Synopsis:
High on Life is a hilarious, surreal adventure set in a world where alien invaders have enslaved Earth … so they can use us as recreational drugs. Armed with a pre-loved bounty hunter suit and a bizarre arsenal of talking weaponry, it’s your mission to bring down an intergalactic cartel and free humanity from its clutches – and maybe make a little money on the side.
With stunning full-colour illustrations throughout, The Art of High on Life showcases the crazy creatures, weird worlds and grotesque gunplay of the game, featuring expert commentary from its creators, Squanch Games.
Review:
I was sent a copy of The Art of High on Life in exchange for an honest review.
It isn’t often that an art book makes you sit down and read it cover to cover, but The Art of High on Life did just that. Including a tonne of stunning art and commentary The Art of High on Life takes you through the whole of the game from start to finish. If you’ve finished the game it feels a bit like a trip down memory lane, but with some extra discoveries along the way. If you’re new to High on Life I’d recommend dipping in and out of the art book as you progress through each bounty.
Paul Davies has very cleverly structured The Art of High on Life to follow the games progression closely, the book starts by looking at the very start of the game on Earth and takes you through each bounty and environment in the order they appear in game. I found myself looking at the game with a new understanding of just how tough it is to create a genuinely funny game when you have so many variables involved. It felt like a trip down memory lane and each page I turned reminded me of another enemy/environment/gun/mechanic that I’d encountered when I played High on Life.
The Art of High on Life focuses a lot more on the finished product than other art books tend to. There are a few looks at the development of some things but mainly it focusses on how Squanch Games made the High on Life we know and love. I’m personally a huge fan of concept art and there are some truly stunning spreads in this one.
The book in itself is a work of art. With a removable dust jacket that reveals print boards of a stunning alien landscape The Art of High on Life feels like a very high quality art book. The amount of commentary and art that it contains within its 192 pages you’ll find yourself wanting to read the whole thing cover to cover.
My personal favourite pages are the ones covering Blim City and the various NPCs that you can encounter. It made me want to revisit Blim City and see if I can uncover more of its secrets, it’s an area I spent a long time running around and now I want to spend even more time appreciating it. It also gave me a new appreciation for just how many voice lines they had to write, and how complicated it is to have multiple guns with distinct personalities interacting the NPCs you meet wandering around.
If you’re a fan of High on Life this art book is a must-buy. Read it and replay the game to really appreciate what Squanch Games have created.
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