Medium

Medium (stylized as -medium-) is a puzzle and platform-adventure video game developed by Prodigal Games. Released as an exclusive title for the PlayStation Network, Medium was made available for purchase on August 19, 2015. Written by creative director Robert Jones-Bussing, the game's story follows a young man named Daniel who finds himself trapped in some sort of eerie alternate dimension and must find a way to escape.

Gameplay
The game is mainly a third-person based video game but contains distinctive puzzle and platforming elements. The entirety of the game involves the player maneuvering Daniel through a series of puzzles all the while trying to deduce where he is located and how he got there. Medium was built on the Aphelion engine, which improves the visuals to make them look more sharp and vivid and also serves as an enforcer for the physics, which are uniquely distorted to make the game and puzzles abstract.

Plot
The fundamental character in the game is a young man by the name of Daniel, who awakens within some sort of alternate dimension where normal physics do not apply, and almost everything he knows as possible is inverted. Left with no other choice, Daniel traverses through the dimension and learns that he is being accompanied by a strange figure who identifies himself as "Lysander". The main portion of the game involves Daniel getting through the dimension, him and Lysander coming to trust one another, and Daniel trying to figure out where he is and how he got there. As Daniel solves each puzzle, he becomes plagued by strange voices that echo in his head with no real meaning. However, the further Daniel moves into the dimension, the more distinct the voices get. Eventually, Daniel finishes the final puzzle, and is confronted by a large obelisk that contains a peculiar gateway. Lysander reveals to Daniel that the gateway, when walked through, will take him home. However, Lysander adds that it will require all of his strength to power the gateway. Daniel steps back as Lysander summons two rods that rise from the ground. After the two say their goodbyes, Lysander grabs the two rods and sacrifices his energy to open the gateway. As Lysander expires on the floor, Daniel walks through the gateway, and the dimension appears to collapse. In the final seconds of the game, the player can hear strange, indistinct sounds that resemble sirens, people screaming, a woman crying and other renditions.

The ending
According to Robert Jones-Bussing, the ending was purposely abrupt and was intended for players to reflect about what they had just seen. Because of this, many theories have surfaced across the internet regarding what may have happened ranging from what the alternate dimension was to the basis of the ending. Some of the more popular speculations state that:
 * 1) Daniel was in Purgatory, and that the gateway was actually a portal to Heaven. The puzzles can be interpreted as "trials of punishment", and Lysander was an angel who served as a guide for Daniel. The voices and sounds heard throughout the game haven't reached much consensus in terms of agreement, but some notable claims state that the sounds represent important periods in Daniel's life or loved ones that were present at Daniel's death who are in mourning.
 * 2) Daniel is in a comatose state, and the entire game is a product of his mind, including Lysander. The sounds and voices are loved ones who are within a state of despair, mourning or grief.
 * 3) Daniel is dead, but is given a second chance at life.
 * 4) Daniel is truly in an alternate dimension.
 * 5) The whole game is a dream, and Daniel is thinking about significant events in his life, which explain the sounds and voices.

Reception
Medium received very positive reviews. Many cited the game's visuals, the innovative puzzles and the overall story as the game's strongest points. IGN gave the game a 10 out of 10 score, saying "Medium is a masterpiece. Although the game is mainly intended to be imaginative and thought-provoking, the gameplay proves to be addicting and fun."