Xbox and Compulsion Games are introducing players to the world of Southern Gothic with the action adventure game South of Midnight. Players are put into the role of Hazel, a young woman who lives in the deep south (I’m assuming Louisiana), who, during a hurricane, had her home, with her mother in it, swept away. On her journey to find her mother, Hazel discovers she has the abilities of a Weaver, someone who mends the tears in the Grand Tapestry and fights the Haits (monsters born from these tears). I want to thank Compulsion Games and Xbox for sending me a copy of South of Midnight to check out!
When it comes to the controls for South of Midnight, a lot is thrown at you, but don’t panic. Thankfully, on the screen, they keep the prompts for you as there are a lot of different buttons to use to help you traverse the world and fight the Haits.
When it comes to the art of South of Midnight, holy crap is it amazing! I’ve heard people complain about the stop-motion style animation (which can be turned off, by the way), but I actually love it. I love how, at times, the game is bright and colorful and at other times muted and dreary.
The voice acting is amazing, I would have to say my favorite character is the Catfish. I mean, come on, a talking catfish, what’s not to like?! The biggest seller for this game would have to be the soundtrack by Olivier Deriviere, who has a very impressive winning streak of game soundtracks. Heavily influenced by Southern folk and New Orleans jazz, you’ll be tapping your toes to the game, even when you’re running for your life at times.
When it comes to gameplay, there’s exploration and platforming, which are rewarding, especially when you find “Floufs,” which is what you use to upgrade Hazel’s abilities and skills. When it comes to combat, I have mixed feelings. I don’t mind the hack-and-slash nature of it, but I wish there was a bit more to it and not so clunky as it’s hard to lock on enemies.
Overall, I actually love this game. When the game was first announced, I saw the game get instant hate that even carried on to now post-launch for some reason. I think it’s obvious why there are haters for this game. Ignore the hate. As far as I’m concerned, this game is unique, and I hope it opens the door for more great storytelling through games. South of Midnight is nearly flawless when it comes to being a game with great storytelling, amazing voice talent, gorgeous art, and fun mechanics. The combat kind of hurt it, but it does not take away too much from it. On my scale of 1-10, South of Midnight is a 9.5!
South of Midnight is out now on Xbox Series X/S and Windows.
