Virginia (2016) PC

Virginia is an interactive crime thriller that gives magic to even the most mundane details.

The game was developed by the independent studio Variable State.

Description

We take on the role of Anna Tarver – a newly arrived FBI agent, tormented by nightmares about her career and recent family loss. Joining a partner, we will visit the city to investigate the case of the boy's disappearance. The titular state of Virginia was presented in a fictional version full of subtle supernatural phenomena and light sci-fi threads. The developers are not trying to hide their inspiration for the TV shows of the 90s, including Twin Peaks.

Gameplay

The gameplay is a narrative-based adventure, so it mainly focuses on the story rather than solving riddles. Complex moral choices with different outcomes are also not part of this production. The developers had a story they wanted to tell in the most exciting way.

We are watching the events from the position of the main character, but the whole process plays out in a rather unusual way. The developers have gone for a more cinematic way of storytelling, paying special attention to editing, which leads to a lot of cinematic scenes. Another solution that is rarely seen in this genre is the lack of dialogues. Scenes start after the conversation ends or end before the conversation begins. At the same time, such solutions give the game a very strange and creepy atmosphere, because wherever our character goes, we hear only dead silence.

Features:

• it has an unusual visual style, with simplified objects and a dark palette that resemble a dark comic;
• the narrative of the story has a depth of character and an absorbing mystery that is built without a single dialogue;
• inspired by the detectives of the 90s, including Twin Peaks;
• The scenes illustrate the tone of each action through cl