The Medium, in some ways, appears like an interactive pitch doc Bloober Workforce made for Konami so as to get the greenlight for a Silent Hill sport. The 2 entities are collaborating on one thing and all indicators (together with a VideoGamesChronicle report) are pointing to it truly being one other entry within the dormant horror sequence. However The Medium (which was simply ported to PlayStation 5) isn’t proof the Polish workforce must be given the keys to Konami’s franchise. As an alternative, it’s simply one other instance of why Bloober shouldn’t deal with Silent Hill and why it in all probability can’t, barring some main modifications to the workforce and its philosophy.
The Medium, at first, will not be scary. Zdzisław Beksiński-inspired environments will be gorgeous to take a look at in all of their crusty, hellish glory and the respectable soundtrack, half of which was helmed by well-known Silent Hill composer Akira Yamaoka, is ominous, however neither can overcome absolutely the vacuum of terror within the sport. These instruments aren’t successfully used to create dread as protagonist Marianne is simply left to wander empty ranges and do menial duties with the extent of stress discovered within the pillows aisle at Goal.
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Silent Hill, in its many iterations, is a foreboding place that’s spooky from high to backside. Thick fog creates a layer of thriller. Disturbing creatures roam its bloodied streets and rusted halls. No crevice or nook feels secure, regardless of their mundanity. Whereas technically archaic within the earlier titles, the creative path of the sequence, even in just a few of the weaker ones, typically does its job in making the participant really feel uneasy at nearly all occasions.
It’s dangerous sufficient that The Medium doesn’t have a scary setting, but it surely’s even worse that it depends on predictable and ineffective bounce scares as a substitute. It’s an newbie shortcut meant to jolt the participant out of their micronap attributable to the utter lack of gameplay, which is the larger difficulty in nearly all of Bloober’s video games, particularly The Medium. It’s a glorified strolling simulator underneath the guise of a typical horror sport. Strolling simulators are a worthy style, however The Medium falls aside due to its cussed adherence to it as this style that works in opposition to what a very good horror sport is meant to do: make the participant really feel unsafe.
With a few exceptions, The Medium doesn’t have any enemies. And for the reason that sport doesn’t have common foes, there’s no fight to talk of neither is there any form of stealthy or gadget-based different to preventing. Gamers will nearly at all times really feel utterly relaxed as they traverse by rooms they don’t have to go looking by as a result of there are not any objects like ammo or a first-aid equipment that they should search for.
Missing fight or methods to cope with enemies causes ripples which are significantly devastating to horror video games. It’s boring to slowly saunter by almost obstacle-free environments in nearly any style, however particularly in horror the place hazard is so essential to the stress it thrives on. There’s no stress as a result of gamers know nothing harmful will occur as a result of there’s no mechanical method for the sport to help such hazard. The gameplay right here has nearly the entire hazard of watching a cutscene; the participant is aware of they don’t seem to be in peril both method. Working away from the one important enemy in The Medium will not be solely telegraphed forward of time, but in addition insultingly easy and, subsequently, not scary both. Its scant puzzles are additionally mind-numbingly straightforward.
Though the standard of Silent Hill video games differ drastically, nearly all of them have dangerous fight. It’s wonky, stiff, and never at all times efficient. However simply its presence signifies that there are enemies round, ensuing within the stress and fixed dread the sequence is thought for. Looking for provides to remain alive can be a key a part of that gameplay loop because it forces gamers to take dangers so as to scrounge collectively sufficient assets to maintain limping alongside.
The Medium’s narrative presentation and total story is without doubt one of the largest causes Bloober ought to keep far-off from Silent Hill. Marianne is a bland protagonist that speaks an excessive amount of throughout gameplay in an try and wreck what little ambiance the sport has, however the narrative issues are a lot deeper than a plain Jane.
Whereas it initially begins as a easy story of Marianne attempting to be taught extra about her powers, it veers into glib territory by opening up threads about assault, psychological well being, trauma, and extra. Video games must be allowed to deal with darker subject material, however The Medium spectacularly mishandles these subjects by haphazardly throwing them round. There are various examples of Bloober’s carelessness (significantly in Thomas’ sections, which YouTuber bobvids thoroughly explains on Twitter), however it’s most evident within the sport’s ending the place Marianne’s sister Lily begs for demise as a result of she will’t cease the monster she created in any other case.
The monster named The Maw, who’s weirdly voiced by Troy Baker, is the plain exterior manifestation of Lily’s trauma. Lily begging for demise as a result of there isn’t a different method irresponsibly skips over the psychological well being allegory as a result of it posits that these with psychological well being struggles can’t get higher. Dying is the one resolution and inevitable. Marianne may also kill herself on the finish to cease the beast and who truly will get shot is left ambiguous, however the textual content of the scene is wildly cheesy. Bloober’s different titles have additionally had remarkably dangerous takes on psychological well being that pin the victims as hopeless, but it surely’s at its most evident and cynical right here.
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Silent Hill’s nuanced depictions of darker themes distinction closely with Bloober’s woefully insufficient storytelling. Silent Hill 3’s potential to indicate horror by the particular lens of a teenage lady is effectively accomplished, however is usually overshadowed by the successes of its predecessor, Silent Hill 2. Silent Hill 2’s rumination on guilt is masterful and partly why the sport remains to be so extremely regarded nearly 20 years later. Even among the much less well-regarded entries have extra tact than The Medium.
Bloober isn’t damned to creating a mediocre Silent Hill sport because it’s attainable that the workforce assembles to create a worthy (or worthy sufficient) successor. However the odds are stacked in opposition to it as The Medium will not be even the one Bloober sport that reveals that the workforce is ill-prepared to undertake Silent Hill. Layers of Worry, Observer, and Blair Witch are all rotten with repetitive and predictable bounce scares, almost absent gameplay mechanics, and poorly informed tales with anemic scripts that, in various instances, are riddled with problematic components. The Polish developer has repeatedly proven that it doesn’t have what it takes for Silent Hill, however The Medium is simply the newest and most evident instance of that.
