Game developers Variable State have made their debut with “Virginia,” a story about a new FBI agent and her partner as they uncover the mystery of a missing boy. Inspired heavily by ’90s mystery thrillers such as “The X-Files” and “Twin Peaks”, you soon find out there is much more to this story than just a missing child.
“Virginia” walks the line between video game and interactive movie, spurring criticism of the game as being no more than a “walking simulator.” I can’t argue with these critics; if there was any choice to be made, I certainly didn’t see it.
The controls consist of only movement and an action button, and even the developers allude to the non-interactivity of their game in the pause menu by calling the game a “feature.”
In short, “Virginia” gives you no agency, expecting you to take a backseat to the narrative.
“Virginia” attempts to use narrative and cinematic devices to not only pay homage to their inspirations but also to push a video game style that is rarely seen.
One of the most frequently used devices is suddenly cutting from one perspective to another. You walk down a hallway, and the next second you’re in the passenger seat of a car.
In the beginning of the game, sudden cuts are used so often that the novelty wears off quickly. While I like a sudden jump cut, using this technique in a situation where the player has freedom to look around creates very jarring transitions.
“Virginia” contains zero dialogue and little text within the game. This is a commendable attempt at unique storytelling, but the lack of dialogue makes it more difficult for the directors to convey the development of the two main characters and their relationship. Unfortunately, I think “Virginia” missed this mark, which comprises the first two acts of the story.
However, using no dialogue or text means the audience’s job is to infer and interpret the story, which the developers nailed. Regardless of what anyone thinks about the quality of the story, Variable State should be praised for how they use spatial details to effectively convey plot points and character development.
Given the game’s two-hour length, I will not use specific examples, but players are rewarded for paying attention to the small stuff.
Once the third act rolls around, “Virginia” feels like an entirely different story. The slow narrative picks up exponentially as you switch between storylines and are introduced to several more in the span of minutes.
At first, the third act and finale felt convoluted and disjointed, but after giving some thought upon finishing the game, I was able to draw a clear and synchronous story.
Unfortunately, I did not feel the story was strong enough to justify it not having any “video game” elements. Placing some readable text and interactive objects to break up the strict linear gameplay would have gone a long way here.
But there were some aspects of “Virginia” I liked.
Slightly cartoonish with a strong pastel and watercolor feeling, the art style was great. For a small indie game, this was more than I expected.
I am also in love with the soundtrack, performed by the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. The music not only effectively conveys characters’ feelings and emotions, but it also drives the plot.
In my playthrough, I did experience some performance issues. When I first booted up the game and tried to change the video options from 30 frames per second to 60, I was met with a window advising against it.
Taking the developer’s advice, I played the game at 30 FPS and still experienced frame loss a couple times. I also had soft crash when returning to the game after I stepped away for a couple hours.
Most people will not enjoy this game. The story and cinematics will only appeal to a niche audience, and the story will most likely fall short for most of that audience.
But if you enjoy mystery thrillers, or want to see some rarely used cinematic techniques in a video game, then check out “Virginia.”

Gallery • 4 Photos

Courtesy of Variable State.

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