Upcoming horror game The Medium will not feature any weapons, developer Bloober Team confirms. Out of all of the confirmed Xbox Series X games, this would make The Medium only one of few that doesn't feature some type of gun, sword, or any other traditional weapon.
Speaking to Edge magazine (August 2020, Issue #347), The Medium producer Jacek Zieba said that the best horror games are those in which the player is only able to hide from danger. This is why the game only gives protagonist Marianne "spiritual shield to defend herself against evil entities" as well as a "psychic energy blast." This energy blast can be used to affect things in the spirit world and the real world, such as powering something up, and will be part of the game's puzzles.
The decision not to give Marianne weapons may be The Medium's super secret next-generation console feature. Insomniac Games has confirmed that its PS5 exclusive, Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, could only offer rift-hopping because of next-gen technology. It's possible that the way that Marianne's energy blast affects the spirit and real world environments is also something that could not have been done on current-generation consoles. The speed of the Xbox Series X and the ability to load environments that quickly aren't available on Xbox One.
It's not unheard of for horror games not to give players weapons and there have been several success stories of titles doing just that. In Layers of Fear, which was also developed by Bloober Team, there is a greater focus on solving puzzles and players aren't given a gun or any sort of weapon to defend themselves.
In Outlast, players are only given a video camera and places to hide in. These two titles are regarded as some of the scariest horror games available so Bloober Team may be onto something by also choosing not to put weapons in The Medium.
It's unclear when Bloober Team may show the shield and energy blast features to fans as the only trailer that has been released for the game is The Medium announcement trailer from the Xbox Series X gameplay reveal event. The Medium is scheduled for a holiday 2020 release date, but may not be an Xbox Series X launch title which leaves Bloober Team with just a few months to confirm more things about its game.
The Medium launches holiday 2020 for PC and Xbox Series X.
Source: Edge, Segment Next