Transference

Transference combines a fantastic story with great acting and smart puzzles for an experience that manages to really stand out from the crowd.

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"Transference" is a single-player horror adventure game that offers a fabulous story and phenomenal gameplay in a mind-bending psychological thriller. It combines the tension of a suspense film with the interactivity of a game, allowing players to explore a corrupted digital simulation of a troubled scientist's family. While it has masterful visuals and a splendid atmosphere, the game is unfortunately full of bugs and requires a lot of grinding.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

67%

Audience ScoreBased on 462 reviews

story84 positive mentions

stability12 negative mentions

The game features a spectacular story with a well-thought premise that combines elements from other successful horror games.
Visually impressive with great sound design, creating a spooky atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.
Offers a unique narrative experience with engaging puzzles, making it a decent choice for fans of psychological thrillers.

The game is very short, typically taking only about 2 hours to complete, which many players feel does not justify the price.
Requires the outdated Uplay launcher, causing frustration for players who expect a seamless experience on Steam.
Controls can be clunky and unintuitive, particularly in VR, leading to a less immersive experience and potential motion sickness.

story
268 mentions
31 % positive mentions
64 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The game's story has been described as intriguing yet confusing, often lacking depth and clarity, with many players expressing a desire for more content and better organization of narrative elements. While some appreciate the atmospheric presentation and the potential of the storyline, others find it derivative, vague, and underwhelming, with a reliance on optional lore that can feel disconnected from the main experience. Overall, the storytelling is seen as a mixed bag, with engaging moments overshadowed by pacing issues and a lack of cohesive narrative structure.
- “The story is immersive, and while the game may be short, it is worth your time.”
- “Fantastic game, well acted, gripping storyline with many twists and turns along the way!!”
- “Transference combines a fantastic story with great acting and smart puzzles for an experience that manages to really stand out from the crowd.”
- “The story is mid; in my opinion, the mother's depression being framed as one of the reasons the family broke didn't sit well with me as someone with depression.”
- “Also, the story is basically what you expect it to be, and it's told very confusingly as all the lore bits are presented out of order.”
- “Didn't really feel a sense of completion to the story, though; I imagined there was going to be more explanations to the events.”
graphics
87 mentions
52 % positive mentions
44 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are widely praised for their beauty and attention to detail, with many reviewers highlighting the impressive lighting, digital glitch effects, and overall aesthetic quality. While the visuals are considered the standout feature, some players noted issues with object scaling in VR and a lack of depth in gameplay. Overall, the combination of stunning graphics and sound design contributes to a compelling atmosphere, making it a visually engaging experience, particularly in virtual reality.
- “The graphics are beautiful.”
- “Creepy for sure, and graphical presentation is top notch.”
- “That beautiful blend of amazing graphics, atmosphere, story and gameplay.”
- “Bad visuals in VR with objects having wrong real-world scaling... some look tiny, some look huge.”
- “The glitch horror aesthetic is promising, but the execution here is barebones and unexplored.”
- “Great concept, horror ambience, and decent graphics, but have a very short gameplay; it only takes about 1 hour or less, and the puzzles are too easy with super slow movement in a small environment.”
gameplay
80 mentions
20 % positive mentions
76 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a slow-paced exploration and puzzle-solving experience, often described as repetitive and lacking complexity, with many players noting its short duration of around 1-2 hours. While the horror atmosphere and graphics receive praise, the mechanics are criticized for being simplistic and unchallenging, leading to a feeling of boredom rather than engagement. Overall, the game seems to struggle with balancing its narrative ambitions with meaningful gameplay, resulting in a mixed reception.
- “The gameplay consists of solving a few not too complicated puzzles, listening to audio and video logs, while searching for the three crystals powering the machine that's the cause of everything and getting a few minor jumpscares in the process in a tense, aggressively toned environment, and enjoying the well-made sound effects while doing so.”
- “Using the game's main mechanic of switching between the different viewpoints of the characters you're looking for, you enter their apartment to search for clues and piece together what happened.”
- “I have an avid love and appreciation for the walking-simulator-horror genre, as well as games that are willing to try something unique, through design, gameplay, sound design, or visuals.”
- “Great concept, horror ambience, and decent graphics, but the gameplay is very short, taking about 1 hour or less, and the puzzles are too easy with super slow movement in a small environment.”
- “The gameplay consists of mostly hunting for the next item to progress the plot along.”
- “It's boring and slow, seems cheap, and the mechanics (in VR) are terrible.”
atmosphere
66 mentions
62 % positive mentions
33 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its spooky and immersive qualities, enhanced by effective sound design and graphics, particularly in virtual reality. Many players appreciate the tension and eerie ambiance, which often overshadows the storyline, creating a captivating experience that allows for personal interpretation. While some reviews note that the game may not be overwhelmingly terrifying, the overall atmosphere is described as engaging, trippy, and well-crafted, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.
- “The atmosphere and tension in the game is great.”
- “The sound design is spooky, overwhelming, and atmospheric.”
- “Transference is a competent narrative-driven game featuring some well-crafted puzzles and an amazingly eerie atmosphere.”
- “Sure there were some hidden video clips to find and watch, some atmosphere to take in, and some neat visuals to enjoy, but the truth of the matter is that the game just isn't quite as interesting as it thinks it is (nor is it as scary as it thinks it is).”
- “A lazy, unresolved story, lousy gameplay, no challenges, constant spooky atmosphere without any real scares and way too short.”
- “I really like the story and atmosphere, etc., but it was completely wrecked by the following immersion-breaking bugs (well not really bugs; someone decided to make the game like this on purpose who has never used real VR).”
optimization
14 mentions
29 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
21 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is praised for its smooth performance and impressive graphics, particularly in VR, with some users highlighting "unbelievable performance optimization." However, there are criticisms regarding control optimization for the HTC Vive, which detracts from the overall experience. Despite these issues, the game is noted for its immersive atmosphere and engaging story.
- “Great VR game, graphics are really good and run smoothly.”
- “[boasts some of PSVR’s best visuals to date, atmospheric, engrossing gameplay, an intuitive difficulty level, terrific performances.]”
- “The story is interesting and the game looks great, but the controls are quite badly optimized for the HTC Vive.”
- “The performances are okay, if you ignore the cliché lines they're reading.”
- “+ unbelievable performance optimization.”
stability
12 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The stability of the game appears to be mixed, with some players experiencing significant bugs and glitches, particularly on the Valve Index, such as tracking issues and unexpected teleportation. However, others report a smooth experience without any technical problems, suggesting that performance may vary based on hardware specifications and settings. Overall, while some users face stability challenges, others find the game runs well.
- “So buggy on the Valve Index -- moving the sticks on the controller causes the player to teleport halfway down into the floor, constant issues with tracking, just a huge mess.”
- “You're exploring a digital recreation of an apartment, which is made hard to navigate because of glitches and missing data.”
- “From what I’ve gathered, you’re an ultra-smart scientist who’s managed to merge/digitize the consciousness of yourself and your family, though bugs in the code are causing glitches that need to be resolved.”
replayability
10 mentions
30 % positive mentions
40 % neutral mentions
30 % negative mentions
Overall, the game has been criticized for its limited replayability, with many users noting that taking time to explore reduces the incentive to replay. While some appreciate the immersive experience and engaging story, the consensus is that the game does not offer significant replay value, especially considering its price point.
- “[an incredibly immersive experience, a great story to uncover with fantastic performances, genuinely spooky environments that don't just rely on jump scares, high replay value]”
- “No replay value here.”
- “Not much replay value.”
- “[Very, very short, limited replayability. Why are the videos not part of the storyline? Background voice repetition can break immersion.]”
grinding
8 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, particularly during apartment exploration and certain gameplay mechanics like transference. While some elements help alleviate the monotony, many reviewers express frustration with the overall lack of engaging content, comparing it unfavorably to other VR games that handle similar tasks more effectively.
- “I found transference very boring and tedious.”
- “Almost every VR game does this just fine; it's really annoying and tedious when they don't.”
- “So that's a little annoying, but they at least threw in a few good ones, unlike inside where they were all just tedious.”
music
6 mentions
17 % positive mentions
33 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
The music in the game has been described as lacking depth and sophistication, with some reviewers feeling it resembles a demo rather than a fully realized experience. However, others appreciate the thematic connections to scientific concepts like superstrings and resonating frequencies, suggesting a potential for deeper exploration within the game's auditory landscape. Overall, opinions are mixed, with a general sentiment that the music could be significantly more profound.
- “I'm a science professional, and I love all the little tidbits and clues referring to super strings, resonating frequencies, cymatic music connection, and a matrix-meets-Stranger Things dissolution of perceptive reality.”
- “It's like an escape room when you're on acid and musically illiterate.”
- “Story, puzzles, music, characters, environment, everything could be 1000 times more profound than this... this game is naive, it feels like playing a demo and it lasts far too soon. I'm not a guy who loves to write bad reviews.”
- “The music feels disconnected from the overall experience, lacking depth and engagement.”
emotional
4 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game is described as a short yet emotionally impactful experience, evoking feelings of heartbreak and disturbance as players explore the lives of a dysfunctional family through subtle hints. Its spooky elements further enhance the emotional depth, making for a compelling, if brief, narrative journey.
- “The subtle hints that are given to you throughout the game as you explore the household of this dysfunctional family--through all three members of the family--is on all counts disturbing and heartbreaking.”
monetization
4 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game is criticized for relying heavily on advertisements, which detracts from the gaming experience and leads to a perception that it is more of a movie than an interactive game. Users feel that the promotional approach oversells the product, suggesting it would have been better suited as a film rather than a game.
- “Calling it a 'game' is overselling it; the ads keep saying it's like a movie, and honestly, it would have been better off.”
humor
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the humor in the game, particularly noting its clever references, such as a nod to "Rick and Morty," which enhances the immersive experience. The ability to evoke such a strong reaction that players forget they are in VR highlights the effectiveness of the game's comedic elements.
- “At one point, I started to reach in my pocket for my phone to take a picture of a funny little Rick and Morty reference before remembering I'm in a VR game. Any time the immersion is to that point, that's pretty great.”