The Medium

The world is becoming a more and more spiritual space, meaning that people are more in touch with entities that we can’t see with the human eye. Things like the power of constellations, horoscopes, tarot and witchcraft. Another one of these things are mediums, those that can communicate with the dead and deliver messages from those who have entered the afterlife. Well, The Medium, a quirky psychological horror adventure puts you in the shoes of Marianne, a medium who will harness his other worldly power to uncover the secrets of your past.

This game plays like other horror titles such as Layers of Fear, Silent Hill, Blair Witch, Resident Evil and Outlast. This game aims to be a horror adventure with a twist. However, is this twist enough to make this game stand out in the rather saturated field of modern horror titles? We will find out in our review of The Medium.

Small, Medium or Large Appeal?

Let’s begin with the visuals for this title. Within The Medium, you will see some of the finest quality visuals that ever graced the eighth generation of gaming. The visuals on offer here are photorealistic, the world you inhabit is rich in detail and lore. The character models are incredibly well-rendered and animated and the lighting is beautiful. However, it would be amiss of us not to mention the truly outstanding soundtrack on offer here. This only adds to the ambience and makes this one a immersive horror classic.

The story is another strong point of this title. Within this game you will use your medium powers to talk to the dead inhabitants of the world, allowing you to solve puzzles and uncover the mysteries of the Niwa Massacre, an event that you now find yourself at the epicentre of. The game throws plenty of narrative curveballs at you, keeps you on your toes, introduces a series of removable characters to the player and allows you to explore a world which is choked full of intricate details and hidden tales. It’s a fantastic story that you need to witness for yourself to truly appreciate.

Then lastly, you have the gameplay for this title. If we were to compare this to another title, it would be Innocence: A Plague’s Tale in terms of structure. The game allows you to follow a semi-linear path where you will solve puzzles through the use of your medium powers. Then much like the compatible title, there are some combat aspects but the game urges the player to use their gift and their intelligence as a means of progression. It’s a balance that is struck well and makes for fun, thought-provoking gameplay.

The Verdict

Overall, The Medium is a horror game with a difference, which is often enough to stand a chance of winning over the horror crowd and cutting through the cookie-cutter horror games on offer.

Pros

• Visuals and audio are stunning
• Puzzles and gameplay are excellent
• Story is compelling
• Voice acting is super

Cons

• The narrating can become a little stiff and overbearing