South of Midnight Review: One to Root For

As I always say, new IP is the lifeblood of the industry. While it’s been increasingly getting a bit rarer in the AAA scene for original games and ideas to appear, it makes whenever one does come around even more noteworthy, which is the case with South of Midnight. I had the chance to play the preview for the title back in February and, like many people, I was blown away by what Compulsion Games crafted with Xbox. Now, having played the full game from start to finish, that feeling waxed and waned, yet never lost its Southern charm and soul.

Crafted by the team at Compulsion Games and the first true game to be published as an Xbox first-party studio, fans could now venture into a new world, full of the often-overlooked American Deep South mythology in South of Midnight. You play as Hazel Flood, a recent high school graduate track star who lives with her single mom in the southern town of Prospero. A massive storm shakes the core of the town and stirs an awakening within Hazel as she becomes a Weaver, one who can protect the Grand Tapestry. With her hooks and spindle, she sets out to heal the wounds of the community and find her lost mother against hordes of Haints and terrifying Southern-inspired legends. 

When it comes to the story, it was personally a bit on and off for me. Hazel’s journey felt reminiscent of a folktale in that it has the same tempo and pace, as well as structure, which isn’t a bad thing here. The themes learned by Hazel and then integrated into the story of curiosity and resilience were ones that I enjoyed seeing unfold. There are a few twists and turns, but the narrative keeps a steady and thought-provoking pace. It does help that the story takes around 10-12 hours to beat, so it’s short and sweet. Unfortunately, South of Midnight does leave some points unanswered, which is rather frustrating to see. To add to that, some of the dialogue is a bit repetitive, despite the great performances by its cast. Regardless, the second half of the story is great, delivering some very memorable moments that really show the soul of the game.

I will say that Hazel is very much the lifeblood of South of Midnight, which made me quite happy. Her character is a great one to follow and infuses a sense of relatability and charm that is super enjoyable. It helps a ton that Adriyan Rae, the voice actor for Hazel, does an incredible job as the protagonist, with undoubtedly one of this year’s best performances. She made Hazel her own and brings so much life to the character through her thoughts and reflections. As mentioned before, there are a few great performances in the game, especially Walt Roberts’ Catfish and Ahmed Best’s Roux, as each of them brings so much charm and charisma to their characters that leaves you wanting more in a good way.

Gameplay-wise, it’s a pretty standard linear action-adventure title, as you’ll explore Prospero, take down Haints, upgrade your skills, and fix those who threaten the Grand Tapestry, human or beast. Most of the time, you’ll be platforming around to different places, whether wall-running, zipping around, or carefully navigating dangerous landscapes filled with spikes and holes. When combat does happen, it takes on a different feel, as you dodge enemy attacks and use your spindle and hooks to attack the many types of Haints that appear. When combat works, like in boss battles, it works well and is extremely satisfying as you’ll literally be weaving your way around the battlefield. However, it doesn’t feel like combat ever reaches its full potential, as it gets repetitive over time.

The world of South of Midnight is as beautiful as it is deadly. The unraveling of the quaint town of Prospero shows a whole new world beyond the one Hazel knew. It puts you in Hazel’s boots and lets you learn about the things you knew or wished you didn’t know. Compulsion Games isn’t new to this sort of feeling, as We Happy Few excelled in this field with its bright dystopian cityscape; South of Midnight expertly follows suit with its Southern-inspired countrysides. Its usage of Deep South mythology and lore makes for some unique storytelling opportunities that add layers to the already-rich world.

Of course, one of the more noticeable aspects of South of Midnight is its unique art style, which harkens back to traditional stop-motion animation. While it’s more on display during the cutscenes, the gameplay keeps much of the style, feeling like you’re both in the front and back seat of an old-timely animation. However, the lighting and graphics are incredible, which goes to show just how talented the team behind the game is. Some vistas are simply gorgeous, whether it’s the insides of a secret bunny burrow or wide-scale forests. It feels familiar yet new, adding to the Southern charm. I rarely saw many glitches in the gameplay, though some cutscenes did have texture lag, which isn’t too much of a problem.

Finally, in a year of already-fantastic soundtracks, South of Midnight may have already cinched the best of the year. Olivier Deriviere (A Plague Tale series, Remember Me) does one of his best works yet, as each song feels like a delicately-weaved pattern. The authentic instruments lining the background as choirs sing tales of the myths you’re going to fight is surreal and fantastical. It’s the type of soundtrack that makes you want to just stand in the world and listen to it. It fits immaculately to Hazel’s journey, you’d think it was being done live as you play. 

South of Midnight proves itself to be a great new IP for Xbox and Compulsion Games’ best work yet. Despite some narrative-related issues and lukewarm combat, there is a lot to enjoy. If you have Xbox Game Pass, this is an absolute must-play. It exudes Southern charm throughout and doesn’t let up for a second. If this is the start of our journey with Hazel, then consider me seated and ready to go to Prospero again.

Rating: 4 out of 5

An Xbox Series X copy of South of Midnight was provided for this review by the publisher.