South of the Circle Reviews
South of the Circle tells an emotional and thought-provoking tale that isn’t to be missed by those who enjoy narrative adventure games. I found myself caring more and more about Peter and Clara as I got to learn more about them and it isn’t often that you get an emotional video game tale that focuses so much on love while also talking about things like war and social issues. The game won’t take more than a few hours of your time but you’ll likely remember it for far longer than that.
South of the Circle is a great narrative experience, with a lovely visual style that delivers a heartfelt story in an impactful way.
At the world’s most southern point, wrapped around the south pole, you will find Antarctica. Also known as the world’s fifth-largest continent. It may not be the biggest, but it is most certainly the coldest in the world. You wouldn’t think that a land mass being 98% of thick ice, would hold many tales that are worth telling. However, developer State of Play has taken this beautiful blank snowy canvas and created one of the greatest stories of 2022.
South of the Circle is the very definition of a masterpiece with its hyper-relevant story, phenomenal voice acting and Oscar-deserving dialogue.
South of the Circle presents a fantastic story about losing ourselves and our values only to fit in the society. The narrative is slow but the payoff is definitely worth the time. Unfortunately even using Life is Strange as template, the mechanics feel undercooked and not as functional as in other games.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
A heartfelt adventure that balances the poetic nature of academia with the harsh reality of a world on the brink of war.
There are worse ways to waste three hours than in the presence of very good voice actors doing their thing over gorgeous visuals. And, like I said, the game always tries to make you feel like you're in the presence of something great. But the reality is, no matter how much South of the Circle aspires to greatness, with a story like this, it's never more than merely okay.
Although South of the Circle failed to touch me emotionally at anything other than a surface level, it is nonetheless a nicely paced and structured linear narrative adventure, merging the frozen wastes of Antarctica with the golden afternoon sunshine of Cambridge. If you enjoyed Virginia, this game is an unquestionable recommendation given its stylistic overlap, but if you’re put off by linear narrative adventures of this type, South of the Circle probably isn’t going to win you around.
South of the Circle is a really well-presented game, from art, music, voice acting, narrative and direction, everything aligns almost perfectly, crafting a high-stakes, enjoyable adventure through to its divisive, but ultimately clever conclusion. Its conversation system is different and intriguing, though sometimes feels like a shot in the dark in certain situations and can alienate some players with its focus on timing. All told, it’s a game we should all make time to play!
As Peter steps into the Antarctic snowstorm, he is suddenly an active participant in his own survival. South of the Circle triumphs by interweaving hopefulness and impending doom without feeling emotionally manipulative. It suggests that life is a culmination of sad and spectacular moments, promises, people, and conversations, all inevitably misremembered. It’s the kind of game that could have made me cry, but instead, it led me to a place of sombre tranquillity. Through Peter, we are advised not to judge stories by their destination, but by their precious in-betweens: a sugar cube plopped into a cup of tea, a train ride, a shared summer sunset, and a cumulonimbus cloud stupendously blooming.