The Medium is the latest video game under Microsoft’s helm. It was developed by Bloober Team, a studio that has made a couple of decent horror games before, and their latest entry is another psychological horror that will delight any fans of the genre out there.
This game is not action-packed or adrenaline-inducing. It’s slow, contemplative, and emotional. Despite receiving mixed reviews, The Medium can hold its own due to its unique mechanics and emotional beats. Players can also scour this game and encounter a ton of secrets and details that those who are observant will surely find highly rewarding.
10 Silent Hill 2 Easter Egg
If there’s one franchise that is very reminiscent of The Medium, it’s Silent Hill. In fact, a lot of the staff that worked on this game actually worked on a Silent Hill game in the past. With that in mind, finding a secret here that references the acclaimed franchise is only fitting.
If the players take a look at the hotel ledger found in the game, they’ll be able to make out a line that says “I feel so pathetic and ugly laying here, waiting for you.” This is a reference to the actual letter James Sunderland received from his wife, which prompted him to head to Silent Hill in the first place.
9 1408
This game also references another psychological horror title, this time a novel by horror legend Stephen King titled 1408. In the same Hotel Ledger where the Silent Hill reference is found, there is also a scribble on the paper that says “Where is Mike Enslin?”
The book’s ending is very vague and open-ended. The fate of Mike Enslin, the book’s protagonist, is still a topic of debate to this day. The scribble on the hotel ledger is a reference to this very fact.
8 Holy Hand Grenade
One of the most unlikely nods you’ll find in a psychological horror game like The Medium is a reference to the comedy classic Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
While scouring through the items in the game, the players can stumble upon a newspaper that reads “The Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch was found in a cave of Tomnadashan.” The Holy Hand Grenade is an “item” featured in the movie. Interestingly, the cave mentioned in the newspaper is actually the cave where the scene was filmed.
7 Blair Witch Reference
Before releasing The Medium, Bloober Team actually made a Blair Witch video game based on the horror movie franchise, which they released in later 2019. Video game studios always love sneaking in easter eggs of past games into their new ones, and Bloober Team did exactly that with The Medium.
While in the woods, there’s a set of binoculars the players can peer through, which they can then use to spot the Blair Witch symbol.
6 The Song On The Radio
The Medium has a very incredible original soundtrack that’s sung by Troy Baker and Mary Elizabeth McGlynn. The latter doesn’t have a voice role in the game, while the former provided the voice of Maw.
This song is called Fade and the players can actually listen to this song while playing the game. Right about the end of the game, the players can discover a radio just sitting atop a laundry machine. Turning the radio on will play the game’s OST.
5 Tom, Dick, And Harry
The game has a very sly and subtle nod to the placeholder names “Tom, Dick, and Harry”, which basically means a group of nobodies or an embodiment of men in general.
In the game, Marianne is contacted by a man named Thomas. Later on, the players are introduced to a character named Richard, which a lot of people associate with the nickname “Dick”. Finally, there’s also a character named Henry, which in Old English is considered to be another name for “Harry”.
4 Unlocking The Door In The Office
Thomas’s secret door in his office is one of the game’s most complicated puzzles. First things first, the player must find a flashlight and a small key located inside a desk drawer which is just found in this area. They’ll need that key to rotate the grandfather clock.
Once they’ve inserted the key into the clock, they must then wind them down until two of Thomas’s imprints appear. One must be sitting on his desk and the other must be opening the secret door. Marianne must then use her out-of-body ability to turn the power back on. Doing this will allow her to access something behind the painting, which will then lead to the path opening.
3 The Secret Door In The Red House
Another secret door not that many people have opened yet is the one in the Red House basement. To open this, they must figure out the secret door code.
To find the code, the player must head back to the basement and go to the opposite direction of where the secret door is. They’ll then find a doorway that contains a green locker in it. They can open this locker by using bolt cutters. Inside, they’ll find a receipt for a pocket watch, a gift given to Thomas by his wife for their ten-year anniversary. The receipt is dated 1976. Subtract that by 10 and you’ll get 1966. That is the secret code for the secret door.
2 Marianne’s Apartment Is From Observer
In 2017, Bloober Team released a cyberpunk horror game called Observer. It was positively received by most for its psychological horror elements and gritty atmosphere. It is arguably one of Bloober Team’s greatest works so it’s really not surprising that The Medium has at least one hint of connection to it.
At the beginning of the game, the players will find themselves in Marianne’s apartment. Those who played Observer will find this place very familiar. This exact building also appears in Bloober Team’s cyberpunk horror game, although its design is much more fitting for its time.
1 Niwa Hotel
A vast majority of this game is located in a place called Niwa Hotel. The place has been completely abandoned, insanely grim in terms of atmosphere, and, according to the Medium, has strong ties to the spirit realm.
In reality, the place may or may not have ties to the spirit realm, but it does have the perfect structure and atmosphere Bloober Team was looking for. The inspiration for Niwa Hotel is Hotel Cracovia, a place anyone can visit today should they choose to.
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