High on Life is filled to the brim with wacky humor that you’re likely familiar with if you’ve ever watched a Justin Roiland show. Nearly every line of dialogue and moment feels like it belongs in one of his comedy shows. The humor is also incorporated in more interactive ways, such as by putting players into situations that make fun of or challenge what other games have taught them. One of the best examples of this occurs early in High on Life when you’re presented with the option to stab Gene.
More specifically, the moment comes up after returning from your first bounty. You’ll rescue Knifey along the way, Gene’s sentient alien knife who wants to stab and violently murder everything. As soon as he finds out you know Gene, he’s eager to let you know how much he’d like to stab him too. The option to do so will be presented once you get back to the house.
What Happens If you Don’t Stab Gene in High on Life?
Stabbing an important NPC who’s guiding you on your journey doesn’t seem like an option that would typically be treated seriously. The inability to shoot most NPCs is explained by Kenny vocally refusing to shoot them for example. At the same time, I wouldn’t blame you for second-guessing a game like this one.
Choosing whether or not to stab him isn’t presented as directly as some dialogue choices are. A simple pop-up will appear telling you to press the melee button. You can easily ignore the little UI pop-up and continue playing the game. Once you’ve left the house to continue the story, however, the opportunity to stab him will be gone.
What Happens If you Do Stab Gene?
Pressing the melee button in front of him will begin a small scripted scene where you do actually stab him. Gene will break the fourth wall a little bit and admonish you for following everything the UI says, although he’ll just as quickly brush it off. The good news is that this doesn’t have an actual effect on the story or gameplay, and you’ll still be able to count on him afterward like normal.
That being said, there is still a good reason to stab him. Doing so will unlock the secret and missable achievement ”Don’t Knife The Hand That Feeds.” If you came here unsure if it’s okay to stab him, feel free to go ahead and let loose. High on Life is certainly a game that encourages you to match its absurd tone, after all.
