Ever since the trailer for High on Life was shown off in June of 2022, fans of Squanch Games have been anxiously awaiting the release. It’s finally out and players have been diving head first into this whacky insane world. The game was developed in part by Justin Roiland, the creator of Rick and Morty, so people understandably have a lot of questions regarding this game. Boasting multiple talking guns, crazy aliens, and combat slightly reminiscent of the recent Doom games. There’s a lot more to this game mechanically than meets the eye. One specific mechanic that seems to be posing some issues for players is the ability to deflect. A mechanic that will help deal with the mayhem and chaos being thrown at you by enemy aliens. Let’s talk to the alien squatting on our couch and find out how to deflect in High on Life.
How to Deflect in High on Life
There’s a slight story element that is required in order to be able to deflect. Bosses might throw buzz saws towards you, or a normal enemy will attempt to chuck grenades while you sit and recover health behind cover. This is where deflecting comes in. Before we talk more about what you can deflect, we must first figure where to acquire this ability. Weapons in High on Life have a secondary ability that will offer help in combat and traversal. In order to be able to deflect, bounty hunters will need to collect the talking knife, effectively named Knifey.
Thankfully, the game gives this weapon to players fairly early into the game. During the first bounty while hunting down 9-Torg, make your way through the Slums. You will come across a laundromat where Knifey is being held, waiting to be sold to a buyer. Thankfully, the sellers have no idea what the buyer looks like. Giving you the opportunity to trick them into letting you in, hold the knife, and promptly stab the sellers in the neck. Once players obtained the talking knife, you will be able to swing across previously unexplorable areas, use melee knife attacks, and of course, deflect attacks.
During a fight with enemies, the will occasionally throw grenades at you that blow up after a few seconds. While the grenade is being thrown or when it falls to the ground, players will receive a button prompt. Press ‘F’ on PC, or click in of the right stick on console to deflect. Bosses might shoot slow moving projectiles at you that can also be returned to sender. Knowing how to deflect in High on Life can be a lifesaver when going up against some of the games later bosses. Who knew that a sentient talking knife would be helpful for other things besides stabbing.
