Screenshots & trailers
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (OpenCritic) | – | 73 | 21 |
| Creator reviews (1 tracked) | – | 75 | 0 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 64% | 63 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 53 | 11 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 72% | 68 | 3 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 8 reviews sampled · 5 total reviews in window · weighted 2.7 up / 1.1 down · computed 3h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (82)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 75
“With Virginia, Variable State has created a grounded piece of interactive narrative, free of the waffling conceit of the genre’s worst offenders, but not quite evocative enough to be a true classic.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Players are offered no real choices within this tersely edited walking simulator, and yet the contemplative nature of the game keeps things feeling unusually satisfying. That’s because you’re given the imaginative freedom to engage with what they’re seeing, more so than in Dear Esther, such that the game feels like an interactive studio tour through a detective’s dreams.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“Virginia is a living proof that "walking simulators" don't have to be boring. This is an exciting and engaging story that is different from a typical videogame. The narration - inspired by Twin Peaks and The X-Files - makes you really want to see the finale (which is great by the way).”
read full review ↗ - 30
“Virginia might appeal to those looking for a more artsy gaming experience, but in terms of actually being a game, it falls decidedly short. There is very little to do here, little to interact with, and even fewer things to experience. All of this is likely intentional and not necessarily bad on its own, as the game wants the focus to be on its story and storytelling. Unfortunately, though, it botches this as well, and the game fluctuates between being dull and confusing, with very little that is enjoyable in between. Some of the design choices appear to have been done to make the game artistically memorable, and on that front it succeeds, but overall, Virginia suffers because of it. Virginia may be for lovers, but Virginia isn't really for anyone.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“It's rare for a game to make me swing back and forth a full 5 points on the score, but Virginia managed exactly that, and that's probably a sign of exactly how divisive this short piece of interactive story-telling is going to be. Let's settle around the middle.”
read full review ↗ - 40
“Variable State's Virginia is by and large an unsuccessful attempt to make something interesting. 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.”
read full review ↗ - 92
“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.”
read full review ↗ - 83
“Saying that Virginia is unique is an understatement, there is nothing like it on any Xbox-console. The storytelling and music are sublime making the game an easy game to recommend.”
read full review ↗ - 74
“I found Virginia to be an excellent story with deep emotional aspects that were conveyed very well.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Virginia's an astonishing piece of narrative design, and a game that goes where few others are capable of following.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Virginia takes you on an unforgettable, incomprehensible journey.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Virginia’s tale of intrigue and mystery quickly comes full circle. In that time, it will take you to some pretty surprising, extraordinary places, and easily warrants a second playthrough. The closing moments may not be to everyone’s taste, though the journey to get there is certainly worthwhile.”
read full review ↗
The Jimquisition
Slant Magazine
GRYOnline.pl
Cubed3
PC Invasion
Push Square
Life is Xbox
Gamerheadquarters
Eurogamer
GameGrin
TheSixthAxis…and 70 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Virginia 1.02 Patch Now AvailableNov 3, 2016
- Virginia 1.02 Patch Now AvailableNov 3, 2016
- Virginia 1.01Oct 1, 2016
- Virginia 1.01Oct 1, 2016significant · resets scoring window
- Virginia Soundtrack available on Steam today!Sep 29, 2016significant · resets scoring window
- Steam Cards Now available!Sep 25, 2016