Transference

An incredibly interesting walking sim. Honestly a huge fan of it's story and vibe. But here I am trying to replay it in 2024 and the Uplay/Ubisoft log-in literally refuses to work. I literally can't log-in to a game I OWN. I literally can't PLAY A GAME I OWN. Cool cool cool. Fuck me I guess. I really wanted to replay a fascinating game experience I loved a few years ago and wanted to re-experience today, but fuck me Ubisoft, fuck me.

The story is spectacular and has so much potential. A very well-thought premise that was thoughtfully played in front of our eyes. It combines Layers of Fear with Observer but unfortunatly its a VERY short game. While most games of this level usually take 4-6 hours to complete, this game can be completed in about maybe 2 hours? That was the only dissapointing thing for me, simply because I wanted more. Good game, but catch on sale...not worth the money for the length of the game

Transference serves a pretty much unambiguous story amid conventional light horror tropes.
It's okay at what it does, really, but didn't incite much enthusiasm for me.
Relatively easy puzzles make the game more participative than a plain walking simulator, but is still relatively straightforward for the most part. Pick up items of no value, aside from the occasional required object to solve simple riddles and move the story forward.
A broken family confronts its inner demons as disturbing events are reconstructed through fragmented memories. Mom left her personal aspirations and career on indefinite hiatus to support her husband and son. Distraught dad consumed by his scientific research neglected his relationships and responsibilities to pursue a foolish experiment. Their child is confronted with conflicting sentiments between admiration and fear of his father.
Characters become increasingly deranged the more they are exposed. The narrative unfolds relatively convincingly but you can also tell pretty early on where this is going. They never show what's in the freezer, but you'll know what's in there...
There’s a reason for everything, it’s all thoughtfully put together, from the way the UI is presented down to every little narrative fragment. The game is especially adept at creating an unnerving, unsettling mood, though it also feels somewhat by the book in its approach.
Constant intentional glitches. Scribbles on the walls, doors are there one moment and lead to a dead end the next, whispers, flashing images, demonic apparitions. A few mild jump scares. Ghostly characters disappear around the corner. Small spaces, an inverted room. Turning in circles, looping sections. Light switches alternate realities.
Everything occurs within a very small world, mostly limited to the family apartment. Filmed scenes are adequate but also look like low budget productions. It all contributes to a sense of unquestionably small scale, which ultimately works perfectly with the narrative's conclusion.
Positive
Pretty much unambiguous story
Attentively constructed narrative and environment
Unnerving, unsettling mood
Effective colorful yet dark visuals
Light switches alternate realities
Negative
Conventional light horror tropes
Game often didn't run smoothly despite steady framerate
Overlapping whispers and noise sometimes overwhelming
Pick up items of no value
Found video logs must be played manually from menu (and are poorly identified)
While not a strong recommendation, I recognize it may appeal more to others. Played on regular flat screen (non-VR).

i bought the game even reading the reviews. definitely playable on controller, i would recommend this game when its on sale cause its a pretty good decent thriller horror :)

I played this in VR on a Quest 3 with the Touch controllers, and the controls just didn’t work when using either Virtual Desktop or Steam Link. However, through MetaQuest Air Link, the controllers functioned correctly, and I was able to play the game as intended. I also had no issues with uPlay, so as of early 2025, the game is very much playable with this setup.
Transference actually has a decent story that I enjoyed, told in multiple ways through audio logs, video logs (FMV), and various in-game events. I’ve always had a soft spot for FMV games ever since I played Under a Killing Moon back in the day, so it’s great to see modern games incorporating this style.
I think the graphics are quite good, and I often found myself just looking around and enjoying the scenery, though it might not meet everyone’s standards. The audio design deserves a special mention, as it’s fantastic! You hear voices all around you, with eerie sounds kicking in at just the right moments. The soundscape definitely elevates the game significantly.
The horror elements aren’t too intense, even for someone like me who generally avoids scary games, but there were definitely a few moments that really got me, and my heart rate spiked through the roof more than once!
I do wish the puzzles were a bit more intricate and prominent because, as it stands, it mostly feels like an interactive VR walking simulator. That said, I still had fun, and I ended up completing the game in one sitting, even though I hadn’t planned on playing that long. I was initially just trying to get the game to work correctly!
Recommended! 7/10.

short but interesting horror story with some light puzzle solving

Decent experience in VR. Nice visuals, lighting and excellent sound design. The atmosphere and tension in the game is great. Story was good but I wanted more.
Game is a bit short in length for the full price imo. I got in on a discount so for me it was worth it.
VR Locomotion controls with thumbsticks on my Pico 4 controllers was not good. Push thumbstick up AND press thumbstick down simulteously to move forward? Wtf. Luckily you can edit the control scheme in steamVR and fix that issue, there's some profiles there that's ready to use.
Also although I understand this game is meant to be a walking sim and for you to explore your surroundings, the movement speed cap is set way too low.
I would recommend this if you can get it on a deep discount.