14 DAY TRIAL // 
Lately there is no lack of horror titles, since this genre seems have become a favourite among publishers. From action to adventure to survival, the scary experiences come in every flavour and size and gamers can’t seem to have enough of them. The polish developers from Bloober Team have a proven track record, but The Medium is their most ambitious project so far. Can it leave up to the legacy of Layers of Fear?
The history of one of the most iconic horror games of the last years was a rocky one, but it set the bar so high the Layers of Fear 2 and Blair Witch had a hard time to stand up to it. The Medium set out to become a new staple of the genre, a very tall order looking at what this year has already brought us. It is not a flawless experience, but as you might have already heard (or read) it is still one of the most pleasant surprises of the year.
We can say from the get-go The Medium is a good horror game. It is a thrilling experience that starts of somewhat slow, with some cliché moments, that turns into a memorable tale that will keep you on the edge of your seat. In general, the visuals scream next-gen, with the exception of some character models, and the story set in Eastern Europe is masterfully told.
It all starts with a dead girl as the game states, but there will be plenty of dead people and tragedies just waiting to be uncovered by our hero, Marianne. A trip down memory lane caused by the death of her stepfather turns into a quest of self-discovery, through which you will discover the origins of the psychic powers of the main character.
After a small collection of cliches, like the flickering lights, a door that closes itself, a cat that may or may not have been broken a vase, a call from a mysterious voice that seems to know too well the past of Marianne the story takes off. After arriving at the sight of the Niwa resort, you will start uncovering the many layers of this tale, a tapestry woven by the personal tragedies of several individuals.
The manifestation of the personal demons, the presence of the dead, the political persecution of the USSR regime and the mass murders will all unfold into a complex series of events that at first glance seem to happen in parallel. In order to understand everything, you will have to hunt down a ridiculous number of collectibles, from post cards to journal entries that will tell the story of the characters and of the place itself.
The atmosphere is dark and heavy, but very well anchored in reality. Although you are dealing with the supernatural, the developers managed to reproduce faithfully the world of communist resorts. Anchoring the events in a setting so real and choosing a fixed camera angle are choices that make the game so more disturbing. Instead of looking around freely, the developers made sure that you will see what they wanted to put on the screen and that gave them the chance to build up every scene in the smallest details.
Beyond the angles and camera settings that rival the best of horror movies, a novelty item is the simultaneous representation of the real and the spirit world. Many of the puzzles and challenges will require Marianne to work together with her alter ego from the beyond. This usually happens by splitting the screen in two and showing the same location both in the real world and the spirit realm. The result is very satisfying, since you will have to work in both realms in order to advance and the gameplay is very dynamic.
Moreover, the designers did not skip on the details, and although you will revisit some places multiple times, it never feels like a filler solution. The level design is just outstanding with an incredible number of collectibles ingeniously placed. At one point the whole experience can become overwhelming and you can get lost, just as you would in the real life if you would be exploring an unknown place. The way forward is rarely obvious, and you will have to think on your feet to get to the ending.
The developers tried to combine several gameplay elements that result in The Medium being a bit more than an adventure game. Although most of the time you will have to solve puzzles in order to advance, there are stealth sequences, chase scenes and even a rudimentary combat system. Not all of them are equally engaging, but in general there is enough diversity to keep you engaged.
The level of difficulty varies, from banal to frustrating. On one end of the spectrum, you have the typical fetch mechanism where you have to find a lever or some other object and combine it in the right way. In other situations, you will have to scratch your head how to advance by figuring out how the real and spiritual world influence each other. There will be a lot of trial and error, and the best example is the water station that you will have to escape towards the end of the game.
Visually the game is more often than not, stunning. The environments and the attention to details is flawless, but the character animation and models, and some surroundings from the spirit world can break the immersion. There is a sharp contrast between how gorgeous the forest looks in general, and the way Marianne and other characters show up during close ups. The voice acting is decent, while the soundtrack part is absent or completely forgettable.
The Good
- Stunning visuals building a scarry atmosphere
- Multi layered story masterfully told
- Very well thought out level design
The Bad
- Some not well integrated mechanics
- Often more a cinematic experience rather than a video game
- Limited replay value
Conclusion
All in all, The Medium is a good game, but not revolutionary and certainly not the new king of the genre. The story and atmosphere will stay with you long after finishing it, but the gameplay has a lot of room for improvement. If you prioritize a good story and a masterfully crafted atmosphere The Medium will not disappoint.
Review code provided by the publisher.
