Transference

 PC
User Score
6.7

Mixed or average reviews- based on 17 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 17
  3. Negative: 4 out of 17

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  1. crazymurdock
    Sep 27, 2018
    7
    I played it in VR. If you don't have VR, I'd say, don't bother.
    It is kind of short (about 2 hours) so I completed it in 1 sitting. Great atmosphere though, and that is what really made it for me. Story is good, and unfolds subtley with visions (almost all of which made me jump). There was never a point where I got too stuck, which was good. Maybe not worth the £18.99, but I had a    I played it in VR. If you don't have VR, I'd say, don't bother.
    It is kind of short (about 2 hours) so I completed it in 1 sitting. Great atmosphere though, and that is what really made it for me. Story is good, and unfolds subtley with visions (almost all of which made me jump). There was never a point where I got too stuck, which was good. Maybe not worth the £18.99, but I had a free £5 on Paypal, so for my £13.99 I felt I got OK value, as it's about the same price as a Blu-ray. My advice is to wait for a Halloween sale, and then play it when you are home alone.    … Expand
  2. PulpoPaul
    Sep 27, 2018
    8
    I would argue the game is quite a bit too short at around 2 hours, but what it offers is a creepy and equally emotional tale that is never too in-your-face, told through a sci-fi setting that deals with some pretty interesting themes, like art, science and memory in a very cohesive and fascinating way, and by the end it manages to distinguish itself outside the derogatory term "walkingI would argue the game is quite a bit too short at around 2 hours, but what it offers is a creepy and equally emotional tale that is never too in-your-face, told through a sci-fi setting that deals with some pretty interesting themes, like art, science and memory in a very cohesive and fascinating way, and by the end it manages to distinguish itself outside the derogatory term "walking simulator" by making sure it has what makes that style of gameplay captivating: discovery.… Expand
  3. AndroidVageta
    Sep 25, 2018
    4
    Straight up, the story is a complete #2DEEP4U crap storm.

    First off the game length is hella short, controls are pretty bad, and movement speed is super slow. The story mechanics make little to no sense, the stories antagonist makes no sense, the things and reasons why you're doing them make no sense. Really feels like one of those "the story wasn't that great in the first place and    Straight up, the story is a complete #2DEEP4U crap storm.

    First off the game length is hella short, controls are pretty bad, and movement speed is super slow. The story mechanics make little to no sense, the stories antagonist makes no sense, the things and reasons why you're doing them make no sense.

    Really feels like one of those "the story wasn't that great in the first place and the devs didn't quite know how to make it out" type of things. Reminds me of Bioshock Infinite in the fact that people want it to be deep and meaningful, the developers want you to think the same, but at the end of the day it's just empty and lacks any real meaning.

    The ending is a absolute "you figure it out!" thing as well since these games can't seem to have legit endings anymore. Take what little nonsense we gave you and just figure out what we couldn't.

    Maybe I'm just bitter because the game is short and it all felt really empty and pointless at the end but if I didn't know about this and never played it I wouldn't feel bad. Also the acting of the three characters is pretty piss poor as well...actually the son is really the best one in the game which is sad.

    So yeah, just as a HEADS UP skip this one or wait til it's like $5. Even if you like the game the length of it isn't worth $25.    … Expand
  4. placerej
    Sep 5, 2023
    7
    It's only a couple of hours long so you will probably be disappointed if you pay full price for it. I bought it on sale, so I'm fine with the length. I didn't play it in VR and I still enjoyed it, but I can absolutely see why VR is prefered.
    If you like walking sim kind of games with pretty easy puzzles and surrealistic worlds you'll probably like this. Nothing spectacular, but an    It's only a couple of hours long so you will probably be disappointed if you pay full price for it. I bought it on sale, so I'm fine with the length. I didn't play it in VR and I still enjoyed it, but I can absolutely see why VR is prefered.
    If you like walking sim kind of games with pretty easy puzzles and surrealistic worlds you'll probably like this. Nothing spectacular, but an enjoyable little journey.    … Expand
  5. AstiX
    Dec 31, 2018
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. GOOD

    One thing this game does perfectly is bring chills throughout your whole body. The tension builds up at a great pace and has you in suspense the entire time. This combined with amazing visuals and sound design had me fully immersed in the story and racking my brain as to what is actually happening. I loved the creepy music. It fits perfectly and the way it's implemented in some parts of the game had me with chills all over.

    BAD

    It was disappointing that the game reached no conclusion whatsoever to the whole mystery. It had such a great build up and peaked my curiosity and then ended anticlimactically with no clear explanation of what happened. Sure, lots of things are implied subtly throughout the narrative, but there is no definite conclusion you can make and it leaves you with a lot of guesswork and theorizing which made it feel unfinished and most of the questions unanswered. Also, a lot of the story is conveyed through video tapes you have to find, which I tried really hard to and still missed like 4 of them, and thus had very important pieces of the story missing. I probably could've found them all if I frantically searched every nook and cranny, but it would've killed my immersion and pacing with the story which I thoroughly enjoyed.

    Also, the mouse sensitivity is extremely low, even when sliding it to the highest setting. It's a good thing my mouse has adjustable speed or my experience with the game would've been much worse.    … Expand
  6. markjohnson7861
    Nov 5, 2018
    10
    Great game. Awesome game. It's nor too deep for you. You have to think for yourself and admire the art. I love it. It's not a random little pew pew game, it's MORE, and it's beautiful. Oh, and play it on VR.

Awards & Rankings

85
#85 Best PC Game of 2018

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 14 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 14
  3. Negative: 0 out of 14
  1. Adventure Gamers
    Nov 12, 2020
    70
    Transference is a solid, polished experience that plucks equally at your tension wires and heartstrings. Though it seems to end almost as soon as it has begun, it makes the most of its quick pace with some impressive production values and an intriguingly atmospheric narrative of a troubled family.
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  2. GamingTrend
    Oct 17, 2018
    75
    Transference is an interesting experiment in the blending of horror and virtual reality. Noah and Waller deliver a stressful experience that pushes the player into an uncomfortable space. While the puzzles aren’t going to bend your brain, the tension is more than worth the trip...and it is very much a trip.
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  3. Gamer.nl
    Oct 10, 2018
    80
    Transference reminds us of Silent Hill. The integrated full motion video makes this a very scary experience, though the puzzles aren't super difficult. This is more than just a walking simulator though.
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