The Medium is the Xbox Series X/S's most significant release so far. It's the first high profile console exclusive for Microsoft's new hardware, also available on PC, which is missing a killer app due to Halo Infinite's delay.

The Medium isn't just a big release for the new consoles; it might be the first true "next-gen" game that justifies a console upgrade in this generation. If you don't have Game Pass and are trying to figure out if the game's worth buying among January's other big releases, here's what critics are saying about The Medium.

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Dalton Cooper, Game Rant: "The Medium's environments are gorgeous and take great advantage of the next-gen hardware. The level of detail is stunning, with Medium's ray-tracing graphics bringing the whole thing to life with realistic lighting. The game also runs brilliantly, with zero performance hiccups or technical issues for players to worry about. Overall, The Medium is one of the better-looking next-gen games available so far."

Zack Zwiezen, Kotaku: "To reach the unsatisfying conclusion, you’ll have to play through a lot of empty areas and backtracking-based puzzles. Do you like searching for keys and levers over and over? I hope so, because that’s a lot of what you do in this game. Another issue is that The Medium’s main creature is scary, but is also the only real threat in the entire game. That lack of a threat, combined with the simplistic puzzle design, makes too much of the game a bore."

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Sarah Maria Griffin, the Guardian"The Medium is hugely ambitious and could have been a site for incredible, innovative storytelling. Instead, it fumbles sensitive topics, plot points evaporate into thin air, and characters who are studied closely are left behind and never mentioned again. Even while taking notes, the story became difficult to follow. It took me 12 hours over three nights to play, and towards the finale I was astounded by how a game so short could feel so long."

Scott Baird, Screen RantWhere The Medium stumbles is in keeping Marianne safe for most of the game. The terrifying vistas of the spirit world are just for show, and Marianne is mostly safe from harm outside of her few encounters with the Maw. What made the game's inspirations so effective is that the player was never quite sure they were safe, even when the coast seemed clear. The early hours of The Medium are tense because it always feels as if something is going to jump out, and the player will have to hide or use Marianne's spirit powers to protect her. Once it becomes clear that Marianne is safe outside of a few designated (and highly-telegraphed) areas, the tension is broken.

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Marty Sliva, The Escapist: "The strong art direction is enhanced by an excellent soundtrack co-composed by Akira Yamaoka and featuring the voice of Mary Elizabeth McGlynn, both of whom are synonymous with the soundscape of Silent Hill. Horror games are meant to be played in a dark room with headphones to draw you into the experience, and The Medium is no exception."

Charlie Wacholz, Dual Shockers: "Control’s Jesse Faden immediately comes to mind as a contrast. Her narration and interjections are always suggestive of a bizarre, but fully fleshed-out character. Marianne is an attempt at the same type of protagonist; however, she comes out written like a Gears of War character without the tongue-in-cheek nature of the Gears franchise."

Tristan Ogilvie, IGN: "I particularly enjoyed the simple pleasure of arranging trays of photography chemicals and dunking the paper in the right sequence of solutions in order to develop a photo correctly in a dark room. (Remember developing photos? ... No? Okay.)"

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Mollie L. Patterson, EGM: "Having played more than my share of good, bad, and in-between horror games, I can safely say The Medium is a good—if flawed—new addition to the genre. While they didn’t accomplish everything they set out to do, the folks at Bloober Team have come up with some interesting and unique ideas that are ripe for exploring more in the future."

Bella Blondeau, The Gamer: "In fact, The Medium itself never hits a flat note. I beat the game in two long sittings, and there was never a point during either that I felt like the game dragged, or could’ve used a little more polish, or left too many loose ends hanging. It’s a lean, compelling experience that says what it has to say, then leaves you to grapple with the specifics afterwards. There are images, lines, and ideas from The Medium that I’ll likely take to my grave thanks to this approach, as it puts the onus on the player to piece everything together."

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