Two timed console exclusivity periods seem to be coming to an end, as The Medium has been rated for PlayStation 5 and Oddworld: Soulstorm for Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One by the ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board) in the US.
The ESRB ratings seems to be building up to new physical releases for the two games. Koch Media announced a distribution deal with Bloober Team for The Medium and other titles back in March, though did not state platforms at the time. Similarly, Oddworld: Soulstorm was a digital only release, with a physical release on PS5 and PS4 already coming out on 6th July. Could that now also include an Xbox release?
The Medium uses the new console generation to power two viewpoints into alternate dimensions.
The Medium was one of the more significant console exclusive games from the Xbox Series X|S launch window, coming from horror game developer Bloober Team and featuring a unique dual-view gameplay mechanic directly intended to stress the new console and speedy SSD loading.
In our The Medium review, we wrote:
The Medium is a really good horror adventure with some stand out ideas and excellent presentation. It makes the most of its influences to create an atmospheric and involving narrative, but its wider context as a next-gen exclusive may lead many to expect it to be a grander step forward than it is. Taken on its own merits, and particularly for genre fans, this is a genuinely great game and I look forward to replaying it to take in all the amazing details and touches that I may have missed first time through. With some questions left unanswered, I hope it does well and develops into a franchise.
Oddworld: Soulstorm was another timed exclusive indie title, a long in development remake and reimagining of the classic PS1 game Oddworld: Abe’s Exoddus. The game is currently exclusive to PS4 and PS5, and was notable for having the PS5 version bundled in with PlayStation Plus subscriptions for its initial release back in April.
Oddworld: Soulstorm was a PS5 and PS4 console exclusive at launch.
In our Oddworld: Soulstorm review, we wrote:
Oddworld: Soulstorm clearly comes from a very passionate, dedicated group of developers. Although it is very rough in places, there are parts of it that really do stick out as excellent examples of both gameplay and storytelling. With more refinement this could have been a shining example of what ground-up remakes could be, but it just falls a little short of the high standards set elsewhere. It’s still charming and funny, just like the Mudokens you’re trying to save, but that doesn’t make it any less frustrating.
