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Transferenceis a high-pitched - profile collaboration between Ubisoft Montreal andElijah Wood ’s product company , SpectreVision . The game combines first - person geographic expedition and short puzzle figure out with live - action FMV succession and a tightly atmospheric story based on cyberpunk and transhumanist stem , all wrapped in the shiny veneer of a pulse - pounding psychological thriller . But isTransferencegreater than the sum of its parts , or just a cobbled - together gallimaufry of half - bake ideas ?
As the secret plan get , players are dropped into the world with small linguistic context beyond an live - legal action possible action picture , but the slice can be assembled thanks to tremendous use of subtle environmental storytelling . Though the game has been marketed as a backbone - chill horror experience , the overt horror elements are ultimately more of a beguilement than a boon ; stand out scares are a neat trick , sure , but they do n’t have the same effect as higher-ranking moments where a apparently innocuous uncovering can induce palpable chills thanks to the telling world - building on display . sensing - challenging disclosure are often hide in plain sight , and the game refuses to deliver overt answers to the questions and scenario it presents , forcing the player to satiate in the gaps on their own , and much is leftopen to interpretation .
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It ’s deserving mentioning that the full retail variant ofTransferencewas preceded by a free demo , calledTransference : The Walter Test Case , which offers greater context for the larger experience and also adds extra narrative nuggets for lore enthusiasts to mull over . The canon demonstration also suffice as a bit of consolation cushioning to what is arguablyTransference ’s biggest impuissance ; it ’s short . An initial playthrough , without external assistance , live on around two and a one-half hour , with subsequent discharge clocking in at half that length . On the positive side , there ’s no padding here ; all of the puzzles are aboveboard and devoid of the obtuse logic which can easily go under this type of adventure . The narrative is slight and avoid extraneous subplots , bring in quests , menial undertaking , or other inconsequential nonsense .
Transferenceis a tight experience . The developer wisely shave the fat to keep the game as immersive and cinematic as possible , which should leaven extra - effective for fan of Virtual realism gaming . The cardinal tale conceit ofTransferenceis the gimmick invented by Dr. Raymond Hayes – played by Macon Blair of the filmsGreen RoomandBlue Ruin – which captures a shot of someone ’s integral psyche and uploads it into a virtual space . It ’s a context which segue perfectly into actual VR lotion , and the game is playable on bothPlayStation VRand classify PC headsets , though the game can still be savour to its fullest using a traditional television frame-up ( we play without VR , on a PlayStation 4 Pro ) .
Perhaps due to its being developed with practical Reality in mind , there ’s not much in the way of complex biz mechanics . Similar to games likeEverybody ’s expire to the Rapture , Transferencedoesn’t have a plot over screen , and there ’s no scrap or challenge of dexterity to have the best . The gameplay for the most part consist of walk around , exploring every corner of the environment , inspecting aim , and look for lore tidbits which bid precious clues to the mysterious and provocative narration , as well as soupcon of what to do and where to go next . Like with classicLucasArts dangerous undertaking gamesof the distant yesteryear , stalled progression ordinarily intend having to double back to uncover a primal item tucked aside in an overlooked hiding spot .
UnlikeGone Home , which feature a sprawling , mansion - alike sign of the zodiac to search , Transferenceis set almost whole in a spacious apartment – well , spacious by real world criterion , at least . Using light switch and at key story beats , the role player switches their perspective , in a manner of speaking . Without spoiling anything in the story , the apartment change look on whether player are viewing through the POV optical prism of Raymond , his married woman , Katherine , or their Word , Benjamin . perceptual experience is reality , and this world ’s virtual reality is highly capable to the perceptual experience of its subjects whose experiences and sensibilities regulate its virtual existence . Some of the game ’s large moments come from discovering the different ways these character reference see themselves and each other , both by search environments and by ascertain payable video diaries . These springy - action vignette feature fundamental output values , but are elevate by strong acting and effectual writing , and collecting them all shines more illumination on the game ’s mystery story .
Visually , the game gets a lot of mileage out of the reliable and versatile Unity framework . effect like chromatic deviance and depth of field accentuateTransference ’s cinematic ambitions , and a surprisingly unnoticeable film caryopsis add up lovingness to the picture while simultaneously polish over some confessedly modest - res texture . The game features firm art direction ; the lighting , in especial , stands out for never distracting from the gameplay , despite often hook the screen in wild reds and glowing neon , to strickle effect . The computerized " practical realness " flourishes are a decent touch which also pretend as a gameplay discriminative stimulus , informing players that there is a puzzle to puzzle out without breaking their submersion in the world .
As for the puzzles themselves , they ’re commonly pretty ego - explanatory , and the surroundings , even with three switch , is small enough that even the most absent - tending venturer will pull off to keep from getting lost . The puzzles themselves presentlittle in the mode of challenge , and the few that do ( include one affect a snowflake and a four - finger password ) can be brute - force by raring participant with just a few minutes of tryout and error . Whether this is a positive or a negative trait will vary from person to person , but the game ’s design encourages plenty of exploration and observation ; it ’s more involved than just proceed forward from one story mystify to the next , and it does n’t play itself on automatic pilot .
Transferenceaimed to be the next step in blur the lines between games and movies . At the goal of the day , it does n’t break new undercoat in the so - called " take the air simulator " genre , but it can proudly stand next to license classic like Gone Home and Dear Esther thanks to its piquant storyline , believable characters , provocative themes , and serviceable , if simplistic , gameplay . It offers true boot and surprises while integrating live - natural process segments which wangle to avoid being kitschy , gimmicky , or unhinge . Transference , like any scientific discipline fiction worth its salt , uses its fantasy trappings to examine , question , and defend the raw face of the human term .
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Transferenceis currently usable Xbox One , PlayStation 4 , and PC for $ 24.99 . Screen Rant was provided a PlayStation 4 copy for review .
