![]() ![]() The split feature adds an extra layer to The Medium’s puzzle solving, making you think a bit more about how to approach puzzles rather than simply finding a key and putting it in the door. ![]() You can then quickly search the spirit world for a spirit well, which Marianne can absorb energy from to use certain abilities, and then return to the power box and use an energy blast on it – charging the power box and therefore springing the elevator back into life in both worlds. While she can’t pass through the doors of the elevator in the real world, she can in the spirit world, so you drop out of her body and see that there’s a power box just outside the elevator door. So, for example, in one instance, Marianne is trying to use an elevator but the elevator hasn’t got any power. This is handy in instances when Marianne’s path is blocked by an object in the real world, but is passable in the spirit world, as it means she can drop out of her body, pass the obstacle in the spirit world, and then in the spirit world solve the issue that’s obstructing her way in the real world. In some cases, Marianne can also ‘drop out’ of her body, allowing you to play solely in the spirit world. This is the key to a lot of The Medium’s puzzle-solving, as there are instances when Marianne sees things in the spirit world which she can’t see in the real world, and vice versa. For the most part, we play as Marianne in the real world, however at certain points in the game the screen splits, showing in real-time Marianne existing in both the real world and spirit world. In the real word she sees things as any of us would (which means she can’t see some things, but we’ll come back to that later), but in the spirit world the Niwa turns into a hellish nightmare realm strewn in decomposing bodies, black tar and the occasional creeping tentacle. This is a tried and tested method which has worked well for the likes of Resident Evil, but Bloober puts its own stamp on it with the inclusion of the ‘split’ feature.Īs previously mentioned, Marianne exists in both the ‘real’ world and the spirit world. Most of your progression relies on solving puzzles: primarily finding the applicable item to use which will remove the obstacle in your way and allow you to move forward or uncovering the item that unearths more of the story. Marianne’s traversal of the Niwa is all pretty linear, with the game setting a clear path ahead of you for where you’re meant to go, and fairly straightforward clues as to how you get there. As such, the Niwa resort is the epitome of brutalist architecture, cold and vast, the perfect setting to keep you uneasy: you’re certainly not welcome here. The Medium sees Bloober Team leaning into its Polish history, with the game set in post-communist Poland – a thread that runs throughout the heart of the game’s narrative. ![]() Price? Free on Xbox Game Pass or around £40/$50 (not available in AU).What can I play it on? Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and PC.What is it? A psychological horror game from the makers of Layers of Fear.And while there are some pacing issues in the latter part of the game, and the story can be at times hard to keep up with, it proves that Boober Team has the perfect formula for scaring the sh** out of us. The Medium brings classic fixed-camera horror to the modern day, which we’ve seen with the likes of Until Dawn, but makes sure to add its own touch through the ‘split’ feature that sees Marianne moving between both the ‘real’ world and the spirit world, adding a new dimension to the puzzle elements we’ve seen in similar titles such as the early entries in the Resident Evil series. While performance felt largely the same as the Xbox Series X version, we did notice that PS5 loads textures for items a touch quicker overall. Haptic feedback is also implemented to make the game's more tense moments feel even more unnerving. It includes some platform-specific features, as the DualSense controller's adaptive triggers are used effectively to represent the spiritual energy coursing through Marianne's body. The Medium is now available on PlayStation 5 and was released on September 3, 2021. ![]()
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