The Medium Review: Weird but Exceptional Gameplay
Action games are one of the most in-demand genres in the gaming industry. A lot of people enjoy playing action games, especially action-adventure games. Regardless of any console, you’d have a good time once you play an excellent action game that has an impressive combat system. Many gamers admire the best action-adventure games: Horizon: Zero Dawn, Call of Duty, and GTA 5.
Aside from action-adventure games, many are also having fun playing horror games, like Resident Evil, Last of Us, or Left 4 Dead. However, these games battle monsters and zombies, which require weapons for combat. Have you ever tried a video game that uses psychic abilities to combat a ghost? Aside from these games, there are new, fun games for your PlayStation or PC, like the game of Bloober Team. If you’re interested to know about this horror game, here’s The Medium review.
Game Information
- Released Date: September 3, 2021
- Developer: Bloober Team
- Publisher: Bloober Team SA
- Genre: Psychological horror
- Console: PlayStation 5
Story
The story of this video game follows the ear of post-Communist Poland back in 1999. The protagonist, Marianne, is a spirit medium, and she helps concerned souls seek their final respite. She had a dream where she always sees a man shooting a young girl by the lake. The passing of her foster father saddened her, and she received a call from a mysterious guy named Thomas, who happened to know her abilities.
Thomas offered to explain where Marianne got her powers, along with the dream. On the other hand, he’s only going to tell everything if she meets him at the resort, the Niwa Workers. This resort was an abandoned vacation report in Niwa, which the government shut down because of the Niwa Massacre. This massacre involved a lot of people’s death.
Marianne explores Niwa, and she discovered how she’s tied to the spirit realm. She also discovered evidence to prove who the mastermind behind the massacre is. As she explores the spirit world, she’ll meet Sadness, a young girl’s spirit that will warn her about the Maw. It’s a nasty and hostile spirit that both exist in the spirit and real world. This spirit has been occupying human bodies, and it’s using the bodies to murder each other. Now, the spirit is haunting her.
Marianne tries her best to escape, and she also offered to help Sadness, but Sadness refused to be saved. Marianne finds out who she is as she explores the report. She’ll realize that Thomas was only using her.
Gameplay
This video game is a thriller or a psychological horror. If you love playing games like Resident Evil, Left 4 Dead, or Last of Us, you’ll enjoy playing them. You can play it in single-player mode, and it’s available on Xbox, PC, and PlayStation 5.
The game has a mix of a puzzle vibe where you play Marianne in a third-person point-of-view. You’ll control Marianne, the Medium, as she explores the haunted resort. It’s not only about action but also linking clues to discover answers. She’ll be able to find out who the mastermind behind the massacre in this area is and who the spirits she encountered are. As you control her, you’ll be able to access her abilities and use these to battle forces. Also, you can recharge her by interacting with spirit wells, or also called energy spots.
The gameplay is straightforward. You have to find out how to get away from the haunted area while facing the Maw, the main enemy aside from the person who’s using her. Before, the developer used it as a first-person point-of-view, but they enhanced it further. Now, gamers enjoy it better in a third-person point-of-view.
Features
The Medium is unlike typical thrilling games you’ll encounter because it doesn’t deal with zombies. The spirits are not very likable, which makes it very exciting. Here are other things that make this game worth your time.
The graphics of this game is undoubtedly impressive. It has a very realistic touch, which will give you chills as you start playing it. It has the same graphics as other horror games, like Resident Evil, but this video game’s surroundings are creepier. If it’s your first time playing a horror video game, you might play the first few levels with your lights on. Every detail in the resort is designed exceptionally, and the aura will not disappoint you if you’re expecting a horror vibe.
The sound effects of this game even make it more interesting to play because it matches the graphic designs well. Even though there are limited sounds, the sound effects make the game more fun and challenging. When you hear the sounds alone, you’ll have second thoughts about whether you should push through or stay for a couple of minutes more. On the other hand, if you love playing horror games, you’d even turn the volume up to feel like you’re part of the game.
Aside from the graphics and sounds, another feature that you’ll love is the storyline. There are many horror games in the market, but this one is unique because of the game’s backstory. The abilities of a medium make Marianne unique, and encountering a strong spirit is another reason to look forward to once you start exploring the game. The Maw is not only a spirit, but this enemy also exists outside the spirit realm. Since she needs to escape so the Maw will not feast in her body, the challenge now is looking for a good way to do it.
Another feature that you’ll love is how another spirit named Sadness interacts with her. She’s helping Marianne on the game, and she has a shocking backstory as well, which you’ll find interesting and saddening at the same time. Marianne will offer help, but Sadness chose to refuse the offer, which is one thing you may not be able to get over.
The setting of the game is also another reason to find it very interesting. It involved an old, abandoned place in Poland where a lot of people died during a massacre. Before the massacre incident, the area also had some experimentations involving Nazis and World War II, which is why you’d dig further into what happened before the place turned like that. The game’s setting makes it more thrilling because knowing a little about the setting already tells you how creepier the game would be if it’s in an actual situation.
Lastly, the feature of the split-screen makes gamers crazier. One screen focuses on the real world, while the other one is the spirit realm. At first, you’ll find it confusing to place because you’ll control one character in both real and fantasy realms. Your divided attention will make you feel more nervous because you will not know which screen the Maw will appear on since it’s moving in both realms.
Conclusion
The Medium received an above-average rating from a lot of gamers because of its unique gameplay. Developers patented the gameplay, which is a smart move since the idea of navigating a single character in two worlds at the same time is interesting. There is a lot of positive feedback about the game with minimal areas for improvement.
Many gamers enjoyed the story of the game. It’s somehow disturbing because of the backstory of the setting and the people involved. Still, gamers appreciate how Marianne faced her fears to help the spirits and discovered the real truth behind the disturbing story of the resort.
Another reason gamers gave it an excellent rating is because of the game’s graphics, especially when she’s in the spirit realm. Both the spirit and the real world show exceptional graphics, which will make you want to play it more. Every level is more exciting with this feature, and it will give you a lot of emotions as you place because of its setting, gameplay, and goal.
Also, gamers admire the purpose of the spirit named Sadness. At first, you might think it’s too creepy, but Sadness wants nothing but to help Marianne throughout the game. She’s been guiding her as well during the game, but what will leave you hanging is how she doesn’t want to be saved and helped by Marianne. It will undoubtedly break your heart.
On another note, gamers didn’t appreciate how it lacks action. Most horror games have interesting combat settings because they have to fight zombies and monsters. This game involves fighting a ghost, but it doesn’t focus on grand weapons, like guns. The only way for Marianne to fight is through her psychic abilities, which others think it’s too simple.
Nonetheless, the game is very fulfilling because it captured all the features you’d expect from a horror game. The graphics of the Medium are exceptional, as well as the sound effects of the game. The story is also suitable for its graphics and sound. Plus, the setting is also interesting since it’s from the World War II era. If you want a new horror experience in your PlayStation 5, you should play this game.
