The Power Behind The Medium’s Dual Reality Gameplay

The Medium is a third-person psychological horror game that tells the story of Marianne, a psychic who can live in two realities at the same time: our world and the world of the spirits. The Medium’s trademark feature is a mechanic we call “Dual-Reality” gameplay that you can experience today on Xbox Series X|S, PC, and with Xbox Game Pass.

At certain points in the game, you play in the material world and the spirit world at the exact same time, controlling both avatars simultaneously. It’s both a storytelling and gameplay mechanic, which drives both the main theme of the game as well as exploration and puzzle-solving. When you are in dual reality, the screen is split either vertically or horizontally. Since both worlds are rendered simultaneously, we needed powerful hardware, such as the Xbox Series X|S consoles, to fully realize the potential of the dual reality. However, we still get questions why the game needs a next-gen platform even though split screen has been with us for a long time.

The short answer is: what we do with dual reality is much different than multiplayer split screen. The long answer… well, read on.

Most other games that support split-screen displays two different instances of the same location. In The Medium, the real and the spirit worlds look completely different and use their own sets of graphical assets, such as models or textures. This is much more demanding in terms of memory, storage, and the rendering cost.

Additionally, such effects as motion blur or ambient occlusion need to be calculated and rendered twice. All in all, the game requires a significant amount of VRAM and fast storage, much faster than what was used in the previous generation of hardware. Although it might look similar in screenshots or trailers, technically speaking the game’s dual reality simply works differently and is much more demanding power-wise than “ordinary” split-screen.

We’ve been working on The Medium and the idea of dual reality for a couple of years and it’s a big moment for us to finally let the game and its innovative mechanic into the hands of the players. Before you enter the dark corridors of the abandoned Niwa Hotel, I can only add… enjoy the mystery!

The Medium is available now on Xbox Series X|S, PC, and with Xbox Game Pass.

The Medium

Bloober Team S.A.

☆☆☆☆☆ 64

★★★★★

$49.99 $44.99

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Xbox Game Pass

Discover a dark mystery only a medium can solve. Travel to an abandoned communist resort and use your unique psychic abilities to uncover its deeply disturbing secrets, solve dual-reality puzzles, survive encounters with sinister spirits, and explore two realities at the same time. The Medium is a third-person psychological horror game that features patented dual-reality gameplay and an original soundtrack co-composed by Arkadiusz Reikowski and Akira Yamaoka. BECOME A MEDIUM Wield unique psychic abilities reserved for those with the gift. Travel between the realities or explore them both at the very same time. Use the Out of Body experience to investigate places where your real-world self can’t go. Create energy shields and deliver powerful spirit blasts to survive the spirit world and its otherworldly dangers. SEE WHAT’S HIDDEN Delve deep into a mature and morally ambiguous story, where nothing is what it seems and everything has another side. As a medium you see, hear and experience more than others, and with every new perspective you will change your perception on what happened at the Niwa resort. PLAY IN TWO WORLDS AT THE SAME TIME Never-seen-before and officially patented gameplay that plays out across two worlds displayed at the same time. Explore the physical world and the spirit world simultaneously, and use the interactions between them to solve dual-reality puzzles, unlock new paths, and awaken memories of past events. ENTER A DARK REALITY INSPIRED BY BEKSIŃSKI The Medium’s spirit world is a dark mirror reflection of our reality, a grim and unsettling place where our unpunished deeds, evil urges, and vile secrets manifest themselves and can take on a form. This world has been invented and designed under the inspiration of Zdzisław Beksiński’s paintings, Polish dystopian surrealist internationally recognized for his distinctive and strikingly ominous style. MUSIC BY YAMAOKA & REIKOWSKI Immerse yourself in the disturbing and oppressive atmosphere of the game thanks to the original ‘dual’ soundtrack co-created by Akira Yamaoka and Arkadiusz Reikowski. Yamaoka-san is a legendary Japanese composer best known for his work on the Silent Hill series; Reikowski is a Hollywood Music in Media Awards nominee who worked on such acclaimed horror games as Blair Witch, Layers of Fear, and Observer. Now they join their creative forces for the music and songs of The Medium.

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source https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2021/01/28/the-mediums-dual-reality-gameplay/