PlayStation 4 Critic Reviews

A game that proves what VR is capable of achieving... despite that fact that it's still a great game played as a traditional game.

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.

One of the best VR games we played this year. A tribute to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Charlie Kaufman's work. It uses everything in its hands to tell us a story (graphics, sound!!, art department, colours, real actors, dialogue, plenty of secrets in the level), and it does it wonderfully, without making us feel stupid. Oh, and its scary as hell (aka PT).

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 a haunted house of tragedy.

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.

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.

The strange mix of video, gameplay and horrifying effects works really well. The atmosphere is great and the story is captivating enough to follow - especially in virtual reality because that's where this game truly shines. The major drawbacks are its current price and the playtime which is limited to only two hours.

Beautiful on a normal TV, amazing in virtual reality, Transference is an experiment that only a few will appreciate. Difficult to understand, enigmatic and complex, it proposes thematic that make you reflect. Poor in terms of play, fascinating in terms of art design.

Transference is confrontational and uneasy. It makes you feel unsafe in places that are usually perfectly fine. It is not just a scary game, it is the story about the scattered family which really stays on the mind.

Short and horrifying, it’s worth coming home to your PS VR headset for this family reunion. These walls talk, and you’ll want to immerse yourself in what they have to say. [Issue#155, p.87]