Virginia

 PC
User Score
5.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 151 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 39 out of 151
  2. Mixed: 52 out of 151
  3. Negative: 60 out of 151

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  1. Crescendo
    Sep 28, 2016
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Before anything is said, I have to admit that I dabble a little in David Lynch films every now and then, but ultimately have to say that I am not particularly fond of his works... I love the atmosphere, but I mislike stories that shroud themselves so deep in mystery that there is no actual 'true' story behind it, just an invitation to interpret it yourself. While sometimes fitting, I more often than not feel disappointed. And that is pretty much what I am going to say about the game with a lot of more words beneath.
    I am just writing this because this game is very clearly inspired by the series Twin Peaks.

    As said before, this game is pretty much a jump from cutscene to cutscene with no choices (and therefore consequences), so far so good - I knew that beforehand, this is nothing new. What is new (to me at least) was the absence of a vocal narrative - no word is spoken in this game. Which DOES add to the already thick atmosphere, it really encourages you to observe and think about your environment which I actually really liked. The graphics and art style is rather bland, the (outside) environments do look pretty great.

    SPOILERS:
    From reading a few (spoilerless) reviews before playing the game, I arrogantly thought people just didn't pay enough attention and focus to follow the story... Well, it turns out it is too confusing for me as well... It is easy enough to follow everything until after ~two thirds of the game, when the lines between reality, dream, trip, persons become very blurry. Which actually sounds great when reading it, but it isn't that exciting per se, just very confusing...We see the main character rise in ranks (in a few unsubtile cutscenes), when she notices that the case she started out with is still unsovled. So the scene jumps back to where the two main characters are (for reasons I didn't fully understand) locked up, the main character drops LSD from the evidence envelope she carries with her god knows how while locked in, trips out through a bunch of cutscenes that are woven around the people, locations and events you witnessed and...peaks in a cacophony of seemingly disconnected scenes and then ends with no real conclusion to tie everything together.

    A smarter man than me can possibly find a reason for all that we saw, but I get the nagging feeling there is no 'true' story behind it, and it welcomes you to interpret it as you wish. Which can be nice, and if it was the first of it's kind I witnessed, I would have maybe liked it.... but this style of ending a game, book or film more and more seems like taking the easy way out to me - Instead of writing another ending that 'was here before', you just drop a lot of different impressions on the viewers and let them think they missed something or let them put the pieces together the way they want to, so they can't be disappointed.

    So long story short, I did like the game, but like so many others, it chooses to confuse instead of telling a story. I don't need games to hold my hand, but I'd still prefer that to putting me on rails with no choices whatsoever and then whilst obfuscating the story on purpose.

    For all my negative criticism, it is a game that can easily be a 7-8 for you if you do actually enjoy such things.    … Expand
  2. yamman
    Sep 24, 2016
    5
    Sorry, I'd love to recommend this game, but it just didn't do it for me.

    I have nothing against mostly narrative 'walkie' experiences - I loved 'Dear Esther' which was like a haunting eulogy/poem, and liked 'Everybody's Gone To The Rapture' with it's small town dramas set against an apocalyptic backdrop. 'Gone Home' was nice too with the house revealing bits and pieces of the    Sorry, I'd love to recommend this game, but it just didn't do it for me.

    I have nothing against mostly narrative 'walkie' experiences - I loved 'Dear Esther' which was like a haunting eulogy/poem, and liked 'Everybody's Gone To The Rapture' with it's small town dramas set against an apocalyptic backdrop. 'Gone Home' was nice too with the house revealing bits and pieces of the characters' past.

    I think the difference here is that there's absolutely no dialogue, text, ANYTHING except animation and music. So it's all left up to your imagination as to what's going on. The problem for me was that the storytelling just wasn't strong or interesting enough to grab me at any point, even though the music kept trying to convince me that I was taking part in 'epic' scenes. When the 'revelations' come at the end, they make little sense, emotionally or intellectually even if you've been following all the 'clues' along the way.

    I've heard some comparisons to 'Twin Peaks' but other than an obvious homage scene in a roadside bar with a sound-alike tune playing, it reminded me more of 'The X Files'. The music especially was very very reminiscent of 'The X Files'. Imagine an episode of 'The X Files' without dialogue. In first person. That jump cuts around. And you're not sure what's present/past/future/hallucinations. Which is the major issue here... other than some basic plot, I was never quite sure what's going on, why, or what meaning it had in the grander scheme of things... so I never got caught up in it.

    It sort of feels like it's going to be playing a detective game... but you don't do any detecting or figure anything out. You just sort of click through scene after scene. If you do happen to walk around... you can occasionally pick up a flower or a feather, which at the beginning you assume there must be some meaning or point to, but the meaning never really comes...

    Overall the experience was a little too willfully vague and arty for my tastes and left me cold. Points for a nice art style, lighting etc. While the music was well orchestrated, again it felt a little heavy handed without knowing exactly what was going on.

    Even for ~$10... it's hard to recommend this game. Emotionally it didn't grab me. Intellectually it was too vague for me to feel like I was figuring anything out. Mechanically there's really nothing to do other than scan for the next hotspot. Narratively the story is pretty slight and doesn't hold much weight because you're perpetually waiting for clarity which never comes.

    Advice for their next game? Steer a little less on the obscure side, just a little, if you want your players to be able to get wrapped up in the tale you're telling.

    2.5/5.    … Expand
  3. SuperkenGaming
    Sep 23, 2016
    6
    Virginia
    Interactive Confusion
    Virginia is a first person thriller where you play as an fbi agent during an investigation of a missing person…. The game starts by telling you this story is based on true events, and a lot of weird stuff happens, so I’m not too sure how true that is.. This game is really all over the place and I don’t even understand why some things were in the story, or    Virginia
    Interactive Confusion
    Virginia is a first person thriller where you play as an fbi agent during an investigation of a missing person….
    The game starts by telling you this story is based on true events, and a lot of weird stuff happens, so I’m not too sure how true that is..
    This game is really all over the place and I don’t even understand why some things were in the story, or why they mattered, and I came to no conclusions at the end…
    It’s really a jumbled mess…
    This isn’t so much a game as it is a 1 and a half hr long interactive movie…
    You do nothing but occasionally tap x or find an object to interact with and the story pushes on.. Or back. Or side to side. In dreams... drug trips
    Again, it jumps all over the place…
    The world in Virginia though is absolutely gorgeous…
    Easily one of the best looking games I’ve played this year...
    Walking through the small sections I did was a very enjoyable experience…
    The mood and setting fits the story perfectly…
    But again, it’s pretty hard to call this a game… any more than reading along to a mystery novel is a game...
    You don’t make choices…
    And the characters in this world don’t talk at all…
    You have to read body language to get any sense of what’s going on…
    and even then it’s still tough as there seems to be like 5 different stories going on at once, and out of order…
    Virginia is beautiful, but a mess… and not a beautiful mess…
    But I’m only 1 person... other critics seem to be in love with this game, calling it emotionally powerful and thought provoking… but I just don’t see it.
    I felt like overall this game accomplished nothing but feeling like one of the most movie like games to date, but the story and its delivery just didn’t do it for me
    I Give Virginia
    a 6.0/10    … Expand
  4. InnerWarChild
    Sep 23, 2016
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The hell did I just play?

    I went into this thinking I would be hands on in solving a crime, but in reality you just go through the motions and "play along" so to speak, taking yourself where the game leads you. Much is lost in my opinion with no dialogue. It really pulls you out of the narrative because you're not used to living in a world where everyone is mute. Does it work without it, sure, mostly, but some things can be a bit confusing.

    SPOILER TIME:
    I was following along well enough until at some point, the two investigators get arrested for seemingly no real reason, and then your character literally takes a dose of acid in the jail cell and somehow solves the crime i guess while in her own head space? After that point it's hard to tell when or if she ever snaps back to reality or if the ending I'm seeing is still just fantasy.
    END SPOILER

    Should you buy?

    It's a short game, like only two hours.. Think of it as a silent playable cartoon, and probably worth the ten bucks considering the effort put into it, and it's interesting enough, but as I said, the end may or may not do it for you, I know it didn't for me.    … Expand
  5. ChoicestGames
    Feb 15, 2019
    7
    Walking simulators have certainly come along way since the likes of Dear Esther was released 6 years ago and I'm starting to genuinely enjoy some of them. Virginia definitely has its moments thanks to its 1990s setting, a beautiful orchestral score and so many underlying themes and imagery, you'll be going around in circles for days figuring out what actually happened during the two hoursWalking simulators have certainly come along way since the likes of Dear Esther was released 6 years ago and I'm starting to genuinely enjoy some of them. Virginia definitely has its moments thanks to its 1990s setting, a beautiful orchestral score and so many underlying themes and imagery, you'll be going around in circles for days figuring out what actually happened during the two hours you played the game. However, the fact the game is so perplexing and open to interpretation, along with the fact it's quite short, will no doubt infuriate others.… Expand
  6. dabyd1304
    Jan 8, 2017
    6
    Virginia supone una mezcla de todas las influencias que sus creadores hayan podido adquirir durante años en las series de televisión. Es un fan-service. Sin embargo, creo que tiene méritos propios. Si bien no se trata de un imprescindible, si que es un juego bastante curioso para aquellos a los que les guste sus influencias.
  7. Letiste-Gaming
    Oct 13, 2016
    7
    En conclusión, un título que no aspira a ser un grande ni lo intenta. Ni siquiera se podría catalogar casi de juego. Pero ofrece una gran atmósfera y una fantástica banda sonora.

    Si bien es cierto que la historia se desinfla y podría ser mejor, no deja de ser un juego muy curioso. Y más, para las menos de 2 horas que dura.
  8. dandalis
    Jan 16, 2017
    6
    This is a pretty wild and out there game - experience. Its obviosuly not trying to appeal to the mainstream gamer, even not to those who might like the more mainstream ''walking simulators'' like Vanishing of Ethan Carter. There is some walking involved in the game yes, but its not even torturing and areas you explore on foot are small in scale. Its going the linear narrative driven wayThis is a pretty wild and out there game - experience. Its obviosuly not trying to appeal to the mainstream gamer, even not to those who might like the more mainstream ''walking simulators'' like Vanishing of Ethan Carter. There is some walking involved in the game yes, but its not even torturing and areas you explore on foot are small in scale. Its going the linear narrative driven way where theres no dialogue, which will instantly turn a lot of people off, you have to interpret a lot of the plot on your own. Also the game plays out like a TV show where it will instantly jump from one scene to the other, even when youre interacting with the game, sometimes jumping forward when theres something you wanted to finish doing, which was bit annoying. I can see some will try to convince themselves that the game is pushing SJW agenda, but its really not.

    To be honest even i didnt fully understood the story, its constantly messing with your mind with these dream like sequences leaving you guessing whether whats happening is real or not, but i kinda liked it and enjoyed it, but then again i kinda didnt pay my fullest of attention many times and overlooked some of the plot elements. Then again i feel that the devs intended the game that way to introudce some confusion and mistery to the overall experience.

    I liked this game and thats that. And the soundtrack was nice, props to the composer and Prague Philharmonic orchestra.    … Expand
  9. Roke_
    Mar 23, 2017
    7
    Story was very interesting and mysterious and had interesting characters even though the characters didn't speak shows how good they got the characters across. But the game is very short as i finished it in about 2 hours and has no replay ability as you know the story.
  10. DeathKillerNOR
    Jul 18, 2021
    6
    {Personal Experience: Personal Experience}
    6/10 - Average.
    [While playing this game i didn't feel bored, but at the same time, it wasn't that special either. It was alright for what it's trying to be. It's a story-driven game around a missing person. It's alright to play once, but it isn't really anything special. It's a play once and done kinda game.] {GamePlay: World/Level Design,    {Personal Experience: Personal Experience}
    6/10 - Average.
    [While playing this game i didn't feel bored, but at the same time, it wasn't that special either.
    It was alright for what it's trying to be. It's a story-driven game around a missing person. It's alright to play once, but it isn't really anything special. It's a play once and done kinda game.]

    {GamePlay: World/Level Design, Quests/Missions/Objectives, Difficulity (Deffault/Normal), Co-Op/Multiplayer Aspects}
    5/10 – Mediocre.
    [The World design is alright, kinda cartoony. It works great for this game.
    It's a set story game, so there aren't really any Missions/Objectives during this game.
    There is no Co-Op or multiplayer in this game]

    {Narrative: Dialogue, Cutscenes}
    9/10 - Great.
    [The dialogue in this game works pretty well, and the cutscenes are a big part of this game.]

    {Visuals: Graphics, Motion Capture/Voice-Sync}
    7/10 – Good.
    [As i have said before, the art style of this game is kinda cartoony. With works for this game.
    I don't believe Motion Capture is being used in this game and there is no voice acting in this game either.
    It feels like a low-budget game, that uses its resources quite effectively.]

    {Technical: Bugs, Performance}
    9/10 - Great.
    [i found 1 bug witch the letters got bugged in Chapter 7.
    I can't say i noticed any performance issues during my PlayThrough.

    {Story: The Story}
    8/10 - Great.
    [The Story is good, but it's nothing special.]

    {Replayability: Replayability (Alternate Endings, Secrets, Multiplayer, etc)}
    5/10 – Bad.
    [This game is a play once and done kinda game

    "6/10 – Average.
    These recommendations come with a boatload of “ifs.
    It's only held back by a few issues (or stiff competition).
    Not always the best choice, but it can get the job done.
    There’s a good game in here somewhere, but you’ll have to know where to look, and perhaps turn a blind eye to some big drawbacks.”
    ~DeathKillerNOR~

    ⚠️ IN MY OPINION ⚠️    … Expand
  11. Alexb1096
    Jul 24, 2020
    5
    ITALIAN: Breve recensione
    Gioco brevissimo ma con una storia veramente densa, anche troppo.
    Graficamente molto curato, comprese le animazioni dei volti, e immenso comparto sonoro che si affida ad un'orchestra vera per compensare la totale assenza di dialoghi (anche scritti). Molto interessante la regia cinematografica anche nelle sequenze giocate, in cui ci saranno molti tagli    ITALIAN: Breve recensione
    Gioco brevissimo ma con una storia veramente densa, anche troppo.
    Graficamente molto curato, comprese le animazioni dei volti, e immenso comparto sonoro che si affida ad un'orchestra vera per compensare la totale assenza di dialoghi (anche scritti).
    Molto interessante la regia cinematografica anche nelle sequenze giocate, in cui ci saranno molti tagli (accompagnati dalla musica) per rendere più incalzante il ritmo della trama.

    I problemi subentrano nel gameplay e nella storia.
    Il gioco è un'avventura grafica in prima persona, in cui però non dovremo fare altro che raggiungere l'unico oggetto con cui si può interagire nell'ambiente oppure a volte addirittura aspettare. C'è qualche oggetto collezionabile sparso ma del tutto irrilevante.

    La trama infine parte in maniera abbastanza chiara ma poi, nonostante il titolo duri circa 2 ore, si complica in maniera incomprensibile rendendo l'esperienza piuttosto strana. Si empatizzerà abbastanza con i due personaggi principali ma in molte sequenze, soprattutto quelle più astratte e assurde, non si capirà davvero niente. Anche a storia conclusa non saprei dire cosa sia successo, tutto rimane vago e interpretabile in più modi.

    VOTO: 6/10 solo per grafica e colonna sonora    … Expand
  12. BgSilva98
    May 2, 2021
    6
    Virginia é um jogo, mas está mais para um filme, um jogo focado em narrativas, bem cinematográfico, sem uso de diálogos.
    O Objetivo principal do jogo é abrir portas, mas isso não quer dizer que o jogo seja ruim,
    Virginia é um jogo bem estranho e confuso, o game é contado em dias, porém não é contado linearmente, um forte ponto do game são os cortes que ocorrem durante o jogo, cortes que    Virginia é um jogo, mas está mais para um filme, um jogo focado em narrativas, bem cinematográfico, sem uso de diálogos.
    O Objetivo principal do jogo é abrir portas, mas isso não quer dizer que o jogo seja ruim,
    Virginia é um jogo bem estranho e confuso, o game é contado em dias, porém não é contado linearmente, um forte ponto do game são os cortes que ocorrem durante o jogo, cortes que avançam e voltam no tempo, isso traz um diferencial que poucos games tem hoje em dia, o final é confuso e abre margem para muitas teorias.
    Virginia possuí ótimos gráficos, trilha sonora e enredo agradável.
    Não é um estilo de jogo que posso falar que jogaria de novo, até porque em algumas partes o jogo bagunça tanto a sua cabeça que você se perde e acaba perdendo a vontade de continuar, não consegui descobrir o que esse jogo quis passar totalmente, porém da para se tirar bons ensinamentos para a vida, principalmente no final, valeu a curiosidade, nota geral 6/10.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

89
#89 Most Shared PC Game of 2016

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
74

Mixed or average reviews - based on 36 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 36
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 36
  3. Negative: 3 out of 36
  1. CD-Action
    Jan 12, 2017
    70
    By constantly comparing their game to “Twin Peaks” and “True Detective” the developers set the bar so high that they could not fulfill expectations. Nevertheless Virginia is an interesting experiment worth your time (especially that it only takes two hours to complete). [13/2016, p.58]
  2. Edge Magazine
    Nov 15, 2016
    80
    One of the most quietly devastating moments involves a character simply shaking their head softly. [December 2016, p.110]
  3. Games Master UK
    Nov 9, 2016
    79
    An interactive story that blends dreamy police procedural with Lynchian nightmare to intriguing effect [Nov 2016, p.78]
See all critic reviews »