South of the Circle Reviews
South of the Circle is not visually interesting like the developer's previous work, and the poverty in its scenarios, the character animations that are not valued in that art even with motion capture, as well as the enjoyment of its gameplay, hamper the appreciation of its good history, which is still not without its flaws. On the other hand, the new game from State of Play Games has a competent musical and acting work and art direction, and brings good ideas in its narrative design, both in form and mechanics, approaching the academic environment with sensitivity in a way not much explored in video games and with an appropriate context of historical fiction in a cinematic tone. The game is recommended for adventure fans looking for a more mature narrative experience in romance, post-war historical fiction and academic life.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
South of the Circle is barely a video game and would have probably worked better as a movie. Players who don’t quickly become engaged with the story will have a tough time finding reasons to push on. And even for those who want to see how the narrative ends, some sequences drag on with limited payoff.
South of the Circle is a must play for people who love story-driven games.
Review in Italian | Read full review
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.
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
While not every part of the story hits the mark – we didn’t quite gel with the ending, for example – it’s still very easy to recommend South of the Circle. If you’re the type of person who enjoys interactive dramas, like the recent As Dusk Falls or Gone Home, you’ll likely find yourself engrossed in the narrative that unfolds here. It’s interesting, cleverly told and very intelligent – and, if nothing else, it’ll likely encourage you to learn more about the Cold War and the Antarctic Treaty. Any game that inspires us to educate ourselves more about the world around us is a win in our book.
South of the Circle is a great narrative experience, with a lovely visual style that delivers a heartfelt story in an impactful way.
While it is a walking simulator at its core, South of the Circle contains great performances, beautiful visuals, and strong themes and commentary. It is worth experiencing at least once
Like most of the games with the same style and gimmicks, South of the Circle fails to end its story in a satisfying way and bets all its chips on a twist ending that betrays the 3 to 4 hours of the experience that came before it. Also with the great audio-visual presentation here, one wonders why they didn’t just cut some of the unnecessary scenes and flashbacks and just release this as an animated feature.
Review in Persian | Read full review
With a short run time, South of the Circle isn't meant to be for someone looking to stretch their gaming dollar.