While it seems that most big game studios are still keeping a safe distance from VR, Ubisoft has jumped into the new tech, having already released two of my favorite VR games, Eagle Flight, and Star Trek Bridge Crew, so I understandably had high expectation when Transference finally released for PC and PS4. For this review we tackled the PC/Steam version that supports both Vive and Rift along with motion controls as well as non-VR gameplay for those wanting to experience this deranged thriller on a standard screen with a significant upgrade in visual quality.
Transference is one of those games that you don’t fully understand, even after it’s over, but that in no way lessens your engagement or enjoyment while playing. Much of the story is open to interpretation as you discover notes and recordings and view videos while playing from three unique perspectives. In fact, much of the story is fleshed out in the collectible items that I was picking up along the way and never bothered to view until after the game was over and I was back at the main menu.
Whether you are playing in VR or on a screen the objective is simple; escape from the insanity of your mind as represented by the looping maze-like design of your apartment. It’s not as easy as it sounds as many doors are locked when you first arrive. Even gaining access to the apartment requires you find the door knocker to Apt C, which is not only hidden somewhere else but in a different reality. Very early in the game you learn that reality comes in two flavors determined by the flick of a light switch. You may have access to certain areas or objects in one realm and can even transfer some objects into the other to solve certain puzzles. There is a cool radio puzzle where you must match various frequencies, or a door might appear in the kitchen leading to the backyard and a garage with its own set of mysteries.
VR really immerses you in what is otherwise a fairly standard puzzle-adventure game. You walk around picking up and examining items, some of which you hang onto long enough to solve an immediate nearby puzzle like adding sand to an empty hourglass. There is a main overall objective of finding these frequency crystals and putting them into a machine that I still don’t fully understand, but the crystals are only revealed after you solve other minor puzzles and mysteries that unfold the backstory of a broken family, perhaps due to an unwanted pregnancy judging from the hundreds or pregnancy tests littering the third act of the game.
The visual quality is excellent, both in and out of VR. Obviously, there is a cleaner sharper image to the screen version along with being able to run in higher resolutions, but the VR graphics are some of the best I’ve seen on Vive or Rift with great use of colors, lighting, creepy special effects, and overall design detail and textures within the environment. Some of the items you can pick up and spin around are truly remarkable. My only issue with VR is that while playing seated the game auto-adjusts the height in such a way that if there is something on the floor I need to pick-up I can’t reach it without first standing up and letting the game re-adjust to a standing height. I can then pick-up the item and sit back down. There is no room-scale or any other reason to play the game standing other than this, and I was able to overcome many of these instances by using the crouch button. There are also multiple comfort options, so you can play this game with zero (or minimal) motion sickness, even with smooth turning. Motion controls were intuitive for both Touch and Vive sticks, and non-VR players can use a gamepad or mouse and keyboard.
It took me just under three hours to finish Transference and I only missed three of the collectible recordings, so I’m guessing a full three hours for total completion, which isn’t bad for $25 given the excellent production quality and special attention to detail provided for VR players. There are plenty of other VR games out there offering less and costing as much or more than this. This is definitely a game that I plan to explore again, as well as sitting back and watching others play and react. Transference makes me happy that Ubisoft continues to explore new experiences in VR, and I look forward to what they have in store for us next.
