South of Midnight is on the Cusp of Greatness

I was able to play Chapter 3 of South of Midnight which amounted to around an hour. It’s worth noting that some of that runtime can be attributed to my notetaking and additional combat experimentation, resulting in a few extra deaths that added to my playtime. Developed by Compulsion Games and published by Xbox Game Studios, South of Midnight is a action-adventure game exploring the mythos of the Deep South with an emphasis on platforming based exploration and arena style combat. The premise intrigued me and its approach to the genre is completely my taste so I was filled with nervous excitement as I booted up this build on my Xbox Series X. 

The second I got my hands on the sticks I let out a slight sigh of relief. The movement feels good, the stop-motion animation style is a delight not a distraction (though you can turn it off if it’s not to your liking). My first combat encounter let me down a smidge but the second I got back to exploring and platforming I was charmed all over again. And narratively I was honestly left kind of gutted by the end. How many games can do that in such a small amount of time?

South of Midnight impressed me. Based on my preview, it seems like a good game with the potential to be great. Regardless of where it lands, I have a strong feeling this will be among my personal favorites of 2025. It’s infused with so much of what I love and look for in video games: interesting mythical lore, exploration that leans on platforming and magical abilities, an incredible soundtrack, strong story, and tight structure that makes completionism appealing.

Storybook Pictures

In context and in action, the art somehow looks even better than it did in trailers. It’s an overused comparison but I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you I got Coraline vibes from this. And not just in the aesthetics, but in how South of Midnight is infused with both beautiful stories and horrific twists throughout this chapter. In cutscenes and interstitials, South of Midnight is literally a storybook being picked up and flipped through. It completely delivers on that feeling and it’s a book I can’t wait to read more of.

Also I love this weird little guy named Crouton. He doesn't appear in Chapter 3 except for the opening cutscene to the preview. But he's great.

The animation work adds an undulation to the world that makes everything feel alive without ever being an eyesore. It works especially well on structures like the thorn bushes that pulse and then extend their spikes. And seeing the sun come through the thicket of trees was a genuinely stunning sight to see.

Fighting Spirit

Hazel is a new weaver, getting to know her new powers. She’s on a quest to find her mom after her house got swept away in a storm. Combat takes the form of her using her powers to fight Haints (spirit monsters) who, in this chapter, were Larva Haints (that produce bugs), Hurler Haints (who hang back and shoot projectiles), and what I assume are standard Haints which roam around and focus on melee attacks. The enemy variety is decent and there are even ways to use their attacks against them but they’re a bit tough to pull off.

My big beef with the combat is it isn’t snappy enough. It’s not bad by any means but it's the weakest part of the game because the ability cooldowns hold you back way too much. Perhaps there will be a skill later that shortens the times.

Ability wise here’s what you’re working with. Weave wraps enemies up, holding them in place for a few moments, super useful especially when you unlock Stigma Bane which makes weaved enemies take more damage from all sources. Strand Pull lassos an enemy and brings them toward you which can create some great combos; I loved using Strand Pull and following it up with Weave. Strand Push damages and moves back an enemy which helps create some much-needed space in these somewhat small arenas.

Here are the cooldowns. I timed them myself with a stopwatch so they aren’t perfectly calculated. Weave (30 seconds), Strand Pull (20 seconds), Strand Push (16 seconds). So sure there are some killer combos you can pull off but you can only do them a few times in battle. You’re mostly relegated to your basic attack. And with these abilties having pretty different times you may have one back but are still waiting on another.

These cooldowns also mean some counterattacks aren’t as viable. For instance, a tutorial screen popped up when I first encountered the Hurler Haint that saud “press RT (Strand Push) to push back large projectiles and deal damage to it” not only did I find the telegraphing of this timing unclear but if I failed I had to wait another 16 seconds before I could try it again. I hate parrys but sometimes a parry has its place. This is basically like if your parry had a cooldown. It sucks. 

Field positioning can be tough due to knock back from enemies and the fact that you have a dash instead of a roll. In general dashes are bigger and less controlled than a dodge roll is and losing that accuracy makes things get sloppy quick. Another annoyance is the fact that the dash has a very tiny cooldown as well. Its only a second or two (not long enough to accurately measure) but it means you can’t spam dash. So if you dash out of the way of one enemy attack you may very well be left helpless for the next. 

There is a perfect dash you can do that damages and knocksback all enemies but again, tough to pull off. Ultimately, I feel like Compulsion Games wants players to have to be mindful and strategic with their attacks and dodges but it’s at a level that doesn’t feel supported by the control I have of the character or the options I get in the arena.  

South of Midnight has cool abilities with plenty of upgrades left to unlock that may assuage some of my complaints but I also hate when a game is too restrictive just to be able to reward you later with something you should’ve had in the first place.

The combat also isn’t particularly hard and battles aren’t long so my issues are more about wanting to enjoy combat more rather than needing help to get through it. There’s also usually a Health Filament on the battle field in case things get tough and there’s a slight auto regeneration on your health when its low (but it only fills back up a third). I loved this regeneration method because there were a few times I would’ve wanted to just be killed so I could try again but the regen made me keep trying. No matter how low your health gets there’s still hope and I think more games should do that.

If you do fall in combat you’re given the option to retry combat or retry outside of combat, an appreciated quality of life feature. I also have to mention that South of Midnight has one of the coolest respawn animations I’ve ever seen which is that you’re placed on the battlefield slightly suspended by a magical string. It looks so good I don’t even mind dying. 

Exploring the Bayou 

South of Midnight has set areas for its chapters that are largely linear but have a few additional paths to explore. I’m hoping to see bigger areas in future chapters because moving through the environment is my favorite part of the game since its basically a 3D platformer in these sections. Just with less jumping opportunities than the genre proper would provide. 

That being said, South of Midnight’s jump felt a little heavy to me at first. And when the double jump comes into play, early in chapter 3, it doesn't feel like it adds much distance. However, the jump is more than enough to get the job done and I never left held back by the implementation of this mechanic. Like any good 3D platformer this may be thanks to some generous ledge latching. The platforming and controls can handle tighter spots well such as landing on thick tree branches so I’m quite pleased with it overall. 

The glide is really the chef’s kiss on this platforming format. It takes the form of a magical horizontal wind spiral that pushes you forward with a bit of speed (or at least the illusion of speed). It’s such a smart take on the glide because it’s far more momentum-oriented than having a glider. I find myself constantly adding it, in part because it guarantees I bridge the gap and in part because it’s just fun to do.

A wall run is introduced late into this chapter. I love how smooth it is and how easy it is to do. You can freely move up and down the wall because you’re basically latched onto it so you don’t have to worry about losing momentum and falling off. Unfortunately the ease of it does come at the expense of the thrill so its a bit of a mixed bag there. The lack of thrill became especially apparent during what was meant to be a dramatic running sequence (music kicked up, Hazel conveyed urgency and fear) which fell flat because the speed never intensified to match the moment.

One of my favorite aspects of exploring and navigating the bayou is the fact that your abilities are part of how you interact with the world. Abilities you can use in and out of combat are a favorite of mine. So you can do things like use weave to make an object go from a silhouette to something tangible, use Strand Pull to move objects, and so on. At least in this area, everything is very straightforward so there aren’t any puzzles or interesting applications of your abilities outside of moving a cart to reach an optional area but it’s still something I enjoy and appreciate. And thankfully there are no cooldowns on your abilities when you’re exploring.

Another combat carryover is knockback which I have just never enjoyed in platforming. At the end of chapter 3 Hazel climbs a large tree which has spiky obstacles and every time I hit one and fell way back or off the tree completely I was annoyed. Environmental knockback always feels like an unnecessary and dated punishment. Luckily the respawn points are very generous.

Sometimes I wasn’t fully sure where to go but I was able to sense it out pretty easily without always having to click R to see the Guiding Strand. It’s always good to have a clear directional option like that but you never want to rely on it completely. Like any well-designed area, taking tiny deviations from the main path rewarded you with either a collectible note or a currency used for skill upgrades. 

Explicit directional markers are used with restraint. In lieu of yellow paint, Compulsion Games opted for blue which fits in more organically with the environments’ wooden shacks and houses among the greenery. And, upon further research, I discovered that this choice is likely in reference to “haint blue” which was used ward off ghosts and spirits.

Haint blue also comes up in this chapter when a NPC is wary of Hazel and asks her to step foot on his blue porch to prove she’s nothing to be afraid of. The background of blue isn’t explained to the player directly here but I think that’s for the best. It makes the lore feel woven into the story instead of glued on for the sake of extra clarity. The game doesn’t lose anything if players don’t make that connection between the narrative and the environmental design but it’s one of many examples that show how well thought out South of Midnight is. 

Weaving a Story

Because things get more fantastical the further Hazel leaves town she has a fish out of water incredulousness about her that actually works. So often when writers attempt this its too heavy-handed and the tone becomes very “ZOMG is this a magical world but I am just a girl from the regular world so how is this possible???” and it’s offputting. Maybe she has just acclimated to the world more by Chapter 3 but she hits that sweet spot of curious without seeming cliche.

There are notes you can find that add to the story and they’re implemented really well. There are seemingly just a few per chapter and they’re short enough that reading them feels like a fun treat rather than an interruption from the rest of the gameplay. Hazel also remarks on what she read after the note is closed so you can’t miss it.

As the main story progresses you also get stories of the people who have come before. In chapter 3, you learn about two brothers by collecting their memories and then literally patching up a trauma. Without spoilers, the brothers’ story deals with stigma, family drama, guilt, and jealousy. And it all culminates in a platforming/climbing sequence set to a fantastic blues/folk song that recaps what happened with the brothers. 

Just a really memorable, messed up story. 

Early Aughts Energy

South of Midnight feels wonderfully nostalgic in a way I haven’t felt since Kena Bridge of Spirits. I never want to imply that games aren’t as well-made as they were in the past. But this game feels like a hidden gem from the PS2 era. A cherished memory because it’s something you hadn’t quite seen before and worry you won’t see again. 

South of Midnight reminds me of games I’ve treasured before and is shaping up to be the game I treasure next.

Shout Out to Good Subtitle Size

I don’t have any visual disabilities but I’m a glasses wearer who prefers large subtitles and have rarely found “very large” to live up to its name. Honestly, “very large” it’s usually still not big enough for me. But here the subtitles were so big at “very large” I turned them down. Feels good.