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 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 is one of these labours of love that's hard being… hard towards. From the realism-meets-surrealism visuals and the passionate orchestral tunes, to the great way the whole thing is directed, it's pretty obvious that the developer shows lots of promise. Unfortunately, everything crumbles under the complete lack of interactivity, and the initially enjoyably nonsensical… "plot."
I liked my time with this one for my Virginia review. Playing it a second time after having gone through it all actually allowed me to notice some details here and there that I missed the first time around – or perhaps it was that I didn’t know what they meant in the game’s story. If you’re looking for a different type of “walking simulator” then I recommend that you play Virginia on PS4. It offers an interesting and bizarre story with plenty of weird things to experience in a short package.
An interactive experience unlike any other
This was a hard game to score because I really wanted to love it more than I did. The unique storytelling format and intense musical score carry what is an otherwise perplexing narrative that tries very hard to be profound but ends up feeling a bit muddled.
As a piece of art, I quite appreciate Virginia. but I certainly won't be revisiting Virginia in the future.
If 90's thriller is your bag, Virginia does it magnificently. Loaded with surreal coincidence and unsettling theatrics, its deliciously David Lynch. In another medium, this thing could’ve been great, but its allegiance to film form ultimately restricts its potential as a game.
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 an intensely intimate, powerful and thought-provoking experience masquerading as an homage to supernatural detective thrillers, and it is one of the most important games of 2016.
Virginia achieves a level of complex and thrilling storytelling that is difficult to achieve without any words.
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.
A weird and wonderful game that although short, leaves one hell of a mark
Virginia takes you on an unforgettable, incomprehensible journey.
A mixture of quiet, reserved instruments along with dramatic strings and percussion give every moment of Virginia some levity, its change in tone, timbre, and style indicative of the weight of each scene in the game. When mixed with the camera’s specific framing the low-res polygonal visual design and clear progression delineation, Virginia is a marvel of sight and sound.
Virginia's extensive use of jump and match cuts makes it the meeting point of games and film, though it's not the most successful of experiments.
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 astounding in many ways. The way it conveys its meaning through visuals, character tics, a few hundred written words and one incredible score without uttering a single line of dialogue is remarkable. Confident and measured use of editing lends a sense of style, but Variable State's swagger turns to over-confidence in the final stretch and leaves Virginia on a befuddling rather than satisfying note.
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.
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.