Founded in 2002, Polish developer People Can Fly has worked on a range of well-known video game projects over the years, including its own unique IPs and some beloved franchises from other publishers. Making a name for itself in 2004 with its first title, Painkiller, People Can Fly was quickly drafted by Epic Games to work on a few projects, including Gears of War: Judgement. After a brief stint of being owned by Epic Games, People Can Fly left the publisher and has continued to expand on its own, with studios opening around the globe. Just recently, People Can Fly subtly announced that it's working on a VR game based on one of its pre-existing IPs, and there are a few titles it could be.
Most recently, People Can Fly developed Outriders in partnership with Square Enix. While the online live-service game wasn't everyone's cup of tea, it's clearly performed well enough for People Can Fly to continue to expand and try its hand at some new projects. With no VR titles currently under its belt, People Can Fly is taking quite the risk, but with some solid IPs behind it, this unknown VR project could do enough to stand out from the crowd.
The Most Likely People Can Fly Game To Be Given the VR Treatment
Back in August, a few job listings posted by People Can Fly made explicit reference to the developer making a VR game. In the jobs' description, one line read, "one of our IPs is also being adapted for VR technology." Though People Can Fly's back catalogue isn't too expansive, there are a handful of IPs that would make for some exciting VR experiences.
One of the most likely IPs People Can Fly can draw from is its Painkiller series. The developer's debut title, Painkiller was released in 2004 and sees players fend off waves of demons as they try to earn their way into Heaven. With gameplay heavily inspired by classic arena shooters like Doom and Serious Sam, Painkiller is a high-octane, gore-filled shooting gallery that isn't afraid to push players to their limits. It's been a while since Painkiller has been relevant, but its fast-paced, intense first-person action already lends itself perfectly to the VR medium, though it would certainly need to be a title aimed solely at advanced VR players who aren't subject to getting motion sick easily.
Perhaps the most likely contender, however, is Bulletstorm. Released in 2011, Bulletstorm is another fast-paced shooter, but this time it's set in a Sci-Fi universe. Brimming with color, Bulletstorm is a vibrant and visceral FPS that encourages players to kill their foes in stylish ways. One of the best tools the game gives players is the Instinct Leash, a blue whip attached to the player's arm that lets them hurl enemies into walls, obstacles, or fling them off the map. This weapon would feel amazing to control in VR, and when paired with Bulletstorm's other bizarre weaponry, a Bulletstorm VR game could easily stand out from the sea of other FPS VR games.
People Can Fly's most recent video game release, Outriders, could also make for a solid VR game. While Outriders received mixed reviews, its class-based gameplay was almost universally praised. Though People Can Fly would need to switch perspectives to first-person, an Outriders VR game could work, giving players the ability to stop time, manipulate fire, or use seismic attacks. A four-player co-op structure could work well for an Outriders VR title, condensing the online game's experience into bite-sized raids to better fit the medium.