South of the Circle Reviews
South of the Circle is a fantastic exploration of a complex and realistic character. The engaging and multi-layered story kept me engaged and definitely helped me forget I wasn't actually doing much playing. Unfortunately, the ending rather takes the shine off the rest of the game's eminent achievements. Just like the drunken pilot crashing his plane in the opening scene, South of the Circle fails to stick the landing.
I really enjoyed the Lost-esque flashbacks that Peter has throughout the game, and how beautifully the game transitions between them. I also loved how natural the romance between Peter and Clara felt in developing slowly, over time, and how well the two work together. If you’re looking for a stellar story experience, South of the Circle has it in spades.
South of Circle is a well written intense short adventure about life, love, choices an politics. The narration is brilliant and convey a very emotional trip through different timelines, even if the interaction is limited to dialogs and a very few other moments.
Review in Italian | Read full review
South of the Circle is a great narrative experience, with a lovely visual style that delivers a heartfelt story in an impactful way.
A heartfelt adventure that balances the poetic nature of academia with the harsh reality of a world on the brink of war.
To be fair, the game is visually appealing, with a minimalistic art style that manages to convey the feeling of the time. It's an interesting experience and a unique premise (how many other Cold War disaster games are you going to play this year?), but ultimately that can't save the title from falling a bit flat.
South of the Circle presents an evocative narrative that will have you thinking about it long after you finish it. A unique minimalist art style paired with an excellent voice cast and soundtrack are the cherry on top of a heartfelt story. Unfortunately, the lack of impact from any of your decisions in addition to a relatively short run time hinder what otherwise is a flawless experience.
With wonderful acting. writing, and striking visuals, South of the Circle is an experience worth seeking out, even if the dialogue options and movement are lacking.
South of the Circle is a weird and fascinating experience, that mixes poor gameplay with a great script. It's essentially an interactive film, where all we're asked to do is look at the screen.
Review in Italian | Read full review
A beautifully paced and emotive narrative adventure with some standout vocal performances, what South of the Circle lacks in terms of substantive gaming meat it more than makes up with an intelligently curated, heart-tugging tale that remains long in the memory after you've put the controller down. Holding up a mirror to our own era of social, political and economic turmoil, South of the Circle provides the sort of expertly crafted and keenly felt warm emotional storytelling that we could all perhaps do with right now.
South of the Circle is a bold title that deals with mature themes. Its approach to storytelling is refreshing as it interweaves flashbacks to assemble a larger narrative. In addition to this, State of Play also respects its audience. They don’t oversimplify elements and allow you to interpret aspects. While the gameplay lacks substance and can cause some passive moments, the lovely design and spectacular score help make this a memorable experience.
In the end, decision-making in the couple is based more on the anticipations we make in our mind than on the reality we live with that person, and for all this, South of the Circle tries to identify the variables that influence decision making and the problems that may arise when it is time to take a path, take a risk, make a big change, or miss an opportunity.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Without spoiling the finer details, the game's final sequence is filled with tension and emotion as Peter recollects the final moments of the past that lead up to his trip to Antarctica. In it, the game reflects on the key decisions made along the way and rather than respect them, seemed to ignore the work put in by players in a way that made it seem like some of the choices didn't actually matter. It may be possible that this was meant to be a narrative twist on how Peter remembers the past versus how it was, but it's entirely unclear if that's the case, which makes it all the more confusing when it happens. Despite this, the ending sequence of South of the Circle is still packed with emotional catharsis and an ambiguous ending the leaves the player wanting more, and that alone makes this game a must-play for narrative-driven players.
South of the Circle tempts gamers with pretty, stylized graphics, a promise of a movie-like experience, and an emotional storyline. And it delivers!
Review in Polish | Read full review
South of the Circle is the very definition of a masterpiece with its hyper-relevant story, phenomenal voice acting and Oscar-deserving dialogue.
How much you enjoy South of the Circle will be determined by how much you like to engage with games on an intellectual and emotional level. It's a tricky balance to strike, but once it's beyond the first scene, South of the Circle has a lot more substance than its first impression lets on. It might be light on traditional gameplay, but it knows what it wants to say, and stays focused on that throughout.
South of the Circle feels akin to frostbite: it's difficult to feel anything for the characters after continued exposure to suffocating game design & mismanaged narrative.
South of the Circle beguiles with its polished presentation and top-notch performances but often forgets to make itself a compelling game in the process.
If it interests you, South of the Circle is a game worth playing at least once. But while I can tell that some heart was put into it, it does feel like one of those artsy games trying to seem deep. Other than a few instances, South of the Circle made me feel empty, thinking of how it could have been meatier. It's also priced a bit high for what essentially is a movie with little gameplay.
South of the Circle uses a unique narrative style and a very artistic way to tell a story about the Cold War that is good for us to savor.
Review in Chinese | Read full review