There’s nothing quite horror to showcase how involving and immersive virtual reality (VR) can really be, enveloping players in a world that purely wants to scare them. So naturally when VRFocus had the chance to play test Ubisoft and SpectreVision’s collaborative effort Transference, our video producer Nina was at the front of the queue to try the experience out and relay those thoughts.
Transference is a mind-bending, psychological story that aims to blur the lines between live-action movies and videogame dynamics. During the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2018 the teams released the first decent trailer for Transference, detailing a story which involves a brilliant but troubled scientist and inventor called Raymond Hayes. He has been collecting from himself and his family which then congeals into a dark and twisted consciousness of its own. In doing so this new entity forms its own digital world which starts to alter the perceptions of Raymond, his wife Katherine and their son Benjamin.
Because of the family aspect the title features a multi-branching narrative, with actions that affect their lives whilst viewing content from the unique perspectives of each family member to help you piece together the mystery. So the choices you make ripple through time and space, with every reaction having to be considered.
Nina goes on to explain in the video how this works and the actual gameplay aspects involved between the live-action scenes. One thing is clear, Transference might be classed as a puzzle solving psychological thriller but from Nina’s point of view the title certainly sounds like a classic surreal horror experience, with a dark entity trying to chase you throughout the videogame.
Check out the full hands-on video below which also showcases some extra gameplay footage from the E3 event. Transference is due for release on Oculus Rift, PlayStation VR and HTC Vive with a Fall 2018 launch window. When VRFocus learns of an exact launch date we’ll let you know.