Transference is a pretty creepy-looking psychological thriller with some interesting themes. Have you ever wanted to creep on other people’s thoughts? Spy on their minds or find out what they are REALLY thinking?
Odds are you’ve either said yes or decided to lie instead. Well, this game has lots of that. More specifically, it has you trying to escape a corrupted mind. The game is a collaboration of Ubisoft Montreal and SpectreVision, and it has players following the tale of a boy caught up in his father’s obsession.
You can watch the trailer for it blow. The trailer shows an excellent combination of video footage and actual game. It seems to be a puzzler of sorts, and if the announcements are to be believed, will have players explore maze-like areas in the deranged mind of a boy’s father.
To quote Ubisoft, the game is a ‘maze-like puzzle concealing a corrupted truth’. Sure, it’s a mouthful but it does sound intriguing. The game is set to feature a multi-branching narrative supported by real actors. The game looks like it will at least allow for, if not require VR play, although Ubisoft have not expanded on that too much. The trailer shows the father apologising to his son for the unpleasant headset he forces him to wear.
From context, it seems like the increasing discomfort, stress and even panic of the son and player will be a central theme of the game. These two aren’t the only minds the player travels between though. While the digital memories of the insane father certainly play a role, the digital consciousnesses of multiple equally troubled patients and subjects feature too. The player will have the ability yo influence their fates and possibly decide on what happens to them in their real life as well.
This is the official description that was released along with the reveal:
‘Imagine an escape room set in a deranged mind, in both VR and on traditional platforms. With Transference, we are bringing a first-person exploration game into a chilling new dimension. You will be plunged into the experiment of a troubled scientist, a corrupted digital simulation of his family formed using their collective brain data. Shift between the three perspectives of a family and unravel the mystery hiding in this mind-bending psychological thriller. A thriller that feels like a movie but plays like a game. Project yourself into a narrative experience that combines Hollywood wit gaming. In Transference, you will be immersed in an unsettling psychological thriller with all of the tension of a suspense film, combining live-action footage with environmental storytelling to unlock haunting emotions that linger long after you put the controller down.‘
If Transference seems like your thing, you won’t have to wait for long – it’s scheduled for release in Autumn this year. It’ll be released for the Xbox One and PS4, with a potential PC port not yet confirmed.