I played Virginia, a 2016 first-person mystery adventure video game developed by Variable State and published by 505 Games, made for young adults into eerie mysteries/law enforcement stories. I played 1-2 hrs of this game and really loved its delivery of FBI agent Anne Tarver’s narrative. Narrative is woven into the mystery through eerie first-person dreams that appear initially as loops, but end up being arcs, and day-to-day activities that unveil Anne’s career/personal anxieties.
I get scared pretty easily, so I was on edge the entire time when I realized one of the game mechanics was needing to travel linearly through a story rife with terrifying nightmares that expose Anne’s fears about the investigation, or just show the unsettling, undefined nature of her memories. They would oftentimes start in scenes I felt we had already been in—waking up in bed, walking through the boy’s house, which made me think that this game was putting me through a loop. But, when I turned to the side and saw an elk in my bedroom, I realized it was putting me through an arc—a nightmare that shows the unsafety that Anne feels in this neighborhood. That gets me thinking—maybe she’s scared because of those men who accosted her at the gas station, or maybe something else. But it took a sensation of deja vu and broke it.
This game doesn’t just play with narrative conventions; it messes with your head in the best possible way. Just when you think you’ve got a handle on what’s going on, it throws a curveball that leaves you questioning everything. And that’s what makes it so compelling.
As I navigated through Anne’s world, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease creeping over me. The game’s atmospheric design is second to none, with every shadow and flickering light adding to the tension. Even the most mundane interactions felt charged with significance, as if every decision I made could have far-reaching consequences.
But it wasn’t just the gameplay that kept me hooked—it was Anne herself. As a character, she’s incredibly relatable, with fears and anxieties that felt all too familiar. Whether she’s grappling with the pressures of her job or the ghosts of her past, Anne’s journey is one that resonates on a deeply personal level.
And then there are the nightmares. I won’t lie—I jumped out of my skin more than once while playing this game. But what’s truly impressive is how these nightmares serve to deepen the story, offering insights into Anne’s psyche that would be impossible to convey through traditional gameplay alone. Take for example the recurring motif of the elk. At first, it seems like nothing more than a surreal hallucination. But as the game progresses, it becomes clear that the elk is a symbol of Anne’s deepest fears—a reminder of the dangers lurking just beyond the safety of her own home.
Of course, no discussion of Virginia would be complete without mentioning its stunning visuals and haunting soundtrack. From the eerie glow of a streetlamp to the distant howl of a wolf, every detail serves to immerse you further in Anne’s world, until you can almost feel the chill of the night air on your skin.
