We need more games like Xbox’s South of Midnight

In many ways, South of Midnight feels like a game from the original Xbox generation. That’s not an insult, though — far from it.

Developed by Xbox-owned, Montreal-based Compulsion Games, South of Midnight is a tight 12-hour single-player campaign free of bloated open-world padding. It commendably emphasizes a wholly unique and timeless art style over the pixel-pushing photorealism that so many companies continue to chase to ever-diminishing returns. And finally, there are no microtransactions or forced online modes.

All of this results in a wonderfully enjoyable and self-assured action-adventure experience. This isn’t trying to be yet another prestige cinematic game or highly monetizable live service; South of Midnight knows exactly what it is, and it’s so much better for it.

A world like none other

Above all else, it’s Compulsion’s earnest desire to spotlight an underrepresented place that makes South of Midnight such a delightful experience. Inspired by creative director David Sears’ childhood escapades in Mississippi, South of Midnight is an extraordinarily loving and well-crafted tribute to the American Deep South and its people, culture, history and folklore.

At the heart of the game is Hazel, a spunky young woman who must find her missing mother, Lacey, after their fictional town of Prospero is hit by a hurricane. To do this, Hazel must become a Weaver, a magical mender of broken bonds and spirits, and repel the supernatural “Haint” threats that have overtaken her home.

Right off the bat, that premise gives South of Midnight a hook that few games have. After all, much has been said about the “Daddening” of games, with heavy hitters like The Last of Us, God of War and The Witcher 3, among many others, unpacking themes of fatherhood at great length. Stories about mothers, on the other hand, are decidedly less common, making South of Midnight quite refreshing, even from a conceptual standpoint.

But beyond that, Hazel’s quest to find Lacey proves to be much more than your typical “missing parent” yarn, with her journey challenging her to reevaluate all of the sacrifices her mother has made to do right by both her and their community. As Hazel ventures through the South, she encounters strewn-about belongings from their home, and her Weaver powers allow her to view flashbacks of her mother that are tied to each item.

It’s here that the actresses behind Hazel, Chicago Fire‘s Adriyan Rae (voiceover) and Fear the Walking Dead‘s Nona Parker Johnson (performance capture), really shine, beautifully capturing the complicated swell of emotions Hazel has — pride, guilt, relief — in learning about her mother’s social work, efforts to move past being widowed and regrets over not being able to spend more time with her daughter.

To my delight, the entire game is rooted in such warm-hearted empathy. Every colourful antagonist that Hazel encounters, from Southern Gothic folklore-inspired creatures like Two-Toed Tom, the gargantuan alligator, to Huggin’ Molly, the spider witch, to humans like her bitter estranged grandmother, has their own compelling sympathetic backstory. You’ll learn about each of them as you expel the Haints from Prospero, which is a meaningful way to recontextualize the normal video game trope of mindless violence.

Here, your efforts to “reweave” each spirit are grounded in healing: not only does beating them set them free, but it also helps Hazel come to a greater appreciation of those around her, and this proves genuinely touching at times. Given everything in the world right now, it’s exactly the kind of uplifting tale we need.

It also helps that the game has the style to match that substance. Thanks to the guiding hand of Compulsion art director Whitney Clayton, who did stellar work on the likes of Contrast and We Happy Few, South of Midnight has a downright gorgeous stop-motion puppetry aesthetic that feels unlike anything I’ve ever seen in a game. The Coraline-esque visuals, alongside actual storybook-style interstitial cutscenes between chapters, really go a long way toward giving South of Midnight a truly timeless fairy tale feel. From the sweltering bug- and critter-filled swamps to the dank, eerie potions-filled witch caves, every frame of South of Midnight feels like it could be a painting in an art gallery.

I Think You Should Weave

Less outstanding, but still solid, is South of Midnight‘s combat. In battle, Hazel has the same basic hook melee attacks, and this, unfortunately, never changes. Instead, you get new Weaver powers over time, and these can admittedly be rather rewarding. This includes the ability to push enemies and yank them towards you, as well as temporarily stun or even turn them friendly. A (pretty linear) skill tree also allows you to use “Floofs” you find in the environment to unlock ability-specific perks like extra damage, duration or even minor healing.

The best part of this system, though, is how the utility of each Weaver power evolves over time as new enemy types are introduced. For example, the “pull” move yanks you towards certain larger Haints, and with one bee-spawning foe, you can actually latch onto one of its bugs to shoot at another.

Meanwhile, the “push” ability can be used to reflect certain projectiles. Juggling these abilities is essential, especially as later encounters throw several powerful Haints — including big brutes and others who can shield and heal weaker grunts — at you. I also appreciated the smart way in which the game rewards you for being aggressive; to fully defeat an enemy, you must “unravel” them, which slightly heals you and reduces the cooldown on your abilities.

Ultimately, though, it’s not a particularly deep combat system if that’s something you’re looking for. Having said that, I don’t think that’s much of an issue in this particular case. Compulsion has been open about the story being the main draw here and wanting to respect the player’s time, and part of that involves creating an approachable combat system.

There are also a bunch of welcome options if you want to focus even more on the narrative, like lower difficulty settings and even the ability to skip any given combat encounter entirely. Given the game’s heartwarming focus on the Black community, it’s easy to imagine players showing this game to their families — mothers, grandmothers, aunties and the like — and in that sense, streamlined combat is certainly a benefit.

What I do wish, however, is that Compulsion made even a few small tweaks to the game’s structure. In several chapters, you’ll arrive at a new area containing the latest big Haint boss, and you’re tasked with clearing out multiple “tears” to progress. Generally, these end up being the same sort of combat arenas containing the same sort of enemies. A few times, Compulsion will shake these up with tears that are hidden behind sections consisting of light platforming and puzzles (some of which have you controlling Hazel’s magically animated doll Crouton), but by and large, the path to each boss follows this same trite framework.

Adding to that occasionally frustrating sense of repetition is the fact that completing every tear prompts a chase sequence in which Hazel has to run through elaborate platforming sections. These at least have more variety than the combat scenarios, especially since they include new abilities you unlock (like wall-running or air current gliding), but they’re still part of an increasingly familiar “clear the tears, escape the big Haint” pattern.

Even at their most tedious, though, I still found myself enjoying these gameplay sequences due to both the aforementioned stunning visuals and Olivier Deriviere’s phenomenal music. Composed authentically alongside musicians from Nashville, the soundtrack mixes everything from fiddles and drums to organs and even gospel singers of all ages (including children) to an unbelievably powerful degree. It’s simultaneously swinging and spooky, and when the legitimately soulful vocal pieces start playing, it only adds to the grand spectacle of these larger-than-life Southern Gothic legends. (Seriously, the fantastic Two-Toed Tom theme has been living rent-free in my head since I first heard it in November — it’s so catchy.) This is easily one of gaming’s best and most original soundtracks in years.

The gaming industry should take note

As I rolled the credits on South of Midnight, I found myself reflecting on the journey rather fondly. Sure, the gameplay can be uneven at times, especially in its repetitious structure, but there’s also beauty in that simplicity. This means that the game is more approachable for different audiences, and considering that it covers a culture that’s oh-so rarely seen in gaming, that’s undeniably a good thing.

What’s more, South of Midnight feels like a bold repudiation of industry demands to produce games that are bigger, more photorealistic and capable of sucking up your time (and money) for countless hours. Ignoring all of that, Compulsion set out to tell a distinct, emotionally charged and well-paced narrative featuring some of the most memorable visuals and music you’ll experience in a game.

For all of those reasons, South of Midnight is not only a game well worth playing but also one that other developers should emulate for inspiration.

South of Midnight will launch on Xbox Series X/S and PC (plus Xbox Game Pass Ultimate) on April 8. A Premium Edition unlocks the game early on April 3.

Image credit: Xbox