South of Midnight Review

South of Midnight is Compulsion Games' latest action-adventure game. The studio became well-known since Contrast (2013) and We Happy Few (2018), before Guillaume Provost formed the studio in 2009 after his time at Arkane Studios. They became well-known for their unique approach to art design, which was supported by creative world-building and unique storytelling methods. Although the game's graphic presentation received good praise, there were significant gameplay hiccups.

When We Happy Few arrived, the studio experienced a significant change. They first developed the survival roguelike concept before changing path to create a narrative-heavy game that transported you to a dystopian England under drug influence. Because of its early release date and technical performance problems before Microsoft Game Studios' takeover of Compulsion Games in 2018, We Happy Few's 1960s retro design and creepy atmosphere brought similarities to BioShock, yet it also got mixed reviews. Their first work, South of Midnight, was supported by Microsoft after the gaming giant provided financial backing.

As the first game from Microsoft's Compulsion Games, South of Midnight honors the studio's storytelling tradition while being unique from all of its predecessors. The game was officially shown during the Xbox Showcase event in June 2023 with a chilling computer-generated imagery teaser that highlighted the scary mythological aspects of its Southern Gothic setting. During her journey, Hazel discovers that she has the ability to both see and control the strands of fate, which is known as the power of Weaving.

As she explores this changed landscape, her newly found ability allows her to heal from spiritual traumatic events. The stereotypes she heals are emotional expressions of the land and its people's unsolved traumas. By illustrating different facets of Southern culture and customs, the creatures based on South American folklore become vital parts of Hazel's narrative. Hazel experiences spirit encounters as she works through her personal and social struggles and investigates her family history in an effort to find understanding and healing.

The core of South of Midnight is a ghost narrative manifested through a plot centered around disasters. The game looks at how people's growth can be affected by their cultural and personal histories. Using these traditions to maintain magical components connected to traumatic human experiences, South of Midnight draws its true decor from realistic Southern mythology.

Hazel explores the Haints while learning little-known facts about her family history and development. The storyline forges a close connection between mythological components and individual cultural heritage, fostering an environment of both big and small personal significance. The game combines platforming elements with exploration and basic puzzle-solving features between encounters that involve combat mechanics. Hazel possesses three main platformer abilities: executing a double dash jump, briefly gliding, and constructing platforms through memory-based interactions.

South of Midnight features gameplay similar to Psychonauts 2, but it's more of a platformer than an exploratory adventure. You will experience platform challenges that increase in difficulty until you master them. Through her Weaver abilities, Hazel conducts the movements of exploration, combats Haints, and performs reality repair tasks as she progresses.

The gameplay allows Hazel to perform double jumps, glides, and wall runs, among other movements, to discover the semi-open world. The combat consists of melee abilities and magical Weaver abilities that enable attackers to push enemies and pull them while also allowing possession. Hazel transforms objects with her abilities while healing spiritual stigmas that function as environmental puzzles.

The game merges platforming with its combat to produce an immersive experience. Defeating enemies becomes necessary to advance in the game since its sections require a combat clearance system similar to Devil May Cry battle areas. Hazel learns new abilities as you progress through the game, which allows you to take creative approaches to advancing through environmental obstacles.

Combat in South of Midnight maintains simple gameplay mechanics. You have the freedom to lock onto enemies or choose unbound movements by selecting both light and heavy strikes. The evolving power of Hazel lets her unlock advanced skills from the progression tree, which provides modest choices during battles. Hazel can pull enemies toward her with ghostly tendril attacks, along with blade-spinning and powerful heavy attacks. Combat is straightforward, although it lacks the complexity seen in similar games.

Dodging is essential during combat when facing difficult challenges because enemies will stop Hazel from completing her sequences of attacks. The gameplay requires tactical movement between attacks and environmental use during combat. The game features various enemies, such as burrowing creatures and flying specters, as well as foes that enter frenzy mode and become invulnerable for a time. The game demands constant awareness because you need to remember enemy attack patterns.

However, combat functions well in the game, yet becomes monotonous in occasional situations. The mid-portion of the game becomes repetitive because you have access to limited unique moves during battles. While the game tries to maintain the intensity through various enemy types, its restricted combat mechanisms hamper its ability to achieve maximum potential.

In South of Midnight, Hazel progresses through the story as she obtains new Weaver powers at story points rather than through deep customization options. The basic skill system gives you limited power boosts, and you can match their skill level to one of five preset difficulties. The typical playtime needed to finish the game while maintaining a concentrated, deep narrative experience that allows you to thoroughly experience both the plot's progression and Hazel's character growth between fourteen to sixteen hours.

The art design in South of Midnight borrows stop-motion techniques to create its distinctive handmade visual presentation. Visuals in this game achieve their effect through Southern Gothic themes and show an atmospheric blend of actual and legendary elements. The game presents environments that blend natural areas of lush swamps with decaying towns and mystical forests under a haunting lighting effect that creates dreamlike atmospheres.

Stop-motion techniques mainly manifest in the way characters and creatures receive their design because their layered details and stretched proportions make them seem real and tactile. Through its artistic techniques, the game provides tangible warmth to supernatural features, although the introduced strange creatures become progressively disturbing.

South of Midnight features artistic ambition that combines handcrafted visuals with a rich, folkloric world. The stop-motion-inspired animation gives you a sense of nostalgia while immersing you in a magical, otherworldly experience that is personal and haunting. The game's color and lighting are nicely done.

The world around you is dominated by soft, muted tones, especially objects, magical elements, and key story moments thrown in for flavor. This contrast provides a nice cue point on where to focus, and it just makes it more atmospheric to keep that dual sense of horror bubbling through. The details are matched by the sense it gives to the environment, whether it's the movement of leaves in the wind or the spectral lurk of the spirits through the air.

South of Midnight's soundtracks are one of its strong suits. The music simply contributes to the game's supposed folkloric atmosphere by blending Southern musical styles of blues, bluegrass, and gospel. Choir whispers subtly foreshadow upcoming threats, and vocals are often incorporated into the gameplay itself. The environmental sound design is in equal measure. The distant slosh of swamp water, the hum of cicadas, and the creaks of ancient wooden structures all add to the game's realistic experience.

Also, each boss even has its own thematic song, telling its backstory in word form. Combat sound cues are good and clear on attacks and enemy tribal movements. Voice acting is another highlight. Catfish, the wisecracking speaking catfish, is added to give balance to the themes of the game and the dialogue of Hazel, a young, curious, and determined person, adding moments of levity. The mixture of old Southern myths and modern dialogue is somehow effectively done, though occasionally, some slang seems just a bit out of place.

South of Midnight is a visually appealing and emotionally engaging game. The stop-motion-inspired art style brings a more handmade feeling to the gameplay. Coupled with Southern folklore, it gives the story a sense of depth and intrigue. Drawing a line directly to the themes of grief, healing, and self-discovery, Hazel's abilities also provide a nice balance between the action, exploration, and puzzle-solving in the game. The overall atmosphere, exploration, and narrative will mostly feel enjoyable, but for some, combat will feel repetitive.

South of Midnight, however, should be praised for its rich, immersive, and original world and original approach to the visuals, including folklore, sword and sorcery, character development, and supernatural mystery adventure. That, however, is definitely a game to watch for fans of strong narratives and equally interesting artistic visions in their gameplay experiences. It's on Game Pass, and if you have the subscription, feel free to give it a try.

In the end, South of Midnight is a decent game with a rich Southern environment, distinct folklore, and a compelling Hazel tale. Playing with the platforming elements is fun, exploring the world is exciting, and discovering legendary Creatures of the world. The game does have its drawbacks, however, which is that it occasionally feels repetitive and may not reach its potential. Although it isn't a $40 must-buy, Game Pass subscribers would be well served by this title.