
The spirit world is inspired by the artwork of late dystopian surrealist artist Zdzislaw Beksinski, and you only need to briefly glance at his past creations online to see that they’re aesthetically very similar.Īnd yet despite all this, there’s never really much of a feeling of fear. Use Marianne’s ability to switch to the spirit world and you’ll find a substantially more disturbing place, with walls and floors made of human remains and all manner of writhing, pulsating tentacles wrapped around some areas. The Niwa only exists in one realm, though. It’s easy to believe it was a real place: if you’ve ever been fascinated by those ‘urban explorer’ videos on YouTube where people break into old, abandoned and derelict buildings, this nails the same eerie tone. From the opening section in Marianne’s apartment, the game creates a brilliantly moody vibe that only gets more ominous once you reach the Niwa.Īs the centrepiece of a holiday resort built in communist Poland, the hotel’s lobbies are filled with motivational posters: these, along with various other references and nods to the era, do a great job of establishing when the Niwa was last open. The Medium’s atmosphere is its biggest strength. Marianne soon encounters a ghost girl called Sadness – just in case you thought our reference to the cancelled Wii game was a bit of a stretch – and begins to learn more about the hotel’s secret past, including the fabled “Niwa massacre” that seemingly led to the hotel’s closure. Not too spooky, though, because despite The Medium’s clear horror theme, this is perhaps one of the more milder examples of the genre, at least in terms of scares. The man asks Marianne to meet him at the Niwa, an abandoned hotel, and that’s where things predictably start to get spooky. Marianne thinks she’s the only person with this gift but one day she receives a mysterious phone call from a man who claims to have more information on her abilities. You play as Marianne (as opposed to Maria), a medium who has the ability to enter the spirit world and help distressed souls find the closure they need to reach the afterlife. Now they join their creative forces for the music and songs of The Medium.Notice: To display this embed please allow the use of Functional Cookies in Cookie Preferences.

#The medium ps5 review series
Yamaoka-san is a legendary Japanese composer best known for his work on the Silent Hill series Reikowski is a Hollywood Music in Media Awards nominee who worked on such acclaimed horror games as Blair Witch, Layers of Fear, and Observer. Immerse yourself in the disturbing and oppressive atmosphere of the game thanks to the original ‘dual’ soundtrack co-created by Akira Yamaoka and Arkadiusz Reikowski. This world has been invented and designed under the inspiration of ZdzisÅ‚aw BeksiÅ„ski’s paintings, Polish dystopian surrealist internationally recognized for his distinctive and strikingly ominous style. The Medium’s spirit world is a dark mirror reflection of our reality, a grim and unsettling place where our unpunished deeds, evil urges, and vile secrets manifest themselves and can take on a form. Explore the physical world and the spirit world simultaneously, and use the interactions between them to solve dual-reality puzzles, unlock new paths, and awaken memories of past events.ĮNTER A DARK REALITY INSPIRED BY BEKSIŃSKI Never-seen-before and officially patented gameplay that plays out across two worlds displayed at the same time. As a medium you see, hear and experience more than others, and with every new perspective you will change your perception on what happened at the Niwa resort.

Create energy shields and deliver powerful spirit blasts to survive the spirit world and its otherworldly dangers.ĭelve deep into a mature and morally ambiguous story, where nothing is what it seems and everything has another side. Use the Out of Body experience to investigate places where your real-world self can’t go. Travel between the realities or explore them both at the very same time. Wield unique psychic abilities reserved for those with the gift. The Medium is a third-person psychological horror game that features patented dual-reality gameplay and an original soundtrack co-composed by Arkadiusz Reikowski and Akira Yamaoka. Use your psychic abilities to solve puzzles spanning both worlds, uncover deeply disturbing secrets, and survive encounters with The Maw - a monster born from an unspeakable tragedy. Explore the real world and the spirit world at the same time. Discover a dark mystery only a medium can solve.
