The Medium, the first major Xbox Series X console exclusive, has launched both for purchase through the Microsoft Store and as part of the Xbox Game Pass subscription service. This is the latest major title from Bloober Team, developer of Blair Witch and Observer, and is easily the studio's most ambitious project to date, taking full advantage of the Xbox Series X's next-gen capabilities. As the game is available from Game Pass at launch, many players may be wondering how long The Medium takes to beat.
As others in the genre have proven, many horror games stay relatively short as not to drag out purposely minimal game mechanics. An example of this can be seen in 2020's Resident Evil 3 remake, which clocked in at only five hours compared to Resident Evil 2 remake's 8-10 hours. While many fans were disappointed in this, the decision was likely made because Resident Evil 3 is more of an extension of Resident Evil 2 than a fully-fledged sequel, adding very little in the ways of new mechanics. Even recent mainline entries such as Resident Evil 7 cap off at around 10 hours.
With this in mind, players can expect to put roughly five to eight hours into The Medium. This is actually the longest of all of Bloober Team's games so far, with the runner-ups being Observer and its expanded re-release, Observer: System Redux, which both come in at around six hours long. Despite this, the extra resources for The Medium show in the game's presentation, as it uses a third-person, fixed camera perspective similar to the likes of the original Silent Hill and Resident Evil titles. The game also features performances from the likes of The Last of Us' Troy Baker and Polish actor Marcin Dorociński.
Speaking of Silent Hill, The Medium also features music composed by Akira Yamaoka, famed composer and sound director of the entire Silent Hill series (sans Silent Hill: Downpour,) including the feature films. The game also reunites Yamaoka with vocalist Mary Elizabeth-McGlynn for three tracks on the game's soundtrack, and is composed in collaboration with Observer composer Arkadiusz Reikowski.
While some fans may be disappointed that The Medium is on the shorter end, it is worth mentioning that the game prioritizes puzzle solving, not featuring any combat sequences whatsoever. The game is also available from launch in Xbox Game Pass, which means players can choose not to pay the full $49.99 to experience the entire game, instead either taking advantage of the three-months for $1 trial or by playing it as part of their current subscription on either PC or Xbox Series X/S.
The Medium is available now, exclusively for PC and Xbox Series X/S.