The horror, mystery genre has a tendency to drift off into the world of the ridiculous. Nightmarish creatures that lose their way because of a sequence of badly timed jump scares, or poorly written dialogue. Either way, getting your hands on a decent and enjoyable game in this genre can be a difficult task. When developers and publishers’ Bloober Team announced The Medium, I was genuinely excited!
Having previously made Layers of Fear and Blair Witch, you could say they have a pedigree for all things dark and sinister. Their latest venture is arguably their most adventurous project, mixed in with the pressure of being a main release for the Series S/X, I was interested to see how they’d cope. The answer, very well, it appears. The Medium follows a female protagonist on her adventures to discover who she truly is. It’s a horror adventure thriller that plays out in a third-person perspective.
One girl, two realms.
The story revolves around Marianne, a psychic who has always led a troubled life. Fostered at a young age, and bullied for being different, she was lucky to find a loving family who understood her, and accepted her for who she was. However, she didn’t see her power as a gift; it had always been a weight around her neck to hold her down, that is until the day of the phone call.
Thomas claims to know the answer to the questions she has always had burning inside of her. To get the answers, she must travel to the abandoned communist-era resort of Niwa. This is where her journey truly begins, and you see the extent of her powers. Marianne exists in both the realms of the living and the dead. Present in both, but never truly belonging in either. The realities are delicately balanced and gloriously intertwined.
A steady pace and lethargic protagonist.
The plot cleverly uncovers the mystery behind Niwa and Marianne’s existence. It goes to great lengths to cover a multitude of hidden messages and explores what it is to be evil. This desire to be thorough leads to moments where the story appears to be treading water. It builds at such a pace that some gamers may lose patience. I suggest you keep with it as it speeds up and builds to a fantastic finale.
The flow and pace aren’t aided by our lead’s inability to rush anywhere. Even when she’s running, it’s only a fast walk. Ledges take forever to traverse, and crates and boxes can be overcome quicker by a toddler. But even with these minor issues, it’s a fantastic game that generates a Silent Hill style atmosphere. The creeping about and ominous nature of the gameplay keeps you on edge throughout. Fear builds, and you are left waiting for someone or something to leap from the shadows.
Fantastic concepts, but familiar and safe.
The moment you first see Marianne’s ability is a jaw dropping experience. The fiery, scorched world that allows her to talk to spirits is both beautiful and horrendous. You soon become familiar, almost comfortable with it though, especially as you note you must navigate it alongside the land of the living in order to progress. A split screen view is used to show both realms simultaneously. Each section has a similar layout, but with minor differences. A locked door in one realm will prevent progress in the other. Clues and solutions are found across both dimensions, and it’s key that you split your attention across both screens in order to succeed.
Though this mechanic is fantastic, and it adds depth and meaning to the existence of both personas, its core premise is nothing new. It’s effectively a fetch and return quest with a puzzle chucked into the mix for good measure. Bloober Team unfortunately failed to build on a great idea, and their actions result in an enjoyable, but safe result. I would have liked to of seen them pushing the ideas further and bridging the gap between the realms with more complex and in-depth puzzles.
A game that is outstandingly beautiful.
If I was wearing a cap, I would doff it toward the artists that designed the outstandingly beautiful world. Every visual element of this game is incredible. The landscape is varied and detailed. Vivid colours and a multitude of tones are used to generate new environments and atmosphere. The character models are so realistic that they appear real at times. And the camera angle defines this as a cinematic masterpiece. The opposing imagery across the realms for the same area will blow your mind. I was amazed that they could create a spectacular world once, but twice is an incredible feat.
By the time you’ve headed into the Niwa resort, you’ve realised that the audio in The Medium is captivating. Its incredible minor tones and soft music create an atmosphere of sorrow and despair. The sound effects echo and boom around each area, creating a sense of emptiness. This compounds Marianne’s feelings of loneliness and reiterates that she is alone because of the death of her foster father. The voice-over work is spectacular, and the acting is well delivered and alongside the visuals, which helps to bring each character to life.
It’s all about the experience.
Bloober Team made items easy to find. All interactive objects have a white orb hovering beside them, making them simple to spot. This doesn’t mean that progress is straightforward, but it enables you to concentrate on the experience being created. Marianne’s insight power allows her to view otherworldly items from the realm of the living, and this is key to finding clues and progressing.
Souls from the other side will contact you from items touched by their auras. Ghostly messages will be conveyed from the objects, and these will slowly help you piece together otherwise untold stories. It was a clever way to expand the tale without diluting the main protagonist’s roles.
The collectibles will keep you exploring.
Though the hidden objects aren’t difficult to find, you still have to search for them. 79 collectibles must be found; Echoes, memory shards, postcards and notes. They will have you exploring every area thoroughly and ensure that you experience all the game offers. These objects and the large achievement list will keep you playing for hours. So, you get a fantastic looking game with atmospheric audio, simple controls, and a well done albeit tried and tested concept. You will get sucked into this bizarre split universe as you try to understand why Marianne’s life is the way it is. You will learn to endure the slower pace and overcome the disturbing nature of the other realm.
The Medium is a wonderful game that must be played by anyone who has a Gamepass subscription. I recommend you get it, and it can be purchased here! Focus your power and get to the route of your being. Can you get the answers to all your questions and be content with who you are?
