South of Midnight Review - A Toe-Tapping Tapestry of Southern Folklore and Compelling Gameplay
When the tapestry of Western storytelling reaches for mythology, it too often settles on the familiar threads of Greek, Roman, or Norse legends. Yet, the American South, a region steeped in its own rich vein of folklore and cryptids, offers a vast and underutilized narrative landscape. South of Midnight, the captivating new action-platformer from Compulsion Games and published by Xbox Game Studios, masterfully weaves these less-explored myths into a heartfelt and visually stunning adventure. This title, available on Xbox Series X/S and PC, not only delivers satisfying combat and fluid platforming but elevates these core mechanics with an exceptional presentation that left us with a persistent, beaming smile.
A Narrative Woven from Hurricanes, Magic, and Southern Lore
South of Midnight places players in the shoes of Hazel Flood, a determined young woman in her late teens. The game’s inciting incident is the aftermath of a devastating hurricane, a natural disaster that serves as the catalyst for Hazel’s personal quest to find her missing mother. This journey quickly unfolds into something far more profound as Hazel discovers she is a Weaver, a rare individual possessing the magical ability to manipulate ethereal strands. These strands are not merely tools for combat or traversal; they are conduits through which Hazel can fight, navigate the treacherous environments, and even catch glimpses of the past.
The integration of Hazel’s burgeoning magical abilities is a stroke of genius from a gameplay and narrative perspective. Every facet of Hazel’s existence becomes imbued with an otherworldly strangeness, forcing her to adapt and learn to control these newfound powers. Her path is one of discovery, both of the world around her and the mystical heritage within her. Along the way, she encounters a menagerie of creatures drawn directly from the annals of Southern folklore. These encounters are not mere enemy encounters; they are often gateways into the tragic backstories that have led these mythical beings to their current, often cursed, states. We found these flashback sequences to be particularly compelling, offering a unique method of world-building that seamlessly grafts ancient myths onto the fabric of the main story. Despite the fantastical elements, the narrative remains firmly anchored by the grounding influence of Hazel’s relationships – her bond with her mother, the wisdom of her grandmother, and the surprising companionship of a colossal catfish. While we did encounter some minor pacing issues, particularly a somewhat sluggish beginning and an ending that felt a touch abrupt, the overall narrative is a touching and memorable tale that resonates long after the credits roll.
Fluid Platforming: More Than Just a Means to an End
The core gameplay loop of South of Midnight is built around linear platforming sequences that artfully blend with its cinematic cutscenes and combat encounters. Hazel’s movement repertoire is robust, offering players the ability to double jump, glide, grapple, and wall-run, facilitating dynamic traversal through the game’s diverse environments. For those inclined to explore beyond the critical path, the game offers the opportunity to search for Floofs, the in-game currency essential for unlocking and upgrading Hazel’s magical abilities. However, our experience with this exploration element was somewhat less engaging.
The game’s design often presents crossroads where players can choose to deviate from the main objective. A helpful feature allows players to click the right stick to reveal the direction of the main objective, guiding players back to the primary path. This design often meant that exploration felt like spotting a side path, briefly venturing down it to gather Floofs, and then immediately turning back to rejoin the main route. Despite this, the allure of crucial upgrades provided a consistent incentive to seek out these optional collectibles whenever the opportunity arose. Thankfully, the sheer variety of Hazel’s movement techniques prevents the traversal from feeling overly repetitive or stale. Ultimately, the platforming serves less as a thrilling mechanic in its own right and more as a smooth transition between the game’s beautifully rendered environments, which stand as one of its most significant strengths.
Masterful Animation and Character Design
The visual artistry in South of Midnight is, without exaggeration, phenomenal. Characters are brought to life through purposefully skipped frames in their animation, a stylistic choice that evokes a unique aesthetic sitting somewhere between the groundbreaking visuals of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and the tactile charm of stop-motion animation. This distinctive approach, while clearly inspired by other acclaimed works, allows South of Midnight to carve out its own visual identity. The character designs are beautifully realized, the monstrous creatures are both terrifying and fascinating, and the environments are breathtaking.
On a technical level, the game is equally impressive. It demonstrably earns its place on modern consoles and PCs, showcasing a level of polish and visual fidelity that is truly striking. From the way sunbeams drench the dusty earth at sundown to the hauntingly beautiful visuals during intense boss battles, we were consistently captivated by the sheer artistry on display. Every frame feels meticulously crafted, contributing to an immersive and unforgettable visual experience.
An Evocative Soundtrack That Speaks Volumes
Complementing the visual splendor is an equally powerful and evocative sound design. The game draws deep inspiration from its Southern setting, a region with a historically rich musical heritage that spans genres from bluegrass to jazz to folk. South of Midnight embraces this legacy with an appropriately varied and eclectic playlist that scores Hazel’s journey. The mournful twang of a banjo, the boisterous blare of a trombone, and the dramatic swells of violins are all seamlessly integrated into the soundtrack, appearing with equal likelihood in any given level’s score.
Historically, music has served as a vital medium for passing down stories across generations, and South of Midnight pays a beautiful homage to this tradition through its boss songs. These original tracks are not mere background music; they are integral to the climactic battles, featuring lyrics that directly pertain to the unfolding plot of that specific moment, often delivered from the perspective of one of the characters involved in the fight. The term “cinematic” is frequently used to describe games with grand set pieces or dramatic performances, but these soundtracks achieve a different, yet equally impactful, kind of cinematic quality. Much like action sequences in films are often underscored by relevant songs that enhance the emotional impact, hearing the lyrics of these boss songs kick in to perfectly accompany the on-screen action felt akin to sitting in a theater, witnessing popcorn-worthy fight choreography.
Boss Battles Elevated by Musical Storytelling
The integration of narrative into the boss battles through music is a masterstroke. It transforms what could have been simple combat encounters into truly memorable narrative moments. Each song tells a piece of the larger story, providing context and emotional weight to the struggle. The lyrics often reveal the motivations or the tragic circumstances of the creature Hazel is facing, deepening the player’s understanding and empathy. This unique approach to boss encounters makes South of Midnight stand out in a crowded genre.
Combat: Growing Complexity and Rewarding Depth
While the art and music are undeniably its strongest suits, the combat in South of Midnight is not to be overlooked. It is a system that, while perhaps starting with a degree of straightforwardness, grows in complexity towards the latter half of the game in ways that dramatically enhance its quality and player satisfaction. Initially, the third-person action can feel somewhat derivative, adhering to established genre conventions. We didn’t dislike it by any means, but it never quite reached a point where we eagerly anticipated it or found it particularly visceral.
The most unique and defining element of the combat is the Unravel mechanic. Upon defeating an enemy, players can initiate this action to pull apart the lingering spirit, a process that results in a slight healing of Hazel and a reduction in the cooldown timers for her abilities. These abilities are gradually unlocked throughout the story, featuring a diverse range – one that pushes foes away, another that pulls them towards Hazel, and a third that inflicts a status effect known as Weave, which effectively locks enemies in place and lowers their defenses. These abilities are undeniably useful and are designed to be employed as frequently as possible, but in their early stages, they don’t always feel like truly game-changing powers.
The Late-Game Combat Bloom
This perception changes dramatically in the late game. As each ability is upgraded, it unlocks new conditions for inflicting Weave and significantly speeds up cooldowns, sometimes to the point of erasing them entirely. For instance, an upgrade might allow Hazel to instantly reset her Push ability by hitting multiple enemies simultaneously, transforming a move with an approximate 15-second cooldown into a frequently usable part of her regular arsenal. These types of enhancements encourage players to think strategically about enemy positioning and to embrace a more aggressive, risk-and-reward approach to combat.
When the addition of a second dash and the introduction of exploding Unravels are factored in, fights transform into fast, frantic, and undeniably fun affairs. Players are incentivized to move with speed and precision, maximizing the effectiveness of their abilities, rapidly refreshing their cooldowns, and performing Unravels quickly enough to regain precious health. While we do wish this level of complexity had been accessible earlier in the game, perhaps within the first five hours, we were profoundly satisfied that the combat system ultimately reached these exhilarating heights. It’s a testament to Compulsion Games’ iterative design philosophy, rewarding players for mastering its systems.
A Touching Tale of Resilience and Myth
Thanks to its vibrant art direction, captivating music, and deeply engaging storytelling, we had an absolutely wonderful time with South of Midnight. The narrative is unafraid to venture into surprisingly dark and emotionally resonant places, yet it manages to retain a pervasive sense of whimsy throughout. This delicate balance makes it a truly fitting adaptation of the source mythology, which itself often carries a similar dual tone of wonder and melancholy.
Just a few weeks ago, the concept of a Rougarou might have been entirely foreign to us. However, thanks to the immersive experience provided by this game, we now find ourselves with a catchy melody of its name that plays on repeat in our heads. It is fitting that, much like the stories and songs it so lovingly seeks to honor, South of Midnight has successfully achieved the feat of passing on the rich heritage of Southern folklore to a new, and significantly wider, audience. This game is more than just an action-platformer; it’s a cultural bridge, an artistic achievement, and a testament to the power of underrepresented narratives.
Score: 8.5
About Gaming News’s Review System: At Gaming News, we strive for comprehensive and insightful reviews. Our scoring system reflects a holistic evaluation of a game’s various components, including gameplay mechanics, narrative, presentation, innovation, and overall player experience. A score of 8.5 signifies an excellent game that excels in most areas, offering a memorable and highly enjoyable experience with only minor drawbacks. We play games extensively on their intended platforms to provide the most accurate and detailed feedback possible.