The Medium Reviews
Even with an interesting concept of navigating and controlling two worlds at the same time, this new entry from Bloobler Team does not make justice to its full potential.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
The Medium is a dark horror game with a compelling story and a unique twist on playing in two worlds thanks to its dual-reality presentation.
I think I’ve hit my legal limit on flowery language in this review already, so I’ll keep it plain and simple in the end; The Medium is a fun, unsettling atmospheric horror game that is guaranteed to knock your socks off if you even remotely appreciate artistic design. It’s not a “traditional horror game,” but, then again, none of the Bloober Team games I’ve ever played have been traditional horror games. If you have a day to spare and want to spend it with a game guaranteed to draw you in (even if it takes a few hours to do so), then I don’t think you’ll regret taking The Medium out for a spin.
I found myself rather bored a lot of the time, and straight-up hating several sections for being tedious or repetitive.
I could not help but feel that The Medium took inspiration from many beloved franchises before it. The camera angle style, notes and puzzles to keep the player focused, and music that makes your skin crawl all combine to make The Medium feel like a worthy newcomer in a genre with a long legacy. In an era where first-person perspective and jump scares with mediocre psychological horror reign, it is nice to see The Medium take a different approach while utilizing many of the psychological horror tactics of old and new age audio tricks. I cannot help but love the new psychologically induced horror game Bloober Team made The Medium.
Not for the faint of heart, nor those susceptible to trauma, The Medium is an intensely disturbing masterclass in storytelling, dripping with atmosphere and loaded with enough dread to make you question the very nature of your existence when you're finished with it.
The Medium is a good game that lasts just around 10 hours. After completing it I so wanted it to be more than it is. Its story and uncomfortable themes its touches on does a great job carrying the repetitive gameplay to the end. I so wanted it to be more. I wanted more challenging puzzles and gameplay elements to expand the “dual reality” mechanics. However, it never happened. I hope The Bloober Team use this as a start to something new. The game’s general premise is an interesting one and can really be expanded on. Unfortunately, it gives me Order 1886 vibes – Just playing it too safe.
The Medium is Bloober Team's most ambitious game to date, and while certain aspects work better than others, the result is a decent horror romp that even the most horror-averse can enjoy.
Overall, The Medium is a great game, when it comes to the actual nuts and bolts the game is superb. It’s scary, it’s visceral, and it showcases how Bloober Team understands horror and how to execute concepts unrestricted by location. That said, its story is less than stellar, but at 8-10 hours of gameplay, with its fantastic cinematics, it’s a hurdle you can get over.
The Medium is, for better or worse, old-school at its core. The split screen mechanics aren't revolutionary at all and action sequences may leave you a bit confused, but the wholesome plot and well executed narration make Bloober Team's latest effort a compelling horror story imbued with some cool sociohistorical references.
Review in Polish | Read full review
Those who are looking for a great horror experience will not be disappointed, Silent Hill fans will certainly appreciate the atmosphere, aesthetics and plot but will probably not be satisfied with the gameplay.
Review in Greek | Read full review
If you like the horror, thriller genre, I can say that The Medium is a game where you can get a nostalgic taste.
Review in Turkish | Read full review
The Medium stumbles because of its weak script, but it’s worth checking out if you have Xbox Game Pass and want to see what the next-gen fuss is all about.
If you’re after a new linear narrative adventure game set in a creepy world to play, you’ll likely enjoy The Medium, but if you’re hoping for a more involved experience, I’d suggest skipping it.
The Medium on Xbox is the game fans have been waiting for. A dark, mature, scary, visually appetizing next-gen delight with a gripping story, it is one to not miss if you are a fan of psychological horror.
The Medium is an incredible narrative driven psychological thriller that balances a really neat split between reality, and an eerie spirit world.
The Medium falls short of expectations and repeats a lot of mistakes from the previous bloober team games. From a technical standpoint the game is impressive, besides some minor lighting issues but nearly everything else disappoints just too much.
Review in German | Read full review
The Medium holds a lot of potential of becoming a great franchise and it's worth playing right now, especially for horror fans.
The Medium has very few jump scares and it's not about killing a bunch of monsters and then moving on to the next. It's deeper and more intimate, with notable imagery and symbolism subtly presented to the player along the way.