Video Games
Dual Reality System Explained in Latest Video For ‘The Medium’
We’re all excited for the release of Bloober Team’s psychological horror game The Medium later this holiday season, and Bloober Team knows it. As such, they’re dropping little nuggets of info on the game, including the latest video which explains the Dual Reality System.
In the video, Community Team member Michal Napora explains the concept of the game’s protagonist, Marianne, existing in two places at once. Throughout the game, you will spend time being in one reality, either in the physical world, or in the spiritual one.
However, at certain points, you will experience both realities at the same time. During those times, you’ll be taken into both realities and you will experience both worlds simultaneously. Depending on the context or the situation, one world might take over more of the screen than the other.
This all plays into the mechanic of players being able to manipulate objects or perform actions in one reality that you can’t do in the other, which is key to solving puzzles or overcoming obstacles.
The Medium is due out for Xbox Series X/S and PC via Steam and the Microsoft Store on December 10. It will also be available via Xbox Game Pass for Console and PC.
Video Games
Immerse Yourself in Mystery with Narrative-Driven Folk Horror Title ‘The Polar Darkness’ [Trailer]
Independent developer Horsefly Games has announced their own brand of folk horror with The Polar Darkness, a narrative-driven mystery inspired by Finnish folklore, classic investigative adventures, and cosmic horror. Accompanying the announcement is the first trailer, which offers the first look at the game’s visual style, mystery-driven gameplay, and isolated northern Finnish setting.
Coming to Steam next year, the game is set during the polar night (Kaamos) of 1980s northern Finland. Players take on the role of journalist Emma Järvelä as she travels to the isolated village of Sysiluoma to investigate a controversial revival movement led by a charismatic cult leader and her child preacher. When the child mysteriously disappears during a sermon, and a blizzard cuts off all contact with the outside world, Emma becomes trapped in a community where every resident seems to be hiding a different version of the truth.
The Polar Darkness emphasizes investigation, dialogue, observation, and deduction. Players will question villagers, gather clues, solve environmental puzzles, and piece together a mystery rooted in local history, folklore, and something ancient buried somewhere deep.
“Classic mystery adventures such as Gabriel Knight were a major inspiration,” said Juho Kuorikoski, creator of The Polar Darkness. “I wanted to create a story that captures that sense of investigation, folklore, and slow-burning dread, but through a distinctly Finnish lens.”
The story unfolds across three days using a time-based structure mechanic. Complete tasks and objectives to advance the game’s internal clock. Characters move and events change as time passes, and choices determine what you see and what you miss. Each playthrough reveals a different perspective on the truth.
The game features a distinct visual presentation that combines photographic 2D characters based on real actors to atmospheric 3D environments. Complementing the visuals is a soundtrack heavily inspired by Finnish folk music, composed and performed by Finnish folk artists.