Xbox Series X Game The Medium Was Originally Planned For Last Generation

Bloober Team’s next-gen horror game The Medium wowed onlookers at the recent Xbox Games Showcase thanks to its dual-world gameplay, but that innovation was conceived for much older hardware than the Xbox Series X. After creating such hits as Observer and Layers of Fear, Bloober Team are finally ready to unveil The Medium as it originally intended. First revealed in May during Microsoft’s first Inside Xbox summer showcase, the horror game was one of the most memorable games on display, and the Team was saving its best feature for the big dance.

The Medium takes the concept of dual-worlds seen briefly in titles like Titanfall 2 and The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds and blows it up into a full-on experience. Players take control of Marianne, the titular medium who’s getting constant messages from the other side. The draw her to an abandoned hotel in Krakow, one haunted by a mystery only someone with access to the spirit world can handle. Said access manifests as two worlds rendered at all times. Players can switch between Marianne’s physical presence in the present and her spiritual presence as it haunts the past. Interacting the past effects the future, making for a mind-bending journey of discovery.

As initially reported by Nintendo Life, Bloober Team’s ambitious project first got off the ground many years ago. If the concept of dual worlds sounds like it would work particularly well on a certain past console, that’s because that was the original plan. Among other platforms, the game was originally designed to take advantage of Nintendo’s Wii U and its unique dual screen setup. This version of the game likely would have had both worlds visible at all times, with one on the gamepad and the other on the TV. Other versions of the game were also planned for all consoles of that generation, including the PlayStation Vita and a version on Android and iOS.

The origin of this information is also quite notable. Back in 2012, Bloober Team phoned several gaming news outlets with a simple message: “Do you know about Medium? If not, you will.” There was also a URL attached at the time, with said site now redirecting to The Medium‘s new official page. This indicates that the core concept behind The Medium was attempted on all manner of devices back in 2012, and the hardware of the time likely wasn’t up to the task. Either way, nothing official exists of the original version of The Medium other than this one promotional event.

While the Wii U was starved of exclusive games, players everywhere will likely enjoy The Medium much more when it arrives on hardware like the Xbox Series X. As seen in Titanfall 2, the ability to switch between multiple worlds in real time is a game changing mechanic with a lot of space to play around in. Designing a whole game around that on hardware that can truly handle it will make The Medium a game to watch, even for players who aren’t particularly into Bloober Team’s usual horror fare.