Exploring the Unique Adventure of South of Midnight
Not widely recognized in the Xbox community, Compulsion Games is the indie studio behind We Happy Few, which was acquired by Microsoft during its 2018 purchasing wave. After seven years, gamers are finally getting a glimpse of Compulsion’s new project—the captivating action-adventure game titled South of Midnight.
A Journey into a Stylish World
In this preview, I dive into my experiences with the game without revealing any major plot spoilers. Right from the beginning, South of Midnight immersed me in a vibrant world filled with distinctive aesthetics, captivating visuals, and intricate platforming mechanics. The storyline teased in this early access left me eager for more.
Setting the Scene
During my playthrough, I joined the protagonist Hazel as she navigated through a swampy town in search of her lost mother. Playing on the Xbox Series X, the colorful environments truly stand out. Compulsion Games ingeniously crafted a visually captivating swamp populated with ancient trees and dilapidated structures that invite discovery. The art style occasionally reminded me of the renowned Ori series.
Combat Mechanics and Gameplay
As I progressed, I encountered my first combat arena, a challenging yet engaging part of the game. The combat system is straightforward yet thrilling, with dodging and a unique magic system called “Weaving”central to the mechanics. Hazel taps into her powers as a spirit mender to navigate the environments and defeat dark entities emerging throughout the land.
The enemies that confront Hazel in various arenas are dark and inky, each requiring a specific strategy to defeat. Hazel utilizes Weaving as melee weapons to manipulate opponents—pulling, pushing, and binding them strategically. This combat style encourages players to use the arena space effectively to avoid being overwhelmed by opponents. Clear audio and visual signals help players time their dodges perfectly; successful evasions enhance damage to surrounding foes.
Although the combat feels hectic at times, it introduces various enemy types such as melee-focused engravings, ranged attackers, and spawners that generate damaging flies. Players must carefully manage their health, as restoration options are limited. Defeating enemies does offer some health recovery and reduces cooldowns, providing a rewarding yet challenging experience.
Adjusting Difficulty for All Players
For those who prefer a more relaxed experience, South of Midnight offers a robust set of difficulty options. Players can adjust various parameters, including damage taken and enemy spawn rates. Options even exist for complete invulnerability or the ability to skip combat sequences, catering to a broader audience. Conversely, combat enthusiasts can crank the difficulty up for a more intense challenge.
Platforming and Puzzles
Throughout my session, the platforming segments dominated my experience. At this stage, Hazel could double jump, wall run, glide, and climb. Players can track objectives using a helpful navigation feature, although searching for collectibles often led me off the beaten path—these materials unlock new abilities.
The platforming was largely forgiving, with minimal puzzle-solving required in this chapter. Falling into toxic water merely resets Hazel to a nearby point, preserving the game’s flow and reducing player frustration. For an action platformer, South of Midnight impressed me with its fluid animations and responsive controls, offering a satisfying gameplay experience. Hazel’s agility and her smooth transitions between movements added to the game’s overall charm.
Engaging Storytelling and Atmosphere
What truly captivated me was the mini-narrative within this level. An unexpected encounter with a giant catfish led me to uncover a poignant yet heartwarming tale about two brothers whose lives took drastically different paths leading to conflict. The music, featuring beautiful classical guitar and heartfelt vocals, elevated these moments and enriched the game’s atmospheric depth.
As I concluded my playthrough, I was impressed by the remarkable quality and direction Compulsion Games has achieved with South of Midnight compared to its previous titles. While it may not carry the weight of a ‘quadruple-A’ blockbuster, its unique vision and captivating gameplay have definitely earned my interest. This game is shaping up to be an experience where players can unwind and enjoy at their leisure.
Minor Concerns and Final Thoughts
One aspect that I found somewhat inconsistent was the application of stop-motion effects in animations. This puppet-like style is sometimes present in character animations and facial expressions, contrasting with the more fluid world animations. A consistent approach across all visuals would have created a more cohesive experience, although players do have the option to disable this effect during sequences.
Performance and Release Information
Running smoothly at 60FPS on my Xbox Series X, South of Midnight is also set to maintain this frame rate on the Xbox Series S, albeit at a resolution of 1080p. The game is scheduled for release on April 8, 2025, across PC (Steam and Microsoft Store) and Xbox Series X|S, and it will be available through Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscriptions.
Gallery: South of Midnight Preview
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