If Virginia was Variable State's quiet, nuanced introduction, Last Stop is that louder evolution.

If you had the power to change your life drastically, but put other people in harm's way, would you do it? That's the ultimate question that Last Stop, the newest game from indie studio Variable State and published by Annapurna Interactive seeks to answer. However, to get there you have to go through three very different but slightly interconnected stories about modernity, relationships, work culture, and more with a paranormal twist.

It might sound like a lot, and it is. Compared to Virginia, the studio's previous game, Last Stop, which is coming to all platforms including Xbox Game Pass, is a massive evolution. It has spoken dialogue and voice acting, is much longer at around five hours, has a cleaner art style, and tells three stories instead of just one. Variable State wanted to swing for greater heights with Last Stop, but it doesn't always fully reach them thanks to a few missed ...