Yes, Virginia, there is a surreal interactive drama coming
Although they both rose to prominence in the 1990s, TV dramas Twin Peaks and The X-Files are still inspiring storytellers more than twenty years on with their blend of the seemingly ordinary with the mysterious. Following in their footsteps, British developer Variable State is hard at work on a new first-person adventure game, Virginia.
The game’s graphics will forego the photorealistic environments prevalent in other first-person games in favor of a blocky, almost plastic appearance that, appropriately enough, feels surreal when gazing upon the initial screenshots. Players will be able to move freely throughout each location using the mouse and keyboard or gamepad, but the story itself will be "unabashedly linear." Variable State hopes that a more controlled experience will enable every player to experience "the same key moments and hopefully to have a similar emotional reaction to what they're experiencing." Puzzles are being downplayed in Virginia's design in order to further strengthen the narrative and dramatic elements.
PC gamers can prime themselves to explore the mysteries of Virginia sometime in 2016. Until then, those interested in learning more can keep up to date at Variable State's official webpage.