of comedy are definitely present, the feature almost feels like an afterthought. Squanch Games could have done so much more with the powerful feature, but it chose to focus on other aspects of the game instead.
Players were given a powerful warp device that they can use to warp in all sorts of objects from across the galaxy to new locations, but they can only do that a few times. Six different scenarios can be pulled from the vast galaxy, and the Krubis bounty lets them warp an additional three things during their quest to find him. These scenarios can also only be warped in at specific points in the game world, and that severely limits the appeal of the mechanic. It makes it feel weaker, and limits the fun that High on Life players could have had.
It would have probably taken a significant amount of work to let players warp in things wherever they wanted, but it would have been a lot of fun if Squanch Games did at least include more warp discs. Limiting the mechanic to only six purchasable warp discs prevents the feature from being the best it can be. The studio could have offered even more scenarios for players to mess around with and sprinkled these discs across the world like Easter eggs to give players a reason to explore every corner of this colorful galaxy.
High on Life is available now on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S