Transference Reviews

Transference is ranked in the 48th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
8 / 10.0
Oct 4, 2018

All said and done Transference is a wonderfully executed, narrative, puzzle thriller that kept me entertained through the entire story.

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3.5 / 5.0
Sep 28, 2018

Transference is a novel concept with with adequate execution.

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65%
Sep 19, 2018

While Transference offers something unique in how it utilises sound, throwing in the mechanic of switching between alternate realities for puzzle solving, it sadly falls flat in its narrative and doesn't offer much to encourage you to come back and explore.

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7 / 10
Sep 19, 2018

Transference is an ambitious experience that feels a little bit late to the party. It has an interesting premise and an atmospheric, well realised world brought to life with gusto, especially if playing in virtual reality. But despite all of this, it never truly transcends the slew of similar games that came before it and is over much too quickly.

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7.5 / 10.0
Sep 17, 2018

It's not a normal movie in that the interactivity of a video game provides a personal connection to what's going on. It's not simply a video game because it plays with standard conventions, and — similar to standouts like Alan Wake — manages to leave you with more questions than answers. I might not need to play it again, but I sure as hell want to start discussing it.

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8.3 / 10.0
Sep 6, 2018

Plucking inspiration from several unsettling sources of entertainment, Transference delivers a creepy, cerebral virtual reality tour through a broken family dynamic that is unimpeded by taxing puzzles and relishes in immersing players in haunted house of tragedy.

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Sep 18, 2018

A strongly acted psychological thriller wrapped in the familiar framework of a VR-friendly "walking simulator."

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7 / 10
Sep 19, 2018

Transference offers a unique experience. If it scares away with now known gimmicks, its unhealthy atmosphere, exploded storytelling and the imagination left to the player as well as the meta aspect of browsing a faulty software in a video game make it a unique and successful experience.

Review in French | Read full review

3.5 / 5.0
Sep 21, 2018

Transference certainly showcases the potential of VR storytelling in the style Spectrevision are attempting. Even if its short story isn't always effectively told, and some of the puzzles distract, the atmosphere that's been created through detailed world design, incredible lighting effects, and intense sound design makes for a terrifying experience.

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7.5 / 10.0
Sep 25, 2018

Transference's subtlety is meant to create additional depth, but keeping the player at arm's length only works if you eventually let them in. Unfortunately, Transference never fully shows its narrative hand and that's the game's biggest detriment. Gameplay-wise, the game is easy but satisfying to navigate. The surrealist, horror aspects of the shifting environments create a steady stream of tension and intrigue. While its brevity might be a turn off to players who enjoy a heartier game experience, Ubisoft Montreal and SpectreVision succeeded in combining games and movies into one entertaining and eerie walking sim.

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7 / 10.0
Sep 26, 2018

Although Transference is an interesting narrative horror game, it struggles to carve out a space as a VR game and a traditional title. The story is undeniably something worth experiencing, but the gameplay is lackluster enough that more often than not it serves as a barrier to experiencing what Transference does best.

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Sep 27, 2018

Ultimately, Transference weaves an effective, but grim tale of one man's descent into the madness and the horrific fate that he has sealed for his family. The puzzles aren't particularly challenging, but their difficulty works well within the pacing of the story, engaging your brain enough without dragging the story to a halt. Its claims of 'bridging the gap between games and movies' fall flat, but if you can stomach the hefty price tag, Transference is a worthwhile addition to the narrative-driven puzzle game genre.

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6 / 10.0
Oct 5, 2018

Transference will definitely creep you out a bit. Especially while playing in virtual reality and some headphones. Other than that though, 25 bucks is an extreme asking price for something so short and an overall mediocre and repetitive experience.

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8.2 / 10.0
Sep 17, 2018

Singularly short, but also singularly intense. Narrative of high flights with gameplay at height. It is recommended to play in one sitting.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

GameMAG
xtr
Top Critic
8 / 10
Sep 17, 2018

Transference is a very successful adventure project without any revelations, but with a good VR adaptation. If you plan to play a story of a mad professor in the usual way without the VR headset, then you can deduct one point from our score.

Review in Russian | Read full review

7 / 10
Sep 22, 2018

Transference is an experience fit for VR, and from that perspective, the game does a phenomenal job of providing tension, scares, and narrative beats. Those looking for value may feel a little short-changed, especially so without the implementation of virtual reality, but the overall package should leave you satisfied if horror and terror is your forte.

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90 / 100
Sep 20, 2018

Quote not yet available

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6.7 / 10.0
Sep 26, 2018

Transference is a competent narrative-driven game featuring some well-crafted puzzles and an amazingly eerie atmosphere. Sadly, the narrative doesn't really go anywhere, despite a very interesting premise, with no twist and no surprises at all, making it very hard to recommend to people looking for an interesting story. Coupled with its very short length, Transference is not really worth its current price.

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8.1 / 10.0
Sep 28, 2018

Transference is an extremely interesting experiment and it succeeds in mixing the movie and videogame components. The use of audio will keep you on the edge, and a few jump scare work very well. However, the constant feeling of tension ends up holding the narrative back, as a greater variety of emotions would have benefitted the overall experience. Transference is remarkably short for a videogame, which might disappoint many players.

Review in Italian | Read full review

8.8 / 10.0
Oct 4, 2018

Film company SpectreVision dips their peanut butter into Ubisoft's videogame chocolate, and the two great tastes taste great together (in a horrible, family-murdering sort of way). While some might balk at the shorter length of Transference, I found the experience to be spot-on, particularly while played experienced in the very high-end VR. With a unique take on “walking simulator” mechanics and some fun (and not overly difficult) puzzles, Transference feels like an afternoon well-spent. Just be ready for some dark, adult themes. They don't call mad scientists ‘mad' for nothing, and Transference has one doozy of a mad scientist.

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