The Medium

About The Medium

Bloober Team released The Medium in January 2021 as a single-player adventure title. It launched on PC, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and Mac systems. You play as Marianne, a woman with psychic abilities who navigates a haunted hotel resort in Poland. Her goal is to investigate a tragic event involving a murdered child while existing simultaneously in the real world and a twisted spirit realm. The game relies on this dual-reality mechanic to drive its narrative forward. Players must use her gifts to solve puzzles and uncover disturbing secrets hidden across both planes of existence. It is a third-person psychological horror experience that demands attention to environmental details.

Gameplay

Sessions involve moving Marianne through the abandoned resort while constantly switching between reality and the spirit world. The core loop requires you to toggle these states to access different areas or solve specific puzzles. A key mechanic lets you view both worlds at once on a split-screen display, forcing you to coordinate actions across two distinct environments simultaneously. You explore corridors and rooms to find clues about the tragedy while avoiding The Maw, a terrifying entity that hunts you in the spirit realm. Combat is minimal since the game focuses on stealth and puzzle-solving rather than direct confrontation. Controls feel standard for a third-person adventure with smooth camera movement.

What Players Think

Critics and players have given mixed reviews overall. IGDB lists an average score of 73.1 out of 100 based on 158 user ratings. The community vibes lean heavily toward the unsettling side, with "Creepy" receiving four votes and "Dark" getting three. Players often mention the unique dual-screen mechanic as a standout feature despite some technical hiccups. Completion rates suggest the story holds attention long enough to reach the end for most who start it. Average playtime varies depending on how thoroughly you search every room for hidden lore items. Review snippets frequently praise the atmosphere but criticize the pacing in the later chapters.

PlayPile's Take

The Medium works best for players who enjoy atmospheric horror over action-heavy gameplay. The split-screen mechanic offers a fresh perspective on exploration that few other titles attempt. Price is standard for a full retail release, and achievements track your progress through the two worlds. This game suits fans of slow-burn mysteries rather than jump-scare festivals. You will appreciate the detailed environments if you are willing to slow down and observe everything. It is a solid horror entry from Bloober Team that feels distinct even if it does not reach perfection.

Storyline

Marianne, a medium hounded by visions, lives and interacts across two worlds: the real one and the spirit world. Haunted by the vision of a child’s murder, she travels to an abandoned hotel resort, which many years ago became the stage of an unthinkable tragedy. There she begins her search for difficult answers. As a medium with access to both worlds, she has a wider perspective and can see more clearly that there’s no one simple truth to what others perceive. Nothing is what it seems, everything has another side.