| South of Midnight | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Release Date | Gameplay & Story | Pre-Order & DLC | PC Review |
| Switch 2 Review | |||
Overview
What is South of Midnight?
South of Midnight is a melancholic action-adventure game with platforming elements, set in the depths of the American Deep South. This dark modern folktale follows protagonist Hazel Flood in her Southern Gothic world as she travels through the decayed county of Prospero to save it from its destruction and to find her missing mother. Blessed as a Weaver—a magical individual who mends broken bonds and spirits—Hazel encounters a journey full of myth, magic, and history, all culminating in one.
A year later after its initial release on Steam and Xbox, it is now available to play on the PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2.
South of Midnight features:
⚫︎ Puzzle-Platforming Gameplay
⚫︎ Action and Combo-Focused Combat
⚫︎ Breathtaking Graphics
⚫︎ A Gripping Story
⚫︎ Full Voice Acting
| Digital Storefronts | ||
|---|---|---|
 Steam |
 Xbox |
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 Playstation |
 Switch 2 |
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| $39.99 | ||
South of Midnight Review [Switch 2]: Dimmed Its Sparkle
South of Midnight, a dark, Southern Gothic fantasy title that sounds immensely appealing on paper. Myths, folklore, and magic, all wrapped up in a stunning little package. And it is—it caught my attention from the gameplay trailer itself (Catfish is definitely one funny dude). First impressions definitely last, and seeing how gorgeous it was from the get-go, it was definitely on my bucket list for the longest time. It is readily available on the Xbox PC Game Pass, but alas, time and life haven't been kind to me.
Nevertheless, opportunities come around to present themselves. The game returns to the spotlight one year later as developer Compulsion Games launches the Southern Gothic action-adventure game on the PlayStation 5 and the Nintendo Switch 2.
A Southern Gothic Fantasy in Prospero
As taken from the game’s title (I suppose), the game is set in the American Deep South, consisting of the states Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and Louisiana. The town of Prospero, although fictional, takes bits and pieces of the shared culture from these states. In this little town is Hazel Flood, an up-and-coming track star, who lives with her mother, Lacey Flood.
The story starts with Hazel packing up her things—their town is no stranger to hurricanes and floods, and every Southern guy or gal worth their salt knows how to deal with it. While readying themselves for the upcoming storm, an argument gets heated, resulting in Hazel storming off (yes, in all the dread and rain coming down) to cool her head and to check up on other neighbors.
However, things quickly take a turn for the worse when the hurricane, quite literally, hurls their home away—with Hazel’s mother still inside it. She chases after the floating abode, only to lose it at the last minute…and to find herself in a strange realm of the South that mirrored her own—only with magic, myths, and supernatural phenomena mixed in.
As the story progresses, she finds out that she’s been blessed as the land’s newest Weaver, an individual who is able to see the Grand Tapestry and the strings of fate and reality that bind each and every soul in the world. They weave together space and time like they’re taking on a knitting project, taking care of deep, hardened traumas that have knotted in the tapestry called Stigmas. With this newfound power, she goes on a journey that takes her down to her roots, of the tragedies and histories wrapped up within Prospero, all with a healthy dose of magic and mayhem.
It’s a profound, charming narrative, a great presentation of dark and gothic fantasy myths entwined with the deeply personal lore of the characters you meet throughout. While most of the characters you meet will only have a short time with you, some of them (if not all of them) and their stories will stay even after the conclusion of their chapter, and that’s something not all stories can do.
Fun Exploration, Mediocre Combat
Most of its gameplay revolves around 3D platforming and exploration, with isolated battles popping up generously. Half the time, you would be traversing across decaying bits and buildings of wooden homes from a time long past, making good use of skills like Weave to make spectral platforms appear out of thin air or the Strand Pull as a grappling hook to fly through the air like Tarzan. It’s flashy, it’s visually appealing, and it's fun to do.
It’s pretty straightforward and can feel linear, but there are pockets of detour areas that can reward you with Floofs, literal fluffs of strands used to upgrade your skills, as well as bits and pieces of lore to pick up if you’re into that. Exploration and curiosity are rewarded quite handsomely, and just going to and fro to see the sights makes this part of the gameplay experience fun and entertaining.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for its combat. It’s serviceable for what it is, but after the nth or so closed-off battle in the span of a few hours, you’d find it a chore to do too. There’s not a lot of enemy variety, so battles (aside from the boss battles) start to blend into one another in a cycle of repetition. Add to that a bunch of clunky-feeling controls, and you’ve got yourself a mediocre combat system. Not bad, not good—just there.
Attacks don’t feel like they’re executed smoothly, and the insanely long cooldowns do throw me off a little bit. Now, Hazel’s basic melee attacks are pretty flashy and fun on their own, but the skills are where the magic happens. When you’re flanked on all sides by those particularly aggressive Haints and your skills are all on cooldown…it just gets frustrating with your limited options of controlling the flow of battle, ruined by half-minute cooldowns. It’s to the point that I dialed down my difficulty just so I wouldn’t have to slog through the tedious battles for longer.
Soulful, Captivating Music and Audio
Despite that, one of the things that shine in South of Midnight is its emotionally appealing music soundtrack. Its unique Cajun and Deep Southern tunes are simply music to the ears, a little respite in the dilapidated backdrops of a hurricane-ridden Prospero.
There are these really rich, story-themed tracks that play as well when you’re about to reach the conclusion of a story chapter. Simple, but heartfelt and emotional tracks that have deep lyrics that retell the lore you just went through. It’s a beautiful way to end each chapter. The first time I encountered it at Chapter 3…wow, it took my breath away.
Adding to the music, they’ve also got the voice-acting chops down, each and every character delivering their lines as authentically as possible. The accents, the vernacular—everything feels real. They feel almost real. Their stories already breathe life into them, but the audio just enhances that so much more.
Visually Stunning…If It Works
South of Midnight is, without a doubt, gorgeous to look at. Stop-motion graphics, breathtaking scenery, texturized character models with quirks and personalities—what’s not to love? Unfortunately, it’s bogged down by the obvious unoptimization of its visual assets, which are evident…right from the start of the game.
First on the list, although minor, is quite evident considering you see it from the prologue. There is a strange glitch concerning the subtitles, flashing like a ghost off-center for a moment before appearing on screen while also not being in sync with the spoken voices. Sometimes the scene itself is too fast, or sometimes the subtitles end prematurely. Initially, I dismissed it as a one-off thing in the prologue, but as I went through the motions of the story, I realized that it was always on the mid-chapter sections, the storybook cutscenes.
Speaking of the storybook cutscenes, it always doesn’t seem to load properly. Perhaps it could be attributed to it being a video file being played or a glitch in the matrix, but there’s always some strange pixelated segment. It’s pretty minor since it only ever appears on the chapter intros and outros, but still something that should be polished, especially a year after having the game out.
Next is the issue of the obvious frame drops and stuttering. Now, the game employs a certain aesthetic to mimic stop-motion films, the chosen visual art style. However, there are certain stutters and drops in the game that don’t feel like they were done on purpose—more like the game just wasn’t able to optimize it. This is mostly evident when moving around, with the background struggling a few times to catch up to Hazel’s movements and feeling laggy. There is a clear visual contrast between the game experience on the PC versus the game on the Switch 2, which is a darn shame because of how beautiful the game actually is.
There are also several instances where the assets just failed to load for a good amount of time, with glitched trees suddenly a stark white against the hazy, dream-like visual of the swampy bayou. This happens during in-game cutscenes as well, which can be pretty jarring in the overall experience.
Is South of Midnight Worth It?
Better Off An Interactive Novel On Other Platforms
South of Midnight is one lovely work of art—in narrative and in audiovisuals. Combat gameplay could use some work, but it’s more of it being the game’s largest weakness than a hurdle in the overall experience. However, the Switch 2 version doesn’t appear to fully do this title justice. It’s decent; it’s serviceable, but you can definitely get more bang for your buck if you play it on a different platform.
| Digital Storefronts | ||
|---|---|---|
| Steam |
Xbox |
|
| Playstation |
Switch 2 |
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| $39.99 | ||
FAQ
Who is the protagonist of South of Midnight?
The protagonist of South of Midnight is Hazel Flood, a newly awakened Weaver who sets off on a dark fantasy journey through the mystical realm of the American Deep South in an attempt to save her missing mother.
Who are the developers of South of Midnight?
South of Midnight is developed by Compulsion Games, known for their previous games, survival roguelike We Happy Few, and puzzle-platformer Contrast.
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