BERLIN: Most first-person shooters have a lot in common: a serious story, demanding gameplay, and bloody violence. "High on Life" does things a little differently, relying on irony and a lot of swear words.

The plot: Players witness Earth being invaded by aliens who want to turn humans into drugs. Fortunately, there are talking weapons known as Gatlians on the side of mankind.

Thanks to them the player can escape Earth to another planet and take the fight to the extraterrestrial drug cartel responsible for the invasion.

In the course of the game you'll meet six of these two-eyed weapons, which are very talkative and like to comment on the game with a good dose of sarcasm.

On the alien planet, you roam through alien cities, industrial ruins, and a jungle. Of course, alien enemies are lurking everywhere. The gun battles with them are not particularly challenging but that doesn't have to be a problem since the main focus is on having fun.

The voices of the guns may well be familiar, as "High on Life" was written by "Rick and Morty" co-creator Justin Roiland, who also does the voices in the game.

Roiland has since resigned as CEO from Squanch Games, the company behind this shooter, after he was charged with domestic violence.

But the association with a largely cancelled celebrity is not the main issue that many critics have had with the game. Instead, the mixed reviews stem from a largely repetitive gameplay and humour that, at least to some, falls flat.

Nevertheless, many fans of the kind of crude jokes found in "Rick and Morty" and "South Park" may still feel right at home. "High on Life" is available for PC and Xbox and costs around €50/US$50 . The game is also included in Xbox Game Pass subscriptions.

 - dpa