PC Critic Reviews

Virginia hit me right in the chest, the kind of game I’ve wanted to exist for years, and the first game to actually nail it in a way that I think fully takes advantage of the potential. It is the game that titles like Dear Esther, Gone Home and Firewatch have hinted at, but in a way that evolves the interactive narrative form way beyond anything we’ve seen before. It’s a game to savour and talk about for years to come, one that left me, just like the inhabitants of Kingdom, Virginia, speechless.

There are very few games as emotionally affecting as this. The story is thrilling, powerful and thought-provoking, and the music sends chills straight through your soul.

Virginia is a taut thriller that strikes a fine balance between storytelling and interactivity in a way that narrative-driven first-person adventure games have not accomplished since their inception, thanks to its blend of classic cinema and exploration. It should not be missed.

Lyrical, trippy, darkly surreal. Variable State delivers a masterclass in visual storytelling and creates a uniquely Lynchian narrative set in the American heartland. The spirits are here and they are strong. One of the greatest video-game soundtracks ever recorded can be considered an added bonus.

Virginia's deviance from norms makes it the sort of game that demands to be discussed among friends and, in this respect, the comparisons with Twin Peaks are apt. Although there's only one ending to this game, it's confounding enough to leave multiple possible interpretations, which is often the mark of a great story. Such is its power and originality, I suspect Virginia will have significant influences over games yet to be conceived.

Virginia is a sharp thinking, plot driven single-player adventure like few out there. It borrows heavily from other games of its ilk, yet twists it into its own strange beast. Unlike plenty of others, such as Firewatch, Virginia also manages to actually live up to its premise and deliver a satisfying, thought provoking conclusion. I'd love to go deeper on this because Virginia is a game all about its story and it's delivered, but a mystery such as this best served piping hot with a cup of joe on the side.

Virginia is a really, really cool little piece of media as long as you know what you’re getting yourself into.

A weird and wonderful game that although short, leaves one hell of a mark.

Virginia is a great game for film lovers. The David Lynch universe is really well made.

Virginia shows instead of tells, with a raw, understated power and a calculated nuance that make even the smallest, most mundane details brim with narrative and emotional significance.