Virginia Reviews
Virginia takes the phase show, not tell to another level. This silent film of a video game, takes a chance on telling you an amazing story. It's your job to listen with your eyes.
Virginia is an interesting title that offers more than meets the eye. At first, the player is presented with a simple FBI case, but ultimately it evolves into something more.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
A surreal love letter to detectives and David Lynch.
Games like Virginia are extremely rare in the industry. It will grab at you from the opening moments, and it will refuse to let go until well after the credits have rolled. It’s also on the short side, as a complete playthrough should take about two hours, three if you actively seek out the few collectibles it has to offer. While not a perfect game, as it does have small hiccups here and there, it’s definitely one of the better adventure games that I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing in recent memory.
I found Virginia to be an excellent story with deep emotional aspects that were conveyed very well.
Saying that Virginia is unique is an understatement, there is nothing like it on any Xbox-console. The storytelling and music are sublime making the game an easy game to recommend.
Virginia was a wild ride, that’s for sure. If you’re a fan of the genre you’d probably be angry with yourself for missing out on this game. If you’re just looking for an offbeat, kind of wacky mystery, you’ll find something here, too.
Virginia is the only thing which prevents itself from achieving greatness, as it tries to imitate a TV show, while attempting to abandon the fact that it’s a videogame. As previously stated, a combination of videogame mechanics, with a structure and direction of a TV series, is borderline impossible and Virginia is a great example of that.
The overarching tale of 'Virginia' is more than just about a missing persons investigation. It doesn't take long for the player to tumble their way down through conspiracy and moral conundrums under the guise of rookie FBI agent Anne Tarver. While the plot leads the way and keeps the player on the edge of their seat, the gameplay itself is incredibly minimal with little ways to explore.
Virginia is a Rubik’s cube for your senses. The game masterfully provides you with a constant desire to explore and investigate, but can make you feel claustrophobic with its imposing soundtrack and jarring jump cuts. This is a game that takes its potentially biggest weakness and turns it into its greatest strength.
Virginia is a really intriguing story, one that I just couldn’t put down. Although I wasn’t sure on what was going on all of the time, the dramatic devices used within the game really made me want to find out the ending and what happened to the characters. Virginia’s play time of around two hours for £7.99/$9.99 is perfect, and it’s well worth a couple of hours out of your day.
That said, I didn’t dislike Virginia. I was disappointed at the lack of definitiveness and resolution to the matters presented, but the atmosphere and style of the game, as well as it’s brief meditations on society in 1992, stayed with me for some time after I finished playing, and provided a lot to think about. This is far from everyone’s tastes, and I would recommend doing some investigation before parting with any money to consider whether this is going to hold your attention or repel it, but if sedate thrillers that offer more questions than answers are your thing then you’ll find a short but sweet package on offer from 505 Games here.
Overall this experience I had with this game was quite enjoyable, the story, which you basically put together yourself was gripping enough to leave me wanting more. While I won’t pretend I understood all of the symbolism in the game I think I pretty much got the gist of the story. My ONE complaint with this game which is kind of a major one for me was the “ending”. For a game that tells a great narrative in a very unique way all building up to a major payoff doesn’t quite get it ever at any point. It almost seems like they didn’t know how to end this tale and took a major cop-out with how it wraps up and took a very “artsy” approach. While it didn’t ruin this game for me by any means did instantly knock it out of scoring in the 90s for me to where it is.
Virginia is extremely well made and a sight for you to behold, a well-developed drama that should be experienced by all. There are issues I found with it, which detract from the experience, but outside of the controls I can see why they were used.
Virginia represents the evolution that video game media represents over other entertainment products. The game lasts as much as movie (2 hours), its priced like a movie ($ 9.99) but different from a movie, it goes deeper as an experience, including you in this narrative as an integral part of it, allowing you to explore scenarios where the plot rolls, increasing and allowing an immersion that other media are unable to offer. The story is only one, but the nuances will be unique to every player, and just like a good movie with a divisive ending, Virginia is a product that deserves to be consumed and discussed.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Virginia might appeal to those looking for a more artsy gaming experience, but in terms of actually being a game, it falls decidedly short. There is very little to do here, little to interact with, and even fewer things to experience. All of this is likely intentional and not necessarily bad on its own, as the game wants the focus to be on its story and storytelling. Unfortunately, though, it botches this as well, and the game fluctuates between being dull and confusing, with very little that is enjoyable in between. Some of the design choices appear to have been done to make the game artistically memorable, and on that front it succeeds, but overall, Virginia suffers because of it. Virginia may be for lovers, but Virginia isn't really for anyone.
Virginia won't be for everyone due to its lack of interactivity, but its compelling storytelling, artistic direction and sound make for an original and immersive cinematic experience.
Virginia is a fantastic piece of interactive fiction, and a fantastic videogame. It’s rare to see a game that truly innovates on the way a story can be told through this medium, and to have something that doesn’t only push those boundaries but does so this effectively is a real treat.
The story is human, relatable, enabling you to build an empathetic bond with Anne with ease. And even when events go all mind-bendingly crazy as you reach the final stretch, you still care
Virginia needs to go back to film school