Outside the success of Rick and Morty, its co-creator Justin Roiland has made a name for himself in the gaming world. Having founded Squanch Games in 2016, Roiland and the studio have shared their comedic talent in games like Trover Saves the Universe and High on Life. In both titles, Roiland provides voices for the characters as he does in his animated shows.
With that in mind, it’s pretty easy for the two mediums to cross over every now and again, with Easter Eggs and references popping up all over the place. High on Life is no different, and has numerous nods to Roiland’s sci-fi sitcom throughout the game’s world.
7 Enemies Can’t Get Enough Of Rick And Morty
Despite being two of Roiland’s most successful characters, Rick Sanchez and Morty Smith aren’t going to appear in every show or game outside the Rick and Morty bubble. That said, High on Life briefly mentions the pair in dialogue that can be randomly triggered by enemy NPCs.
According to Destructoid, players can expect to hear the line “There’s no Rick and Morty references here. Oh, I guess that was a reference” on occasion if they’re lucky. However, it seems the quote can vary depending on the enemy and encounter, with Reddit user GeneralMittler experiencing a longer one voiced by Ryan Ridley, a former writer on Rick and Morty.
6 Interdimensional Cable Continues To Thrive
In the first season of Rick and Morty, “Rixty Minutes” sees Rick install interdimensional cable in the family home after being disappointed by what standard TV has to offer. The cable box that Rick invents enables everyone to watch shows from across the multiverse, which often includes parodies of actual shows or series that involve members of Rick’s family in alternate timelines.
Interdimensional cable makes several appearances throughout Rick and Morty, and it also appears in High on Life as the most obvious Easter Egg from the animated series. As Roiland explained to Australian news broadcaster 9News, the interdimensional cable of High on Life’s universe includes “weird little comedy sketches” and “four licensed movies” that players can watch in-game.
5 Connection To The Rick And Morty Universe
While the art style of High on Life is vastly different from that of Rick and Morty or Solar Opposites, it clearly builds upon the character designs of Roiland’s animation – particularly the eyes and teeth of some of the weapons, enemies and other NPCs. But other than some artistic similarities, the game isn’t connected to Rick and Morty in any obvious way.
However, one of the game’s developers confirmed in August that the game is set in the “Roiland-verse” and has the same “vibe” as Rick and Morty. “You see similar ideas in different shows, different games and stuff,” Mikey Spano said in an interview with Radio Times. “But this one is definitely its own new part of that world.”
4 Justin Roiland’s Morty Voice
Like many of his projects, Roiland lends his voice talents to the world of High on Life as the Gatlian gun Kenny. But his involvement almost didn’t happen. “I was trying to get out of it. But the team was like, ‘no, you have to do it,’” Roiland told Game Informer. “I have to be wrong if everyone else is saying that.”
Even though Roiland’s used different voices for characters in the past, Kenny bears a striking resemblance to Morty due to Roiland’s stuttering, improvised dialogue. But even that voice is starting to grate on the game’s creator. “The Morty voice is starting to get a little long in the tooth,” he said during an interview at PAX West.
3 These Rick And Morty Voice Actors Also Appear In High On Life
Aside from Roiland, High on Life features the talents of many other actors and actresses that have also appeared in Rick and Morty. Cassie Steele and Kari Wahlgren featured heavily in the animated series as Tammy Guterman and Jessica, providing additional voice roles to the video game. Maurice LaMarche, who portrayed Abradolph Lincler in Rick and Morty, also appears in High on Life, as does Chris Romano, Eric Bauza, and Vatche Panos.
Rick and Morty’s co-executive producer Rob Schrab also provides additional voices in High on Life, as does one of the show’s previous writers Ryan Ridley. Both Schrab and Ridley voiced a variety of characters in the show.
2 One Weapon Will Be Very Familiar To Some Rick And Morty Fans
One of the first additional weapons players can obtain in High on Life is Knifey, voiced by Michael Cusack. To Rick and Morty fans, Cusack may not be instantly familiar. But Cusack’s voice acting will jump out immediately to those who have watched the mock episode Bushworld Adventures.
Cusack created, produced, and voiced the Australian version of Rick and Morty, which follows Reek and Mordi as they go on “classic” bushworld adventures in the Australian outback. He’s also the co-creator of the Adult Swim series Smiling Friends with animator Zach Hadel and the creator of YOLO: Crystal Fantasy and Koala Man.
1 There May Be More Secrets And Easter Eggs To Discover
High on Life is one of those games with major replay value, particularly for those who love finding hidden references and Easter Eggs littered throughout the game’s world. Despite High on Life not being an open-world RPG, there’s a lot of room to explore and discover things players may not necessarily find in their first playthrough – including more Rick and Morty Easter Eggs.
Speaking to Xbox, Roiland said there are so many secrets in the game that players will “continue to be discovering for months,” including things that could have easily been cut out. “The reason that all made it in is just the passion of the team,” he concluded.
High On Life is available now for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.