'Virginia' is a surreal, sci-fi thriller that feels like a video game version of 'Twin Peaks'

505 Games/Variable State

Though many modern video games are epic adventures that can take upwards of 50 hours to complete, there's been a surge in recent years of small, intimate games that can be completed in just a couple of short hours.

Since these games are made by small teams with limited budgets, it's easy to overlook them in favor of something like "Grand Theft Auto," which can afford giant billboards and flashy TV commercials.

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In truth, however, it's a space in which some of the most inventive, ambitious storytelling in the gaming industry is happening.

One such game is "Virginia," a new first-person narrative game from a studio called Variable State. It takes many stylistic cues from '90s sci-fi crime noir, like "Twin Peaks" or "The X-Files," but those are really just a jumping off point for a game that tells a story unlike anything else I've ever experienced.

This is "Virginia."