Released in January of 2021, The Medium is psychological horror video game where I get to play Marianne as the titular medium who can travel between the material and the spiritual world.
Using my psychic powers, I get to explore both realms simultaneously using a split-screen feature while trying to avoid creatures. The game was received with favorable reviews but what truly drew me into this game was the gameplay.
The Medium is a fun and exciting take on the psychological horror video game genre and takes it to another level. Learn more about The Medium below:
- Fulfill Each Mission
- Tips And Tricks When Playing The Medium
- Use Your Headphones
- Use Insight Often
- Always Check Your Arm
- Consider Adjusting the Settings
Fulfill Each Mission
The Medium is a game where you complete a list of missions that mainly revolves around accomplishing different objectives. This also propels the story forward until you reach the end of the game.
Most of these objectives are tied to the game's current location, so get ready to do a lot of exploring. I often have at least one main mission to finish.
Most of these missions are divided into different parts, and each of them has its own little goals to help complete the main mission.
It is important that you try to finish all of these missions to push the story forward and get rewards.
Getting Rewards And Earning Achievements
Fulfilling each mission objective will grant you a reward. Most of the time, these rewards are just items you will need later in the game.
Speaking of rewards, there are over 39 achievements that I need to complete in the game. Some of them directly involve the main storyline, while others are unlocked later on. Make sure to earn all of these achievements to unlock the entire storyline.
For those expecting to be rewarded with rare items to help you in the game, you might be disappointed to know that there isn't one. The game is all about outwitting the enemy, and it will need all of your critical-thinking skills to do so.
Tips And Tricks When Playing The Medium
The world of The Medium is vast and very complex. It is pretty difficult to pay attention when there are many things going on on the screen. With so many things happening, I quickly got lost but playing the game should not be this complicated.
If you are wondering how to play The Medium and get the most out of the experience, here are some tips that I've gathered that you might want to follow when playing.
Save More Time By Running
You will soon discover that you will be spending a lot of time walking around in this game. The main character walks at a slower pace, but there is an option where you can run. This is highly important that you choose to run, especially when you just triggered an Out of Body Experience.
Running helps you cover more ground or as you try to backtrack your way to the areas that you've explored. This helps you save more time as time is essential in this game. This usually happens during the split-screen section of the game, where your character both exists in the physical and spiritual realm.
Most of the time, you will be moving out of your body to get into the spiritual realm to retrieve something. The best way to make the most out of your time is to run as fast as you can. Also, don't be afraid to get back to the physical realm if your body starts to deteriorate.
Use Your Headphones
Much like many survival horror games, the sounds within the game provide a lot of hints. The game itself even recommends that you play the game with your headphones on. This adds even more tension to the game, which makes it a greater experience.
As I explore within the world of The Medium, I often hear some whispers in the background. This means that something important is near.
These whispers are much easier to hear when you have a headphone so make sure that you are using your headphones on so you progress faster.
Listen To The Dialogues
Another reason why you need to use your headphones all the time is to listen to the dialogue. One of the most important aspects of finishing the game is to properly follow the storyline.
The story plays out through the dialogues between characters, and most of the time, the dialogue provides subtle hints to help you complete your mission.
Listen to the dialogue intently as most of the time; they tell you what they need to do or where they need to go. This makes playing the game much easier, faster, and more efficient.
Use Insight Often
If there is one thing that you should be getting used to when playing The Medium, it's using Insight very often. Insight is Marianne's ability to check different items that are not visible to the naked eye.
This is the most used ability in the game as you try to uncover many items that are connected to the game. Get into the habit of using Insight ever so often, and you will find it very helpful.
This skill is very critical when trying to find items to interact with. These items are essential to move the game forward and help you finish your missions.
Collect Everything
What truly makes The Medium a great game to play is that it leaves different hints all over the game. Players will have to be very keen on observing different hints in the game.
Most of these hints come from scattered objects across the area that needs to be examined. These objects provide hints on how you can accomplish your mission and provide more insight into what truly happened.
Find the pieces of paper, notes, pictures, and everything else that you stumble upon and check them out for clues.
Always Check Your Arm
Marianne uses a lot of spirit energy in this game. And when I mean a lot, she usually depletes most of her spirit energy early on. This is quite challenging as the game does not tell you how much spirit energy is left while you are in the spirit world.
But, you can always check your arm and see a glowing aura around it. You will also see rings around your arm. This will tell you how much energy is left, but these are just an estimation of the spirit energy, so you still need to be careful with spending many of them.
Patience Is Key
Monsters lurk everywhere in this game. You might be tempted to run around and rush through your mission, but when it comes to monsters, I would rather recommend that you reign in your excitement for a while and practice patience.
Marianna does not have any combat skills, so there is no way for you to try to face those creatures head-on. The Medium is played best when using stealth, especially during the more challenging parts of the game.
While it can be pretty frustrating to have to wait until the danger passes, the best move you make is not to make a move. Either let the creature pass through or sneak your way past them if you can.
Consider Adjusting The Settings
The Medium can be quite dark sometimes, and I mean dark where I can't seem to see anything on the screen. Some areas are darker, and because the game thrives in a creepy atmosphere, it is time to consider adjusting some of the video settings in the game.
This is highly recommended if you are having a hard time seeing things within the game. What I do is adjust the video settings and brightness in the game to my preference. This will help me spot different objects that might be useful and hard to see with the original setting.
Setting The Right Expectations
If there is one thing that I've heard that many players complain about, it's the action in this game. I will have to clear the air to say that The Medium is not an action-packed game and should not be treated that way.
It is quite unfair to put it in similar categories as many psychological horror games. Many of the game's aspects revolve around investigation and a lot of moving around.
The challenges presented are usually resolved through the use of wit. The game works well when players know that the game is more focused on solving a mystery than a straight-out action game.
Conclusion
There you have all the tips and tricks that I can share with you when playing The Medium. Remember, these tips will help you play the game, but you will have to do the work to finish the main storyline.
Check out The Medium, now available on Steam for PC.
