I want to shake developer Normal Wholesome Games by the shoulder and ask them how they knew to release 420BLAZEIT 2: GAME OF THE YEAR -=Dank Dreams and Goated Memes=- [#wow/11 Like and Subscribe] Poggerz Edition (I promise I won’t use its full name for the rest of the article) when they did. The hotly anticipated meme-infested FPS action game feels like an incredibly timely release, with how ridiculous, delightfully silly, and emblematic of simpler times it really is. Hear me out. The world is harsh and cold. 420BLAZEIT 2 is soft and warm.

You are Agent 69. The Illuminati has come along and stolen all our beloved memes. Doge, the chubby bubbles girl, Spooderman, Sanic… the list goes on. All are gone and replaced by semblances of their past; their faces are often warped with the Illuminati symbol. It’s up to you to travel across the Memeverse through twelve explosive FPS missions that have you quick scoping, fragging, pwning and ‘reking’ noobs all in the hopes of restoring memes to the world. What? Did you expect a deeper plot from the game called 420BLAZEIT 2?

The game will take you across countless dazzlingly loud and arguably obnoxious setpieces, all immensely referential. If you were a teen on the internet in the early 2010s like I was, you’re probably well versed and have an idea of some of the places the game will take you. Storming Area 51 to stop a missile launch as hundreds upon hundreds of Naruto-running zombies and aliens head your way only to be met with your hail of gunfire. A visit to Truthland, a museum run by the Illuminati where you learn all about the conspiracies of the world, including the fact that Australia isn’t real. A last-minute rush to work in a high-speed convertible in the middle of a zombie apocalypse that concludes in a battle against ‘Dhomas the Dank Engine’ that concludes on a rainbow road. That’s only just the beginning.

Of course, the style and humour in 420BLAZEIT 2 are of particular taste. When you pull off headshots, the screen will erupt in Comic Sans font while sirens play in the background as images of aliens dancing and smoking weed appear on the screen. Marijuana use and references are so high that I have to imagine the Australian Classification Board is placing calls as we speak. Dubstep is aplenty and blaring at all times. A rocket launcher that fires farts, a setpiece in a level where you have to successfully push out a dump on a toilet as enemies flood towards you… I’m not going to lie to you and pretend that all of the game’s humour lands but it’s got a higher hit rate than many comedy games prior. A lot of that is thanks to the nostalgia and reverence of meme culture. If you were someone who back in the day was giggling at Garry’s Mod videos where Shrek hangs out with the Team Fortress 2 cast, then I’ve got the game for you.

There’s a diverse amount of unique weapons to use too; secrets and easter eggs hidden behind false walls and cracks and crevices unveil weapons such as a ‘hidden goated weapon’ (a gold AK-47 that fires impact grenades), a dubstep gun, RPGs and more. Throwable pickups include not just stock-standard grenades but a space grenade that creates a black hole that sucks in nearby enemies and objects before exploding. You can throw a spliff at an enemy, watching a trail of green smoke as it hones in on them and sends them flying up in the air. Screens can erupt in technicolour rainbows, and textures on walls in some moments are deliberately scripted to glitch out in striking ways. Temporary pickups include a ‘focus’ pill that slows down time with every kill, an energy drink that slows everything down, sneakers that make your legs longer to kick enemies from really far away, and items to shrink you down or triple your size… every little thing that’s going on at all times with 420BLAZEIT 2 makes it a feast for the eyes.

If you were to write off 420BLAZEIT 2 as an asset flip or Shovelware, you’d be wrong. I’ve played a lot of shooters this year. Some I adored. Others that despite my best efforts I really didn’t. I’d place my time with this game somewhere near, if not at, the top of that list. Why? Because there are times when this game feels so damn sincere. Believe me, I’m as shocked as you are.

Even with all the memes, nonsense and irreverence, 420BLAZEIT 2 feels like a game made by people who really care. It isn’t quickly stitched together, there’s a deep understanding of what makes games fun and what can make them pretty and vibrant despite not having a gigantic budget under your belt. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the striking graffiti work you’ll find on walls and in places you might not expect. Even when it’s art setting up a punchline that might make you laugh and cringe, it’s art.

All of this coalesces in the final mission which feels like a victory lap. Entering cyberspace, you’re transported through instances of levels you already cleared, only they’re a little different and sentimental music plays for a short while before it dips back to the typical dubstep. It’s a solid topper for the entire experience, with little to no faults except for the final boss taking a good few attempts to clear, giving me grief in the process. Playing this sequence I’m reminded of my younger self who was all in on the very memes that the experience is referencing and parodying. That was anywhere from a decade to fifteen years ago. I’m a different person than I was then. I’m a woman now when I was raised as a boy! The world similarly is different, but crueller and darker. If all else, at least I have the funny meme weed game (of all things) as a time capsule to bring me back to a time when the world hadn’t harmed me yet. It’s funny the way art and games surprise you, isn’t it?