The Medium Composers Explain How the Game Uses Next-Gen Tech for Sound

The Medium is a horror game that takes place in two different worlds. That split-reality feature makes comparisons between The Medium and the Silent Hill series inevitable, but there's a direct connection as well: One of the game's two composers is Akira Yamaoka, whose work on the original Silent Hill is widely celebrated. The other composer, Arkadiusz Reikowski, cites Yamaoka as one of his primary influences. The two composers talked to IGN Japan during Tokyo Game Show 2020 about the upcoming horror game, their work together, and how hardware is enabling them to perform new tricks. "The Medium is a game that is heavily connected with Silent Hill," Reikowski said, "and I myself was heavily influenced by Akira Yamaoka when I started composing music." He admitted that collaborating directly with Yamaoka on a project was "a dream of mine". For his part, Yamaoka said that an opportunity to collaborate with another composer, rather than work alone, attracted him to the project. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/24/the-medium-official-story-trailer"] With The Medium offering players access to two separate-but-connected worlds at the same time, having two composers working together to score the game helps give each reality its own texture. "There are moments when you see two screens at the same time in The Medium, so you can see the spirit world and the real world simultaneously," Reikowski said. "The music will coexist between the two worlds." "The audio – especially the spatial audio – in the next generation consoles is pretty powerful," Reikowski said, "so with the sounds and music, what players will hear will be really immersive." He believes this system would not work without the latest technology. "We have two listeners, we have two worlds, so this is basically like we would have two games which are playing simultaneously," he said. "So there are a few gimmicks and tricks which wouldn’t be possible without the technology behind the audio system that we have now." With decades of experience, Yamaoka knows what the audience expects from the audio in a horror game. "There are ways of using sound that are kind of standard now, not only in horror games but in horror films as well," he said. Instead, he and Reikowski aimed for a "more interactive type of sound, which would make the story feel even more terrifying". Reikowski explained how his work adds another layer to the video game experience. "I would say the music is like additional subtitles for a scene," he said. Reikowski had high praise for his collaborator's past work and Japanese horror games in general. "I think that one of the reasons why Japanese horror is so popular among Western players is that it all comes down to psychology and to things like the intimacy," he said, noting how Silent Hill 2 was a game about just one man's personal struggle. "Most horror music is kind of generic – Hollywood took the world by storm with making scary strings, orchestras," he said, "But Yamaoka-san’s work in Silent Hill is really subtle and intimate, it’s very different – and that is still true today." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-medium-xbox-games-showcase-screenshots&captions=true"] Yamaoka tried to maintain humility in the face of all this praise, even bristling when IGN Japan’s interviewer addressed him as a "legend". "I’ve been saying this repeatedly, but I’m not any kind of a legend!" he said, laughing. With regards to his most famous creation, he said, "After working on Silent Hill, I was like, ‘Really? It really inspired this many people?’ Which seems a bit extreme, but in all honesty I feel deeply honored." He offered ample praise for his collaborator in turn, and the new game that they're creating. "What we have is like a Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross partnership. We were able to work together as though we were a band, in the hopes that we can create something new and interesting. I really enjoyed working with him," he said, "but also enjoyed playing the game myself, so I really hope that everyone will be able to enjoy the game too." The Medium is scheduled for a holiday 2020 release on Xbox Series X/S and Steam. [poilib element="accentDivider"]