Occasionally, we are lucky to find ourselves lost within a world that takes us on a journey like nothing we’ve experienced before.
South of Midnight was just that journey for me. A game set in the deep south’s folklore, with a story telling of tales that would leave me breathless at times, and heartbroken at others. It was a journey I wasn’t expecting. It was refreshing to be able to experience a new IP from Compulsion Games that could take on a life of its own in a industry filled with giants.
CAN IT STAND OUT?
It certainly can at moments and not in others. Let me explain. The game catches your eye with this incredible stop-motion claymation art style. It won us over from the very first reveal trailer at the Xbox Games Showcase in 2023. Many wondered if it would hold up. It DOES! It’s something fresh and breaths new life, not only into the characters, but the world. Compulsion had a vision for South of Midnight that will stand the test of time. We’ve all seen old games, now they look old. Because of this incredible art direction, we can play South of Midnight in 20 years and the beautiful world and art style will still stand.
Hazel Flood, our main protagonist, is sent on a journey to find her mama, (this is the south) after their house had been swept away down river in a flood by a hurricane. The deep south setting mixed with the gothic folklore is felt throughout my time playing the game, from the diction of the characters to traveling across locations of Prospero. I was often caught gazing into the surrounding swamps, rustic broken-down buildings or lost in the tree tops looking out at the area below.
I can’t talk about South of Midnight without speaking about the audio. The score of this game is incredible! The ambient sounds that surround Hazel throughout her journey are only amplified by the full-on Bluegrass songs that complete each chapter. Some of the best moments in the game were listening to the retelling of each chapter through the Bluegrass songs being played while you traverse the last moments of the chapter. INCREDIBLE, something I will always remember when speaking about South of Midnight.
WE ALL HAVE OUR FAULTS
The storyline and fantastical creatures are truly the standout moments of the game. Two-Toed Tom, this massive gator the size of a house, Hugging Molly, a spider-like woman who snatches children from their parents at night, are truly the stars when it comes to South of Midnight. However, the game is met with a couple of shortcomings, mainly in its combat and Crouton.
Crouton, a stuffed creature handed down to Hazel from her mama when she was a child, is brought to life as your companion to help aid you in small, hard-to-reach locations. Unfortunately, Crouton felt like more of an add-on to expand the gameplay through rabbit burrow tunnels or other areas where Hazel was too large to snake through. Rather than something that was more meaningful and rewarding.
The combat…NOT a shining star within South of Midnight is its combat. You’ll head into predictable areas of walled-off infected arenas that become the battle zones. These fights, even with your abilities, become repetitive and boring quickly. It didn’t take me long before wishing I could skip a fighting arena, rather than participate in the battle to come. It wasn’t because it was challenging or not. On normal, it was rather easy to complete, something I could have changed in the settings, but would rather not, just so I could be done with the fight and move on. Whenever I did die in the game, it wasn’t because of a fight, it was because I fell in a platforming segment, or jumped into the water by mistake. I wish the combat had more life, more purpose, rather than, “well, we have to give them something to fight” in the game.
WEAVING IT ALTOGETHER
Hazel’s story was captivating. One that will be remembered for its cast of characters, world building and the sweet Bluegrass music that sets South of Midnight apart from other games. If you can look past some of the repetitive nature of its combat, maybe a graphical glitch here or there, you will get to experience something fresh with its folklore gothic set piece and beautiful art direction that becomes a must-play game of the year.
