Compulsion Games made a splash when they showcased South of Midnight during Summer Game Fest 2024. It presented a unique vision, transporting players to a magical Deep South filled with myth and legend while introducing the main character, Hazel. With a stylized look and a larger-than-life world, it felt fresh and exciting—something I was eager to learn more about.
As the studio continued development, we got small glimpses of what the experience would be like. With the most recent Developer Direct, Compulsion finally provided a deeper look at the gameplay, offering a clearer sense of what it would truly be like to step into Hazel’s shoes and embark on her adventure.
So, having seen all of this, when Xbox reached out and asked if I would be interested in attending an event in NYC where I could get around an hour of hands-on time with the game, I jumped at the chance. The studio has released some interesting games up to this point, and this would be their first major release since being acquired by Xbox in 2018. Getting the opportunity to play South of Midnight was something I couldn’t pass up.
Before touching on South of Midnight’s gameplay, I have to highlight the art style—it is truly exceptional. The team drew inspiration from stop-motion animation for South of Midnight, even taking time to visit a stop-motion studio in Montreal, and that effort has paid off. The game is visually stunning, delivering a unique aesthetic I haven’t seen before, especially not in an action platformer like this. It feels as if every movement is hand-animated, giving each moment an almost handcrafted quality that is difficult to pinpoint but mesmerizing to watch. Combine that with fantastic music and strong design choices, and the result is an experience that feels fresh and exciting.
“Getting the opportunity to play South of Midnight was something I couldn’t pass up.”
Even though the world of South of Midnight has a unique look, it never loses its sense of wonder, with characters that are easy to fall in love with and empathize with. There is such depth in how everything is animated, drawing you into the fantastical world. The art style perfectly complements the narrative, which is both personal and wondrous, following Hazel on a journey that pulls her from her typical life as a teenager into one where she must interact with creatures and monsters from legend as she searches for her mother and her house after they are washed away in a hurricane.
When I first saw South of Midnight, I did not expect it to be so dark or so personal, but playing through a section of Chapter 3, I was shocked by the places the story takes the player. While you don’t personally experience many of the heartbreaking moments—at least not from what I played—they are incredibly powerful and help establish the world you are exploring, the people who inhabit it, and the trauma that has seemingly touched everyone you come across. While there is a sense of catharsis, there is also an underlying feeling that, even with some form of closure, the pain can never truly be erased.
But I am getting ahead of myself. It is worth touching on Hazel, the young protagonist of South of Midnight. From my experience, she feels very much like a fish out of water—a young weaver, a magical healer of sorts, stitching the pain of the world—as she learns about her powers and the many magical beings that exist in the Deep South where she lives. This is a character that could have easily felt disingenuous, but thanks to the writing and voice acting, it all flows perfectly. The witty quips and comments feel authentic to her character and serve as realistic reactions to the wondrous world she is slowly discovering.
The gameplay feels very similar to many of the darker, more mature adventure platformers of the late ’90s and early 2000s. You explore a landscape ravaged by a major storm, where the usual paths and roads no longer connect as expected. You’ll need to find new ways through the swamp, meeting new characters along the way and uncovering stories that link the various sections of the world together. If you have ever played American McGee’s Alice, you will feel right at home in South of Midnight.
With the landscape no longer as straightforward as it once was, you will need to use your powers as a weaver to overcome obstacles, move elements, and repair pathways to navigate the many hazards you encounter. Despite its story focus, the game encourages exploration, pushing you to find new paths through the terrain and discover your powers and capabilities as you progress—much like many beloved story-based platformers.
What I love about the experience is how interconnected it all feels. The story and gameplay of South of Midnight work hand in hand to push you through the experience, each contributing to a tapestry of the world, the struggles of the people around you, and how you, as a weaver, can help make it a slightly better place—even if you can’t fix what is already broken. It manages to feel personal and complex without overwhelming the player with its messages. You can take what you want from the experience and engage with it on a surface level or explore its deeper themes, with everything working together to build the overall story and experience the game aims to convey.
But even with how story-driven it is, the team at Compulsion still managed to include some rewarding combat to mix up the platforming and traversal. Combat has you facing off against a range of enemies, each with its own attack style and weaknesses. Walking in, I did not expect South of Midnight to challenge my skills, but I was wrong. While the combat is relatively straightforward, there is a rhythm to it that you need to master to walk away unscathed. Health is oddly a rare resource, and while you will find health stations in areas where enemies appear, they do not replenish, so they need to be used wisely.
You have the basic attacks found in many action-adventure games, including a regular attack, an aerial attack and a dodge. Where South of Midnight differs is in how it integrates your weaver powers into the flow of combat. You have a pull, a push and a stun, all of which work together to control the many creatures attacking you at once, ensuring you never feel overwhelmed while also helping you avoid damage. It is surprisingly complex but feels incredibly rewarding once you get the hang of everything—something that took me more than a few tries.
What is even more interesting is how, if you time everything perfectly—such as dodging—you can even deal damage that way, with creatures getting caught up in your dodge trail and taking damage. I was told during my playthrough that it is possible to win a fight without ever attacking, but it requires mastering the timing—something I, unfortunately, did not accomplish during my session.
I walked into South of Midnight excited to see what the team at Compulsion Games had achieved, and I walked out even more excited. There is a lot going on in this game—from the sound design to the visual style to the gameplay—all blending together in a way that is engaging and exciting. It nails the Southern Gothic style of narrative and builds a fantastical world around a story that feels both personal and thrilling.
I have only played around an hour of the full 10- to 12-hour experience, and I am eager to go back and see what else South of Midnight has to offer. Slated to launch this April on Xbox Series X|S and PC, the team at Compulsion Games has crafted something exciting that is well worth people’s time. Whether it will live up to the hype remains to be seen, but based on what I have experienced so far, it is shaping up to be one of their best games to date. I can’t wait to dive back into South of Midnight and see more people experience this universe and the unique concepts it brings to life.
