‘The Medium’ Channels Old School Horror, For Better or Worse

Publisher:  Bloober Team / Developer:  Bloober Team / Platform: PC, Xbox Series S/X / Release Date: January 28, 2021 We love to be scared and when it comes to video games, it feels like the experience is magnified tenfold. For me, I like the horror genre for a completely different reason. Horror games often attract my attention not because they scare me (unfortunately, I don’t scare easily) but because of the unexpected nature of the adventure. You never know how the experience is going to unfold. The more unexpected the gameplay, the better chance it has to live up to that fear-induced thrill. The Medium is the latest horror game to pique my interest. At first, it was the general appeal of it being a “next-gen” game coming to the Xbox Series S/X and PC. However, in the lead-up to its release, the concept of its split world mechanics is what felt intriguing. It felt like it was bringing something new to the horror genre. While The Medium does bring some interesting ideas to the table, it’s a decidedly old-school game. The Medium mimics a lot of mechanics from early horror games (Resident Evil, Silent Hill, etc.) without reaching the same heights as those series’ most terrifying moments. The Mystery Spot from the ’90s

There is a lot that is familiar about The Medium’s premise. Players are introduced to Marianne, who we find mourning the death of her foster father. Quickly, we learn what makes her special. Marianne is a medium wit…