The Medium Review

Bloober Team has developed a reputation for creating strong horror-themed titles after the success of Layers of Fear, Blair Witch and Blair Witch. Their next venture into this genre was The Medium. However, the emphasis was on psychological thriller elements rather than traditional terror-inducing scares.

The Medium will be available on Xbox and PC platforms in January 2021. Was this otherworldly descent into the dark realms worth it? Let's dive into the trench and find out.

You should know that I am a big fan of horror and psychological thrillers. So The Medium was a title I eagerly awaited to be released on Sony's consoles. You'll find both amazing and disappointing aspects to these genres. It's important to find the right balance, or... Medium, in order for a title like this one to be successful.

Welcome to The Void

The Medium's opening is interesting but slow. Marianne, our protagonist, is introduced. She has the unique ability of traversing not only the human reality but also the spirit reality. This reality is occupied by people who have "passed on to the other side". It is slow, subtle, and captivating. Marianne draws you in to the universe and world she lives in, and also plots some emotional roots for us. Things quickly turn strange and supernatural, whether it is so naturally or not. Marianne is taken to Niwa resort after a mysterious, unsettling phone call from an unknown stranger asking for her help.

Although the initial story is somewhat repetitive, it's well-written. You will have little or no idea of your purpose and role at the Niwa resort. This is in contrast to Marianne's bewilderment and scepticism. Things pick up as the story progresses. In the first third, you are able to take on the superficial layer of knowledge before the second- and third acts start to unravel you into a psychological web that includes character arcs and mysterious occurrences.

The Medium's story was excellent, all of which is to be praised. The game's themes brought out a variety of emotions in me, including shock, disgust and anguish. As you progress, you will discover some dark and sinister things in Niwa's past. The world, history, and characters are very well handled, despite the disturbing narrative arcs. The thing I enjoyed most was the shift in my perspective and empathy for its central characters. It turns out that dimensional hopping history can be a confusing mix of good and evil.

Keep going, to the Spirit Side

Marianne is a medium and can see both the spiritual and the real world. Sometimes you can see both, sometimes one or the other. She and we, the players, can observe the real and the ethereal simultaneously. This is a narrative tool that provides context and history for the resort, as well as the characters of those who live there.

Also, collectibles can be used to an intrinsically rewarding effect. Each set of postcards, notes and memos acts as exposition for specific people or places as you travel. This adds depth and meaning to what you discover in an organic way. Although I don't see collectibles in games as anything more than content-filler, The Medium makes them so important that you can pay attention to their impact on the story. I was glad I spent so much time looking for them, because they provided a greater understanding of the main story than I could have imagined.

As this story is worth seeing blind, I have been careful not to mention any spoilers. Although it isn't perfect and there are some parts that feel a little contrived or have some obvious elements, I found myself completely absorbed from the second hour until the end. The Medium's story takes about 6-8 hours to complete. It is a strong and emotional read that will keep you interested and engaged. The final sequence leaves you wondering if there are any more details. It's all great stuff. Although it may not suit everyone, it is worth trying.

The sense of place and atmosphere that the Bloober Team has created is key to much of the storytelling. The Niwa resort is haunting, desolate, and decrepit. The building's many corridors and areas are filled with a sense of foreboding. There is also an air of tragic history as you walk through them. It evokes old Silent Hill and Resident Evil titles in that it uses fixed camera angles and linear progress to create areas of decay and ruin.

This makes sense as The Medium is set in 1999, post-communism Poland. The level design reveals the country's past socialistic ideals as well as the practicalities at that time. Although it may not be the most artistic or visually pleasing, it will certainly place you within the time frame it has set. It's fantastic stuff, and I enjoyed exploring these dark, unpleasant places.

Down the Gameplay Rabbit Hole

That's not all. Marianne's ability (or being in) The Medium is one of its core mechanics. The spiritual realm. The reality of Niwa can be described as industrial, cold and broken, but the spiritual realm is filled with skulls and flesh. The contrast and colour scheme are striking. The spirit world is presented as terrifying and soul-trapping. It took a lot of effort to recreate the same areas from a new perspective. This effectively demonstrates the suffering of those trapped in the spirit realm.

The Medium's gameplay is not just about aesthetics, but also involves the simultaneous use of two realms. Marianne will have to navigate both worlds at once, sometimes independently, and sometimes simultaneously. These situations offer puzzle possibilities for the game: Marianne may not be able to traverse one landscape, but she might be able to traverse the other. To progress in the story, you will need to move objects, switch between worlds to grab items, and figure out how to maneuver Marianne.

In theory, it sounds amazing. It is a lost opportunity because most of the exploration and traversal of these dual worlds are linear and simplistic. There were four doors that led to progression when you entered a new wing. This could have provided an opportunity to test the player's knowledge of the mechanics as well as allow them to use creative problem-solving methods. It became a step by number routine. To enter the spirit world, you will need to first open door 1. Get an item. Clear door 2. Interact with object. Clear door 3. Get power up to exit. The majority of the puzzle exploration feels very well-defined and clear, with little opportunity for rewarding gameplay.

This limits the potential of what dual-world gameplay could offer, especially since the narrative is so motivating and the means to get there feels underwhelming.

You have a few tools at your disposal that you will need to use. Marianne has the ability to see into the future and use it to find items and spot interactable areas in the environment. It is usually as simple as going to an area and pressing the button prompt, then hitting the interact button again or simply following a spirit trail to get from A to B. Although it could have been more interesting, the gameplay was largely superficial and Marianne was given a "power" that she can use.

You can also choose to seperate into Marianne's spirit for a short time in order to gain access to areas that are not possible with her physical form. It has a cool animation but it is only used to power fuse boxes and shield you against flying critters.

I See Dead People

There are several gameplay scenarios that require you to run away from the main antagonist monster, sneak around, or escape it, or to use the shield and burst power to defeat rudimentary enemies. Although the sneaking and chase sections can add tension and create obstacles to progress, they are simple and easy to complete. Although a few of the running away sections were a bit awkward, they served their purpose in the story. This sums up The Medium’s gameplay. It serves the story and is not great in its own right.

DualSense is also used by the Medium. The controller's microphone makes voices sound even more mysterious. Triggers push against your legs when you run, and rumble vibrations increase the tension during chase scenes. This isn't anything extraordinary, but it adds an extra layer of immersion to the gameplay.

The majority of your time is spent exploring the resort, collecting items and interacting with them. Similar to other titles such as Until Dawn, or older games like Silent Hill, the wandering segments function in a similar way. The exploration of the resort and world were, unsurprisingly, my favorite part of The Medium. I was able to take time to reflect on the world, current events, and what was happening around me.

Achieving an Atmosphere

It's no surprise that The Medium's environments are beautiful for the most part. Rain effects are especially good. There are pools of water that shimmer beautifully and the spiritual world is amplified by deep browns, greens, and reds. The resort is also coated with industrial, cold blues. Marianne is well animated, although some parts of her animation may require lip-syncing. Other characters and areas are well realised, with some of their creative designs for other worldly beings especially grotesque and inspiring. Although the overall graphics are not spectacular, considering the budget available to them, they have done a great job creating a title that is as beautiful as this.

It was well executed, including the use of an eerie, threatening background song and ambient music. Dark music elicits strong anticipation. It is perfect for the locations and circumstances. The music also amplifies the tension in more pressing parts of the game. This was a great game and Bloober Team did a fantastic job. I also enjoyed the sound design.

The Medium was a great game, despite its shortcomings in gameplay. However, it left me feeling deeply influenced by the story and its narrative. Although it wasn't the most enjoyable game, it was well worth the effort to see the complex, psychological, and deep story it told. Ethereal stories have the potential to connect people with disturbing and introspective themes. The Medium does this well to make it a worthwhile investment. Although it takes some time to get going, once you start getting hooked into the story, you will be just as horribly captivated as I was and you won't stop until the end.