The Medium Dual Reality system has been detailed in a short video, showing how players will simultaneously control two characters in parallel worlds. According to Bloober Team, this new style of survival horror gameplay reminiscent of Silent Hill would not have been possible on current-gen consoles.
The Medium was first revealed earlier this year by Bloober Team, a company with a particular proclivity for making horror games; its most recent releases include the cyberpunk horror game Observer and the revival of the found footage franchise Blair Witch. The developers have since showcased how The Medium Dual Reality system will work, all thanks to the power of the Xbox Series X.
The Medium Dual Reality system hinged on ‘newer tech’ in PC and Xbox Series X
Earlier this year, The Medium Dual Reality system was detailed by the developers. Players will not transition between the two per se; rather, they exist in both worlds simultaneously. What this means is that the Dual Reality system is rendering the real world and the alternate “spirit world” at the same time.
“You will have two separate worlds rendered in real-time, something that is now easier to achieve thanks to the new generation of consoles that are coming,” explained Bloober Team’s Community Team Lead Michał Napora in today’s trailer.
The Dual Reality system won’t be a typical split-screen experience, either. The size and position of either screen can change depending on the situation. In one example, a clock face takes up approximately 40% of the left side of the screen while the spirit world takes up the remaining portion of the right side. In another example, Marianne’s real-world body is invisible while her spirit world body gains a larger focus on one side of the screen. Players control both versions of her character at the same time using the left analog stick.
In technical terms, The Medium Dual Reality system has to render two game worlds at the same time. This isn’t always an easy feat — Borderlands 3 players, for example, reported severe FPS drops when players fired their weapons or used character abilities in split-screen co-op. This innovative Dual Reality system will give players a unique survival horror experience when The Medium arrives for PC and Xbox Series X on December 10, 2020.
