Initial release date: April 3, 2025
Platforms: Xbox Series X and Series S, Xbox Cloud Gaming, GeForce Now, Microsoft Windows
Developer: Compulsion Games
Genres: Action-adventure game, Platform game, Fighting game, Adventure
Engine: Unreal Engine 5, Unreal Engine 4
License: proprietary license
Composer: Olivier Deriviere
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Combat is the worst aspect of this game
- Unique setting
- Unique art style
- Great implementation of music in-game
- Writing really good
- Good stories
- Sorta like Alice In Wonderland
- Platforming mediocre yet much better than combat
- You can skip combat arenas via menus
- Middle portion of campaign a slog
- Beginning and end campaign good
- Hazel had her moments
- About 10 hours to complete
- Boss fights janky
- Can turn off stop-motion in-game not cutscene
- Played on my Xbox Series X via Gamepass
Introduction
South of Midnight is a third person action adventure video game reminiscent of the early Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 days. Developed by Compulsion Games makers of We Happy Few (which I enjoyed). South of Midnight has many action set piece sequences, combat arenas which were terrible, a good story and janky platforming. I played South of Midnight via Gamepass on my Xbox Series X.
Presentation
There were a few bugs, but nothing serious to report except save for floating dead Haints on occasion. No biggie. South of Midnight as a whole I would say does a good job in regards to it’s overall presentation save for it’s core combat gameplay.
Combat was fucking atrocious, pedantic and far too often happening so I turned it off. Story as it’s writing were pretty good. Music was good. Visuals but more so art was really well done in Prospero which I could tell is based on deep south Louisiana. Creole, catfish and gators.
Story
The story was good. However, it’s more like “stories” than a singular story per say. The central story revolves around the protagonist Hazel finding her mother Lacey who’s trapped in a folklore Alice of Wonderland like world.
Chapters featuring Benjy and Cherie were really well written and made the game as a whole much better since they pulled on my heart strings. Hazel has to help various Prospero civilians fix their despair by untangling their pain.
Gameplay
Gameplay is easily South of Midnight’s weakness. But rest assured you can turn off combat encounters via the menu. Gameplay is third person hack n slash with the ability to use magic. There are many platforming sections featuring wall-running, air currents etc. A few puzzles featuring Crouton Hazel’s turned to life stuff toy.
Combat is a janky mess with a bad camera being part of the culprit. Every time I had to untangle a stigma which varies chapter to chapter can get very annoying. Think about it. The devs themselves made it a option to skip the combat in their game for a reason.
You can upgrade Hazel in various ways including magic abilities and health etc. Enemies are called Haints and look like tar blobs with different names attached. The enemies at times play Hazel differentially all looked the same.
Visuals
Really good art style here. Prospero at times looked stunning with it’s long drawn out vistas. I really liked the character models as well and the boss encounter’s art. Textures were meh. South of Midnight really is all about it’s art.
Sound
Hazel had me laugh a few with her comments over the campaign. The music was the standout featuring custom tracks like when you climb Benjy (a giant tree) or when you fought Two-Toed Tom. The music lifted the story and playthrough.
South of Midnight: Great music, good stories, respectable art and setting. Writing was decent as well. Do not buy or Gamepass this game for it's combat. – Jason
