The Medium is a 2021 psychological horror game developed and published by Bloober Team. While originally released for Windows and Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch versions would later be released by the studio.
Critics gave The Medium a tepid reception despite its unique gameplay mechanics. The game currently holds a 71 on Metacritic, indicating mixed reviews. While concrete sales figures for the game were never reported, Bloober Team did see record revenues and profits after its release, indicating The Medium was still a financial success despite the reviews.
The Medium Premise
The Medium puts you in the shoes of Marianne, a gifted spiritual medium who must solve the mystery of Niwa Resort. It’s an entirely single-player experience, with no co-op or multiplayer to be found.
The entire game revolves around one main mechanic. Marianne has the ability to move between realities: the real world, where Niwa Resort is a decaying wreck, and the spirit world, which is filled with supernatural beings that she can interact with. The game uses this to its advantage – you can switch between the two at any time, and many of the game’s puzzles require you to switch multiple times to solve. It’s a unique mechanic that sets The Medium apart from the crowd.
While in the spirit world, not everyone is friendly. There are plenty of malevolent beings looking to stop her progress in Niwa Resort, which adds an element of stealth to the gameplay loop. As you progress through the story, the puzzles become more complex and difficult, while the narrative continues to unravel.
The Medium won’t appeal to everyone, but its approach and commitment to unique design decisions are to be applauded.
The Medium Main Characters
First and foremost, The Medium is a narrative experience with a focus on strong storytelling. Without a strong cast of characters to meet, it simply wouldn’t work. While there a plenty of spooky spirits you’ll come across in the game, there are three characters you need to know about before playing – here they are:
- Marianne: Marianne is the protagonist of The Medium, and, you guessed it, a spiritual medium. Her visions and dreams lead her to the Niwa Resort, which is haunted by a variety of spirits. Her journey leads her to unravel the long-lost mysteries of the spooky resort.
- Thomas: Thomas is a friendly spirit who helps Marianne throughout her time at Niwa Resort. He provides both Marianne and you, the player, with more information about the spirit realm, which proves invaluable as you progress throughout the game. How he is connected to Niwa Resort becomes more clear over the course of The Medium.
- Sadness: Sadness is a young spirit that Marianne comes across during her time at Niwa Resort. She, like Thomas, proves essential to unraveling the events at Niwa Resort. She also has a few secrets that cause her to form a unique bond with Marianne.
- The Maw: The Maw is the antagonist of The Medium, and the cause of the Niwa Massacre. It spends its time in-game trying to stop Marianne before she is able to contain its spirit.
The Medium Titles in the Series
The Medium was a brand-new IP for Bloober Team. While the studio has worked on psychological horror games before such as Layers of Fear (2016) and Blair Witch (2019), The Medium was an opportunity to try out new mechanics as part of a new franchise.
While the game may not be a franchise yet, its financial success means we could see more in the future.
- The Medium (2021)
The Medium Cheat Codes
Unfortunately, The Medium is one of those games that just doesn’t embrace cheat codes. It’s a shame too, as it seems like the perfect type of game that would be able to have a bit of fun with its cheat codes against the backdrop of a very serious game. It doesn’t exactly have a bustling modding community either, unlike many other games on PC.
If you want to use cheats in The Medium, you’re going to have to download Cheat Engine, and find a cheat table for the game online.
The Medium Cheat Code FAQs
Why Are There No Cheats For The Medium?
We can only speculate as to the true reason. The Medium is quite a serious experience, and it’s possible that Bloober Team wanted players to only experience the game as they originally intended, which cheat codes would take away.
Are There Any Secrets in The Medium?
Yes. Even if there aren’t cheat codes in The Medium there are still a ton of secrets for you to find. These mostly come in the form of different collectibles – here are all of the ones you can find in this game:
- 32 Echoes
- 10 Memory Shards
- 7 Mentor’s Diaries
- 19 Troubled Man’s Notes
- 11 Postcards
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Bloober Team.