Life in the Deep South can be pretty hazardous, especially considering the numerous alligators, hurricanes and murky swamplands. South of Midnight takes everything from the above and cranks the meter up twice the size, and for Hazel Flood, the protagonist of the story, things only take a turn for the worse. Compulsion Games’ new independent project takes place in a fantasy setting in the American Deep South, bringing to life creatures of folklore, myths and legends. It’s use of stop-motion animation provides an extra sense of charm, accompanied by rich music that helps to tell the story of Hazel’s journey.
The Story Begins
South of Midnight begins with Hazel and her mother, Lacey, packing up the belongings in their home to prepare for an incoming hurricane. After making her rounds checking on the neighbours, Hazel makes her way back home, only to find it being swept away by a rising tide. During the chase, Hazel notices supernatural phenomena like ethereal Strands in the air, and after failing to reach the house, she ventures towards her Grandma Bunny for answers. After becoming trapped by Bunny, Hazel escapes and finds a set of strange hooks that enhance Hazel’s powers as a Weaver. The world surrounding Hazel becomes dark and plagued with red, pulsating lesions and thorny branches that stretch across the land, making Hazel’s journey to find her mother far more dangerous than it once appeared to be.
In a While, Crocodile
Unlike Compulsion Games’ previous titles, South of Midnight is a third-person, action-adventure platforming game that heavily utilises dodging, jumping and fluid movement to traverse the Deep South. Hazel discovers that she has the power of a Weaver, a person with the power to repair and heal the Grand Tapestry, an invisible fabric that binds the world together. In order to achieve this, Hazel will come across and battle enemies known as Haints, otherworldly creatures that represent the pain and misery of people in the world of South of Midnight. Aside from Haints, Hazel will encounter mythical beings that represent intense pain and emotional distress, such as Two-Toed Tom, a giant alligator whose insatiable hunger led to a mammoth growth in size. Most of these powerful creatures are fought as bosses with unique features that differ the course of battle compared to simple mobs. For instance, regular combat encounters involve simple hack-and-slash, dodging through enemy attacks and repetitive combat loops that fail to portray anything groundbreaking or truly innovative. In comparison, boss battles have special gimmicks that change how combat plays out. For instance, Two-Toed Tom could only be damaged when ringing a bell, opening up his mouth to reveal a weak spot or the monsters ‘knot’, which once destroyed, rids the creature of negativity and heals its overwhelming pain.
Looking High and Low
Traversal in South of Midnight is fluid, smooth and has well-executed controls. As a Weaver, Hazel can turn holographic objects into physical ones, opening up paths to hidden secrets or the next main objective. Hazel uses a set of mythical hooks to weave magic, allowing her to glide across terrain to reach further distances, run on vertical Stranded walls and pull or push large objects with ease. Players can find hidden health upgrades and Floofs, the latter allowing upgrades for Hazel’s skills, like increasing damage to enemies affected by Weave or binding an enemy to the ground and leaving them open to attacks. Taking the time to explore each chapter feels rewarding, and players will always have the skills needed to perfectly complete a chapter as they progress, meaning there is no need to bypass a collectible and replay a chapter once a future skill has been unlocked.
Jivin’ and Groovin’
There is so much storytelling to unpack in South of Midnight, and the game tells it in several different ways. Each chapter ends with a brief storybook-styled recap of the previous one and a small introduction into the next one as each page is turned. During certain sequences, the game’s amazing soundtrack will start to play, with mixtures of blues and jazz devoted to the Deep South. For instance, certain songs describing the game’s events will play as you journey through the world, and this helps to really immerse the player in the game’s art and history related to the folklore and mythology. I loved how some of the songs were described in a narrative perspective, placed in key moments of the game to further enhance the story and bring the characters portrayed within the lyrics further to life. It’s also extremely interesting to listen to this type of music that would otherwise be less represented for a broader audience. Hearing music of the American Deep South isn’t something that appears on the radio in the United Kingdom, after all.
Final Thoughts
South of Midnight definitely brings a fresh perspective of the Deep South to modern consoles, a concept that seems to be rarely explored in the video game industry. Sure, the combat is pretty barebones, but the real magic is within the game’s lore, story and exploration. Running and jumping around each chapter while looking under every nook and cranny feels truly rewarding, and Hazel’s journey is truly interesting and magical, making South of Midnight another beautiful entry in Compulsion Games’ ever-growing catalogue.
Developer: Compulsion Games
Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
Platform: Xbox Series X/S, PC
Release Date: 3rd April 2025
