The biggest obstacle that players will face as they progress through The Medium is the creature that continuously hunts them, known as the Maw. While the Maw may look menacing, there are several tips that will help The Medium players when they encounter this hulking monstrosity.
Mechanically, the Maw shares many similarities to the Nemesis in Resident Evil 3 and only appears during specific segments throughout The Medium's campaign. During these segments, the player will almost always need to avoid the creature and escape the room they are currently in.
The most important characteristic of the Maw, apart from being voiced by Troy Baker, is that both his appearance and behavior varies depending on whether he appears in the material world or the spirit world.
If players encounter the Maw in the spirit world, the Maw will be able to see the player and track them far more easily. This requires the player to pay significant attention to the Maw’s movement pattern, and players must always make sure that they are out of view when in his sightline.
In the spirit world, when players encounter the Maw they will be able to see him. This makes encounters far less stressful as players can easily observe the Maw's movement patterns to determine how to avoid being detected.
If the Maw appears in the material world, the encounter is far more difficult. Unlike the encounters in the spirit world, in the material world, the Maw is both blind and invisible. As a result, the Maw is highly sensitive to sound, making it necessary for the player to move slowly around the room.
If the Maw is close to the player it can even hear them breathing, which requires the player to hold their breath by pressing R3 on Xbox or L. ALT on PC. The most difficult aspect of these encounters will be trying to keep track of the Maw’s location due to his invisibility.
One way to detect the Maw's location that is not immediately apparent is through Marianne's flashlight. As the player gets closer to the Maw, Marianne's flashlight will begin to blink rapidly. The farther they are away, the slower it will blink. Unfortunately, in these instances, Marianne's powers are of no use against the Maw.
Regardless of where players are facing the Maw, it is important for players to take their time, assess the Maw's movement path, and slowly make their way towards the room's exit. As there is no penalty for idling during these encounters, careful planning is recommended. This will also aid the player in unlocking the "Phantom" achievement, which is awarded for escaping the Maw without alerting it during one of the encounters with the creature in the material world.
The Medium launches January 28 for PC and Xbox Series X.