The Medium (video game)
A medium explores two worlds to uncover a tragic past.
The Medium is a psychological horror video game developed and published by Bloober Team. It was released for Windows and Xbox Series X/S in January 2021, with versions for other platforms following over the next two years. The game is notable for its split-screen presentation showing both the real world and the spirit realm simultaneously.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Bloober Team
- Publisher
- Bloober Team SA
- Director
- Mateusz Lenart
- Producer
- Jacek Zięba
- Designer
- Wojciech Piejko
- Programmer
- Mariusz Szaflik
- Artist
- Damian Żukowski
- Writer
- Grzegorz Like
- Andrzej Mądrzak
- Marcin Wełnicki
Facts from the source article.
Plot
The Medium is set in post-communist Poland in 1999. Marianne, a spirit medium who helps troubled souls find peace, experiences a recurring dream of a man shooting a young girl by a lake. After her foster father dies, she receives a phone call from a man named Thomas, who claims to know about her abilities and offers to explain the origin of her powers and the meaning of her dream. He insists she meet him at the Niwa Workers' Resort, an abandoned communist-era vacation resort closed after the Niwa Massacre, where many people were murdered. Exploring Niwa, Marianne discovers strong ties to the spirit realm and evidence that Thomas, the resort's manager, and his daughter Lilianne were central to the massacre. In the spirit world, she meets Sadness, a young girl's spirit who warns her of the Maw, a hostile spirit that caused the Niwa Massacre by possessing human hosts. The Maw hunts Marianne. Marianne learns that Sadness is Lilianne, who was molested by Thomas' older friend Richard. Through clues, she discovers Thomas was also a medium, experimented on by Nazis and Soviets, who learned his powers could sever minds from bodies. Thomas fled to Niwa and started a family, but an agent of Służba Bezpieczeństwa named Henry discovered him, forced him to watch his home burn with his children inside, and was killed by Thomas. Marianne realizes she is Thomas' youngest daughter, who fell into a coma after the fire; Thomas left her at the hospital while he stayed with Lilianne at Niwa.
Development
The Medium was developed by Bloober Team, with lead designer Wojciech Piejko and producer Jacek Zieba conceiving the idea in 2012. The core concepts involved a medium and her ability to see two worlds simultaneously. Piejko stated the game imparts the message that there is no universal truth. Originally planned for release on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii U in 2012, the technical challenge of rendering two points of view at once led Bloober Team to shelve the project. Over subsequent years, the concept became a mythos within the company as they waited for technology to advance. After Microsoft provided preliminary material on the capabilities of the upcoming Xbox Series X/S consoles, Bloober Team recognized they could build the game and began development. Initially approached from a first-person perspective with a split screen, the team found playtesters had difficulty maneuvering. Taking cues from Japanese horror games like Silent Hill and Resident Evil, they adopted fixed cameras and a third-person perspective to better present both worlds simultaneously while enhancing immersion. The split-screen concept was maintained in cutscenes, with frequent camera angle changes used to mask unrendered details and maintain unease, such as when Marianne converses with spirit world characters while her real self appears to interact with nothing.
Release
The Medium was first teased in 2012 before being pulled, then officially brought back in May 2020 for Windows and Xbox Series X/S. Its planned December 10, 2020 launch was pushed back to January 28, 2021 because of the pandemic. A PlayStation 5 version arrived on September 3, 2021, followed by an Amazon Luna version on February 17, 2022, and a Nintendo Switch cloud version on July 29, 2023. A macOS and Apple Silicon version was announced for summer 2023 on February 16, 2023.
Reception
Critics gave The Medium a mixed reception depending on the platform, per Metacritic. IGN scored it 8/10, calling it a tense, well-paced horror game with no filler. Bloober Team said the game turned a profit from launch sales within days. It earned nominations for best action-adventure and best indie at Gamescom 2020.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who directed The Medium (video game)?
The Medium was directed by Mateusz Lenart.
Who composed the music for The Medium (video game)?
The music for The Medium was composed by Arkadiusz Reikowski and Akira Yamaoka.
What engine does The Medium (video game) use?
The Medium runs on Unreal Engine 4.
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