Martin Rumenov Flat2VR Studios has unveiled virtual-reality adaptations of High On Life and System Shock, bringing two very different first-person experiences to Meta Quest, PlayStation VR2 and SteamVR. The announcements were made during the VR Games Showcase, alongside news that Impact Reality has opened StartEngine reservations for a planned investment campaign.
High On Life heads to VR
Developed by Flat2VR Studios in collaboration with Squanch Games, High On Life VR is scheduled to launch in 2027. The adaptation will revisit the original game’s absurd sci-fi premise: an alien cartel has invaded Earth after discovering that humans can be used as an intergalactic drug, leaving players to become an unlikely bounty hunter and fight back.
Players will travel from Blim City to strange alien locations as they pursue members of the G3 Cartel, tackle bosses, collect upgrades and work to stop humanity from being harvested. They will be assisted—or constantly distracted—by the series’ sentient Gatlian weapons, including Kenny, Gus, Sweezy and Creature, as well as the ever-eager stabbing companion, Knifey.
The VR version is being designed around hands-on interactions. Players will be able to physically hold and reload their living weapons, while systems such as the Bounty Suit, Warp Remote and interface elements are being reworked as in-world interactions rather than traditional menu-based features. Flat2VR says it is aiming to preserve the speed and rhythm of the flatscreen shooter while expanding the physical immersion that VR allows.
Squanch Games CEO Michael Fridley said the team is “stupidly excited” to work with Flat2VR, adding that both returning players and newcomers should enjoy experiencing the game’s chaotic comedy in a more immersive format.
System Shock enters Citadel Station
Flat2VR Studios is also working with Nightdive Studios on System Shock VR, which will bring the influential sci-fi horror game to virtual reality. The project places players inside Citadel Station, the corporate space station controlled by the rogue artificial intelligence SHODAN.
The story follows a hacker who agrees to remove SHODAN’s ethical restrictions in return for freedom and a neural implant. After waking six months later, the hacker finds that the AI has turned Citadel Station into a disaster zone. Its crew has been killed, transformed or cybernetically altered, security machines patrol the halls, and SHODAN’s attention has shifted toward Earth.
Like the original game, System Shock VR will focus on exploration, survival and system-driven problem-solving. Players will search for weapons, codes, crew logs and technical information while battling cyborgs, mutants and security forces. They will also solve puzzles, reduce station security, manipulate its infrastructure across several decks and enter cyberspace to challenge SHODAN’s control from within the network.
VR should make Citadel Station’s oppressive setting even more immediate. Instead of observing its dark corridors, laboratories and surveillance systems through a screen, players will be surrounded by them—while SHODAN’s influence reaches through cameras, terminals, machines and enemies throughout the station.
Store pages for System Shock VR are now live on Meta Quest, PlayStation VR2 and SteamVR, although no release window was announced.
Impact Reality opens StartEngine reservations
The two projects form part of Impact Reality’s expanding VR pipeline. The company operates through several divisions, including Flat2VR Studios for licensed VR adaptations, Impact Inked for publishing third-party VR titles, Impact Reality PR & Marketing for promotional and community services, Impact Labs for QA and playtesting, and Flat2VR Spark for helping community-led VR adaptations become officially licensed releases.
Impact Reality has also opened reservations on StartEngine for a future investment offering. The reservation does not require anyone to invest; it simply lets interested supporters register their interest ahead of the campaign.
The company says it has grown from a four-person team in 2022 into a global operation spanning game development, publishing, marketing, testing and player support. Its current and upcoming projects include POSTAL 2 Redux and POSTAL 2 VR, the latter supported by a Kickstarter campaign that attracted more than 6,000 backers.
Impact Reality says it has secured more than $5 million in platform funding across its projects, has more than 10 released or in-development titles in its portfolio, was the only VR company selected for a16z Speedrun Cohort 003, and has backing from Hartmann Capital.
Both High On Life VR and System Shock VR can now be wishlisted on Meta Quest, PlayStation VR2 and SteamVR.
