South of Midnight is a bold, haunting, and beautiful journey into the heart of the American South, it is one that few games have ever dared to explore, let alone with this much soul and a level of attention to detail that most games aspire to reach.
Developed by Compulsion Games, South of Midnight blends folklore, magic, and uncomfortable truths into a rich narrative tapestry that feels consistently mythic and deeply personal.
This is not a sugar-coated version of the South; it acknowledges that its history is deeply rooted in slavery, poverty, generational trauma, and resilience. It’s heavy, at times painful, but it’s never gratuitous. Instead, it combats this by injecting the game with love, impactful storytelling, and the power of legacy.
A Whirlwind of a Tale
At the centre of this story is Hazel Flood, a young Black woman whose striking character design is just one example of the game’s masterful visual direction. Hazel is an athlete, she runs track with an incredibly expensive pair of trainers, she is a daughter, and, as it turns out, a Weaver, someone who is capable of manipulating the threads of reality itself. The last weaver passed away a long time ago in Hazel’s hometown of Prospero, Chickasaw County.
After a hurricane wipes out their home and separates her from her mother, Hazel must chase her mother’s trailer down the river with a magical lens and sewing needle artifacts in hand, Hazel steps into a mystical version of the South, a world haunted by sorrowful ghosts known as Haints. These come in many forms as you work your way through the game.
Along the way, you befriend some larger-than-life magical creatures that need you to complete quests for them that deepen your connection with your past. Hazel’s discovery that her ancestors are all part of the history and evolution of weavers connects her past to the discovery of what’s happening in the present.
Hazel is a protagonist who commands attention. Not just because of her sharply defined features and fluid, stop-motion-inspired animation, but because of the sincerity and strength with which she’s written. The care put into her design, from her clothes to her voice acting, is reflective of the game’s commitment to authenticity and atmosphere. Hazel is curious about the world, her past and why her mother is more concerned with other people than her.
Smash, Weave, Repeat
Now, not everything in South of Midnight is quite as magical. The combat is the game’s one major misstep. Encounters often play out in closed-off arenas, where wave after wave of haints descend until you “pop” the cursed area and move on. It’s serviceable and occasionally fun, but never as engaging or innovative as the rest of the game.
The repetition does start to wear thin, especially during later segments when the game leans heavily on these encounters. It is fine if you don’t mind the consistency, but with all of the other elements of this game operating on a higher level, I couldn’t help but wish there was more attention given here.
Thankfully, Hazel’s traversal and puzzle-solving abilities, especially her weaving mechanics, are far more satisfying. I just wish there were more moments of platforming and environmental storytelling and fewer arenas packed with the same punch-dodge-stun formula. Still, even with its combat shortcomings, South of Midnight manages to soar.
Art Comes to Life
We do need to talk about the art style, because South of Midnight is simply stunning. Every level looks like it’s been carved out of a living painting. There’s a handcrafted, textured quality to the environments that feels lovingly crafted, like Southern folklore brought to life. Each area, be it a sun-baked shanty town, a pig-sludge-flooded backwater, or a claustrophobic bayou, is made to feel alive with detail, from the buzz of cicadas to the distant silhouette of a forgotten creature.
The stop-motion-style animation adds to the feeling that you’re playing inside a dark fairy tale or a living folktale. The best way to describe it would be if Guillermo Del Toro mixed Pan’s Labyrinth with his stop-motion Pinocchio with a splash of old-school Tim Burton. There is so much power in this medium of storytelling, and the team at Compulsion Games have capitalised on this to deliver one of the best-looking games in recent years.
I will say that the background music, particularly earlier on, does sound like it was made on a MIDI player in the late 90s, fortunately, this does build as the game progresses. The soundtrack also shifts from gospel-infused blues to eerie folk ballads, each tailored to the creatures and myths you encounter. Some songs feel like lost Southern hymns, while others sound like they were sung on the porches of generations past. It’s rare for a game’s music to be this narratively integrated, and it only elevates the entire experience.
Final Thoughts
It’s not a perfect game, but it’s a passionate one, rich with vision, heart, and a sense of place that most games can only dream of achieving. South of Midnight is the game I have been wanting Xbox Studios to make for many years now.
A sprawling, cinematic single-player experience that is a lot of fun to play. If you’re looking for something different, something artful, grounded, and truly memorable, South of Midnight is well worth the journey. Just like the South it portrays, it’s messy, complicated, and achingly beautiful.
FIVE STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Highlights: Detailed and engaging story; Beautiful art style
Lowlights: Repetitive Combat
Developer: Compulsion Games
Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
Platforms: Xbox Series X/S , Gamepass, PC
Available: Now
Review conducted on Xbox Series X with a pre-release code provided by the publisher.
