The Medium, Bloober Team’s occult horror game, is making its way to PlayStation 5. The title launched in January as one of the first (if not the first) third-party Xbox Series X/S exclusive, albeit a timed one. The port adds full haptic feedback support for the DualSense controller. 

The Medium’s plot centers on Marianne, a spirit medium who is summoned to an abandoned and very haunted hotel in Poland. Marianne is not only able to communicate with the dead, but she can access and traverse the spirit world alongside the world of the living. This is represented by a split screen where players simultaneously explore the physical and spirit version of an area to access objects and paths accessible on one side to open routes for the other. As Marianne communes with spirits and uncovers the mystery of the hotel’s past as well as her own, she’s stalked by a malevolent (and invisible) entity bent on making Marianne’s visit an unpleasant one. 

The Medium has some cool ideas that don't always live up to their potential. In his review of the game, GI editor Ben Reeves wrote:

“Some of the best horror games of the last decade have offered combat-free frights. After all, abandoned buildings are scarier when you can’t push back against the shadows. However, The Medium’s lack of combat highlights the challenge of letting atmosphere and puzzles carry a horror experience. The idea of exploring split realities is neat, but Bloober Team needed another gameplay hook to hang its hat on, because this horror show is a bit shallow”

Still, if you’re a PS5 owner looking for a new horror experience to sink your teeth into, you can circle September 3 as the date The Medium arrives on the platform. On that same day, Bloober is also releasing a special version of the game called The Medium: Two Worlds Special Edition. The physical bundle comes packaged in a steelbook case and includes an artbook and soundtrack.

Are there any PS5 owners that have been curious to give The Medium a shot? Let us know in the comments!

Since before the launch of PlayStation 5 in late 2020, questions arose about when Sony might update its PlayStation VR hardware to the next generation. Throughout this year, there has been a small but steady trickle of information; first confirming the existence of a new headset, to now where we have a potential release year for the product.

According to a report from Bloomberg’s Takashi Mochizuki, Sony is working to bring the PlayStation VR successor to market in 2022. The news comes within a story focused on the LCD screen manufacturer Japan Display Inc. The company said it would be shifting its supply of screens from the mobile phone market to VR headsets. Having been a supplier for technology juggernaut Apple in the past, this move, while inherently to a smaller market, can lead to growth. JDI claims in the article it can produce higher resolution screens for headsets while keeping the cost down, both very important metrics in the VR space.

Mochizuki describes VR headset makers like HTC and Facebook are making the move from OLED displays to LCD due to the lower price point. However, Sony is taking a different course with PlayStation VR 2. Since the PlayStation Vita, Sony has implemented OLED screens into its gaming products. The original PSVR sported OLED screens within the headset, and according to the Bloomberg story, the PSVR2 will also be outfitted with OLED panels with are provided by Samsung Display Co.

Back in March we learned about the new controllers coming along with PSVR2. Sony is looking to retire the Move wands from the PlayStation 3 era in favor of something a bit more modern to keep up in the competitive VR space. Haptic feedback and adaptive triggers are making the transition from Sony’s DualSense controllers, as well as new finger tracking sensors which are standard on competing hardware from Oculus and Valve.

We’ll let you know more about the next PlayStation VR as news arises. While we wait, check out the recent experiences on the current PSVR hardware including the entire Hitman World of Assassination trilogy, or read the Game Informer review of Astro Bot Rescue Mission, the standout VR platformer from 2018.

We finally got a more comprehensive look at Breath of the Wild 2 yesterday during Nintendo’s E3 Direct. A montage of aerial combat, skydiving/gliding, and new and improved rune abilities set the sequel apart from the beloved original. In the next chapter of Link’s story, we know that Zelda will continue to play a big role (despite her gaping absence from the latest gameplay trailer) and that the narrative will take place at high altitudes. Apparently, the official title of Breath of the Wild 2 could tell us even more, so Nintendo has decided to keep it a secret until it's ready to divulge more details with the general public.

Nintendo Treehouse’s Bill Trinen and Nate Bihldorff talked with IGN about Nintendo’s decision. There is definitely a subtitle that has already been agreed upon but it might be too early for all of us to know. “As for why we’re holding back on the name, you’ll just have to stay tuned because, obviously, Zelda names are kind of important,” Trinen said during the interview. “Those subtitles… they start to give little bits of hints about maybe what’s going to happen.”

It’s true that older Legend of Zelda installments have names that directly correlate with the story: Ocarina of Time, Majora’s Mask, and Twilight Princess to name a few. So, it’s only natural that Breath of the Wild would follow suit. We’ve been waiting for more news about the sequel for two years. As of right now, we know that it’ll be released at some point in 2022 for Nintendo Switch. Our very own Liana Ruppert compiled a list of cool features and mechanics that she’d love to see in the upcoming game, so be sure to check that out to fuel your excitement.

What do you think Breath of the Wild 2’s official name is? Throw down your wacky and/or serious title ideas in the comments section.

[Source: IGN]