The Medium Reviews
Don't expect a horror game but a paranormal adventure, one that will intrigue and surprise you with some of its mechanics. A noteworthy and attractive experience that, maybe because of that, feels a little too short.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Bloober Team has long established itself as a purveyor of innovative and frightening horror experiences, but it will be tough to outdo this one. The Medium is a terrifying and disturbing look into the darkest recesses of human behavior, wrapped in an immersive, atmospheric, and beautiful looking game world.
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.
An artistically inspired and technically interesting horror, based almost entirely on narration. Those who expected an adventure with a wider scope could be very disappointed.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Brilliantly paced and palpably tense, The Medium is a psychological horror adventure that's all thriller and no filler.
The Medium isn’t perfect. Bloober Team’s most ambitious ideas aren’t realized to their full potential, but it’s a step in an exciting new direction. The pacing stumbles in the middle, but that’s where the enticing narrative picks up the slack to drive you through. The dual-reality mechanic goes just about far enough to keep its slowest gameplay moments interesting, and paired with a fantastic narrative and exceptionally eerie atmosphere, it’s an easy recommendation for fans of Bloober Team’s work in the past and the horror genre in general.
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
The Medium itself never hits a flat note. I beat the game in two long sittings, and there was never a point during either that I felt like the game dragged, or could’ve used a little more polish, or left too many loose ends hanging. It’s a lean, compelling experience that says what it has to say, then leaves you to grapple with the specifics afterwards. There are images, lines, and ideas from The Medium that I’ll likely take to my grave thanks to this approach, as it puts the onus on the player to piece everything together. You have to wrap your brain around the spirit world’s twisted logic so much that it becomes a part of you, as you live through Marianne’s pain with her and help to navigate her trauma.
Layers of Fear showed early promise, Blair Witch demonstrated that Bloober could resurrect a dormant movie license to great effect, and Observer saw the studio successfully turn its hand to cyberpunk horror. The Medium is a similarly excellent game, serving as further proof of the developer's horror expertise and its credentials as an exciting creative outfit.
The Medium is Bloober Team's next big step and a tremendous cover letter for the next generation. With simple yet accomplished gameplay, captivating design and overwhelming storytelling, likely to rip off some tears, it quickly becomes one of the games you need for this new generation and one of those you have to try if you have Xbox Game Pass. With The Medium, Bloober Team proves there will always be room for the big well-told stories. So don't hesitate and listen carefully to Marianne's story, because you won't be the same.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Bloober Team's beautiful-looking exploration of intergenerational trauma is ripe ground for innovative storytelling, but fumbles its big themes
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
The Medium will not be the best psychological horror game in the world, but it engages like few others. Bloober Team once again raises a bar that dropped somewhat after Blair Witch and presents us at times two games in one, with quite effective mechanics despite its simplicity. A great gift for Xbox Game Pass subscribers, who will enjoy it from day one.
Review in Spanish | 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 is not only the best game from the Bloober Team but also one of the greatest virtual psychological horrors out there. It’s on the same level as the masterpiece I consider What Remains of Edith Finch to be. And if you accept the lack of survival and action elements in the gameplay, you’ll get a great heir to the Silent Hill series. If you prefer story and atmosphere over typical action – it’s a game for you!
Review in Polish | Read full review
Overall, The Medium is able to evoke the same kind of feelings you might expect from a game like Silent Hill. There are tense scenes and an eerie atmosphere that is engaging from start to finish. Naturally, there are some flaws, such as difficult puzzles, clunky controls or subpar stealth mechanics, but the deep story through the two worlds more than makes up for it, making it start as a strong showing for Xbox this year.
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.
Medium is a very interesting proposal Bloober Team. Creators still do not come to the forefront and will not set new paths in the industry, but this is another very solid position that shows that the native studio is constantly developing.
Review in Polish | Read full review
With creepy puzzle moments throughout, The Medium pulls off a dual-reality puzzler with precision. The game looks magnificent, with impressive lighting and shadows courtesy of RTX, though the Xbox Series X version suffers from occasional stutters and hitches, as well as level of detail pops. More classic dread than jump scares, it delivers on its promise of horror served two ways, making it unique and a must-have for horror fans, even if it's a little lighter fare.
The Medium doesn't revolutionize the horror genre, but it's a compelling entry that's worth checking out.