Virginia

 PlayStation 4
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 28 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 28
  3. Negative: 3 out of 28
  1. PSNStores
    Oct 19, 2016
    40
    It’s clear that Virginia is supposed to be mysterious, the absence of any dialog helps to keep things firmly planted in the unexplainable, but when there’s no payoff to any of the build up – it all starts to feel a bit meaningless.
  2. Push Square
    Sep 26, 2016
    40
    An absolutely incredible soundtrack and great environmental art fail to lift the game from a bog of issues. There are some severe technical issues here, but real criticism should be pointed in the direction of the oftentimes incomprehensible narrative, which needed to be much stronger given the general lack of interactivity elsewhere.
  3. Kill Screen
    Sep 23, 2016
    30
    Lord knows videogame characters could stand to be quieter, but Virginia can’t convey the necessary emotional depth to make its story stick. The ideas at play piqued my interest pre-release: two women of color as its leads, the promise of a new spin on enduring cop show tropes, surrealist touches. But Virginia is selling points all over, a mood board of ideas—some cool, some musty—that take the player’s interest as self-evident. Anyone who’s seen a movie before should probably just watch another.

Awards & Rankings

95
#95 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2016

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
5.5

Mixed or average reviews- based on 119 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 42 out of 119
  2. Mixed: 38 out of 119
  3. Negative: 39 out of 119
  1. rdekoch
    Sep 22, 2016
    9
    It's a truly interesting interactive experience that rewards replaying. It didn't sate my craving for unique gameplay, but the story got myIt's a truly interesting interactive experience that rewards replaying. It didn't sate my craving for unique gameplay, but the story got my attention. It's one of the most cinematic of games I've played. That said, because there are only a few things to interact with and nor real puzzles, it can feel inert. I am impressed by the how beautiful the game is, I wished it had more challenge or interactivity/puzzles. It's still worth experiencing.… Full Review »
  2. GrumpyReviewer
    Sep 26, 2016
    9
    This game is not for everyone. It's a strange, weird, walking simulator where you become a female officer in the FBI during the investigationThis game is not for everyone. It's a strange, weird, walking simulator where you become a female officer in the FBI during the investigation of a missing child. But, the moment you get this assignment, it's like the game pushes into a rabbit hole and it keeps getting stranger and stranger to a point where it becomes hard to see the difference between dream and reality.

    It does remind of David Lynch's work, like Twin Peaks. And it does have a strong cinematic feel, with you traversing bits and pieces of edited scenes, instead of a linear narrative.

    At the end, I was not very sure what to think. I just know that I really enjoyed it. This is a very special game, and one that should not be missed by people who enjoy this kind of game. But, like I said, it is not for everyone.    … Full Review »
  3. KamenRiderDark
    Sep 28, 2016
    0
    Speaking as a movie lover, Virginia is a pretty fascinating story. Imagine if David Lynch directed the pilot episode of The X-Files. It hasSpeaking as a movie lover, Virginia is a pretty fascinating story. Imagine if David Lynch directed the pilot episode of The X-Files. It has some great visuals and a soild score. It's worth it to at least watch a stream if you're into this kind of story.

    As a gamer, and as someone who loves "walking sims" and artistic games, there is no reason that this should have been told as a game instead of movie. You have no agency, there is no sense of exploration, you can't affect any outcome, and you never have any option to choose. You pretty much walk through a series of very linear levels with usually only one object to interact with at any given time.    … Full Review »
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