The Medium REVIEW: 6 Ups & 4 Downs
1. It's Rarely Scary, Or Even Trying To Be
Onto what could be the biggest negative for some people:
For a game that's very much advertised as a horror; very much being thought of as "channelling Silent Hill", it's very rarely outwardly scary, or even trying to be.
The Medium is a mystery, a thriller. It has one extremely effective jump-scare near the beginning that almost took my head off, but the vast majority of the time you're journeying through this dual-reality of a hotel and an "other" world, and that's about it.
Visuals in the other space look macabre; spirits come with creepy doll masks and there's plenty to be unsettled by, but outside of Troy Baker giving it his all as The Maw, there's nothing here actively trying to scare you.
Depending on your expectations - which are pretty set, after the trailers - this could be the biggest negative of all.