The Medium is merely a week away and to be frank, my anticipation is palpable. You see, while there is certainly a wealth of Horror and Horror inspired titles in existence, none have truly captured the same sense of atmosphere and unnerving attention to narrative details that the original Silent Hill and Resident Evil franchises have. I consider the original Silent Hill and RE: Remake to be modern classics in my eyes. The anxiety, the tension, the pure fear you felt when the camera angle changed and droning music suddenly picked up while an indiscernible monstrosity loomed in from the shadows; These are but a sprinkling of the qualities that elevate a Horror game from good to great.
Now, what does all this mean for The Medium? Bloober Team have been hard at work mastering their craft over the years. They’ve been making games since 2010, but it’s when they released the 1st entry in the titular Layers of Fear franchise that people really started to take notice of their talent. With a mix of gradually intensifying atmosphere, puzzle solving, and narrative driven sequences the team has created some unnerving and reflective experiences for the masses. The Medium is set to be the team’s 1st true attempt at a project much larger than their previous works with more aggressive commercial backing.
Lead designer Wojciech Piejko and the team have proudly stated that Silent Hill and other Horror titles of the time were clear inspirations for The Medium. Even famed composer Akira Yamaoka was more than happy enough to sign on and co-compose the game’s soundtrack. Huge news for fans of his work. That’s just the tip of the iceberg, however. Bloober Team have incorporated long lost Horror stylizations such as dynamic camera angles to further bolster the eerie atmosphere they are already apt at creating. What really sets The Medium apart is its dynamic dual world mechanic. Marianne (The actual Medium you play as) has the ability to interact with the spiritual plane that sits on the very thin veil between life and death, while traversing the real world at the same time.
The screen will literally split in two as you control Marianne in both worlds at the same time. The game is, in effect, running twice which leads to Bloober’s decision to develop the game solely for PC and Series X. The mechanic simply would not work properly on last gen’s hardware. This is where I really became enamored with the game, as you get to really absorb and observe all the little details and variances between both realms. The real world features a cold, bluish filter that makes it seem lifeless and lonely (despite the great detail in the environments), while the spiritual realm is portrayed by deceptively warmer colors and textures that give a sense that this plane of existence is more alive than we’d presume.
While we can’t say for certainty how the rest of the game will play out, based on the early demos and hotel scenario that we’ve been privy to it seems like gameplay won’t be combat heavy (at least in the traditional sense). Rather, the more intense scenarios will see Marianne using her psychic abilities in the spiritual realm to fend off dangers, interact with objects that can affect others in the real world, and solve environmental puzzles. This doesn’t mean there is no inherent danger. In fact, one of the most recent sequences we were treated to is right after Marianne escapes a close encounter in the spiritual realm.
After returning to the real world, she breathes a sigh of relief thinking that the worst is behind her, only to realize that she’s been followed from the other side. What follows is a fairly terrifying game of cat and mouse as your mostly invisible pursuer taunts and stalks Marianne while trying to escape. It can’t see her, but it can hear her. As you scuttle about the environment, navigating your escape, you must periodically remain still and hold your breath to prevent detection. Just watching the sequence is unnerving, let alone having to be the one in control!
The Medium is scheduled for release on the 28th of this month and will be available on PC and the Series X. Better yet, it’s also coming to GamePass Day one. This leaves very little reason to not give the game a shot and see if Bloober Team are able to deliver what may be one of the most unique and original Horror experiences we’ve had in a long-long time.