Quick Review: Virginia

Video games have thrived to become more cinematic for a decade or two now. This takes the idea to the next level by being basically a playable movie.

What better way to start the game than by showing the
point-of-view character through a mirror introduction?

Virginia was developed by Variable State, published by 505 Games, and released to Steam on September 22nd, 2016. It’s the story of freshly-graduated FBI agent Anne Tarver, on her first assignment: Helping her colleague Maria Halperin investigate the disappearance of a teenager in the small town of Kingdom, Virginia… while also investigating Maria’s other, possibly illegal activities.

That is, sincerely, all I wish to say about the plot proper, as this is an experience to play by yourself. Now, let me tell you WHY it’s an experience. This isn’t your run-of-the-mill investigation game. As I said, it’s more akin to a playable movie, which creates an almost unique effect.

"Your mission, if you're willing to accept it..."

Very much evoking the "movie" aesthetic, with
this very "DVD menu"-esque title screen.
"Continue" is renamed "Resume Feature" even!

I say “almost unique” because Variable State acknowledges in the end credits of Virginia that they took a lot of inspiration for this game’s mechanics from a shorter title on Steam called “Thirty Flights of Loving”. I actually reviewed that one too, in a Steam Pack, some time ago. Thirty Flights was another cinematic game, in which you had some freedom to act, but the scenes were cut like a short film to be followed. Virginia takes that idea and rolls with it, crafting a two-hour story with twists and turns, built like a movie. The menu even splits the story into very short chapters, akin to a film on DVD. The gameplay is mostly limited to walking around, observing the surroundings, exploring areas once in a while, and interacting with objects to move the plot forward. I hesitate to even call it a puzzle game, as there’s very little for you to do that counts as a “puzzle”. Well… unless you consider deciphering the plot to be the puzzle here.

Unless the real mystery lies within our investigation partner, Maria...

Virginia is indeed cut like a film; unnecessary parts are taken out (as an example, instead of going down the whole flight of stairs, you go down a few and then cut to Anne walking through a corridor, at the bottom of the stairs). Smash cuts and fade-ins/fade-outs are common. Camera tricks aren’t used quite as often as the game is played in first person from Anne’s perspective, but it does lead to interesting points of view. Seeing everything happen like you’re literally one of the participants is nothing new in video games, but it’s fresh and special in a story cut like a film.

That birdie, in that signature red plumage,
has to be significant to the story.
That it escapes may mean even more.

Speaking of, a general rule of movie-making. Every scene, every cut has a purpose: It moves the plot forward; conveys an emotion; gives context or clues towards comprehending the story; or many of these at once. The type of camera shot, the colors and the lighting of each scene work towards making each shot count. Therefore, if something has remained in the final montage, it’s because it’s significant. Those are not necessarily things you think about while watching a TV show or a movie, but in this game where you’re a part of the universe, encouraged to explore and discover things, it’s all the more noticeable. And it gives the player an interest in understanding each scene and its implicit meaning, beyond just what you see on the screen. Oh, and that’s not all; putting aside some sections with text, this entire story happens without a single spoken line from any character.

You can even feel the fall!
Oh wait, no, that was me, I just fell off my chair.

Is that envelope going to yell at me?

To top it off, like a lot of games out there, Virginia comes with two “collection side-quests” in which you can look for feathers and flowers, respectively. There are achievements associated with these, if you decide to explore each environment in order to find everything.

Oh, and need I mention the diverse cast, with the two main characters (Anne and Maria) being women of color? Because that’s very welcome.

Like I said; cut like the scenes of a movie on DVD.

A strong recommendation. Oh yeah, this is a great experience, you should play Virginia. It’s good. It's available on Steam usually for about 10$.

And with this, the series of quick reviews for this month is complete! Tune in... er... as soon as possible, and I'll try to publish a few more reviews before the end of the year. If I can get at least one done I'll be happy. Hopefully I can go back to doing quick reviews like these and post many of them throughout a future month again, this was fun!