South of Midnight Reviews
South of Midnight has a lot to love, from the incredible use of stop-motion to the sweeping score and accompanying blues music to the personal story of Hazel and the American South setting.
South of Midnight is a pure mid-budget game that doesn't even try to challenge the biggest launches of the first half of the year, but has enough character and charm to provide about ten hours of decent fun. [Review in progress]
[...] South of Midnight is a visually stunning, atmospheric game with a great concept, but falls short in execution. The story and setting? Brilliant. The mechanics? Solid but underdeveloped. The boss fights? Repetitive. The length? Shorter than expected. It’s one of those games that could’ve been truly special with just a bit more depth and variety. But as it stands, it’s a good game—just not a great one.
South of Midnight is a fascinating journey into the magic of the Deep South, among beautiful scenery, strange characters and game mechanics that, while not inventing anything, are fun and engaging. The art department, both visual and audio, is phenomenal, while something could have been done to improve combat and the story pace, but it's nonetheless a game that all lovers of the action-adventure genre should try.
Review in Italian | Read full review
A Love Letter to the Deep South. South of Midnight is an evocative and beautifully crafted experience that blends folklore, storytelling, and action into a mesmerizing package. Despite some gameplay shortcomings, its breathtaking presentation, compelling narrative, and rich world-building make it a standout title. The game may not be for everyone—especially those looking for fast-paced action or deep RPG mechanics—but for players who appreciate a well-told story wrapped in a visually unique and culturally rich setting, South of Midnight is a journey worth taking.
South of Midnight is a melancholic action-adventure set in the American South, where Hazel embarks on a journey through a sorrowful magical world filled with monsters and dark family secrets. The game blends platforming and combat, but both feel unrefined—movement is stiff, fights are repetitive, and level design lacks depth. While the narrative and Southern folklore elements are compelling, the gameplay struggles to keep up, making it a title best experienced through Game Pass rather than a full-price purchase.
Review in Finnish | Read full review
It’s a weird juxtaposition to have a progressive story against a regressive game, but that kind of contradiction feels almost perfect for South of Midnight. It is, after all, a game about how messy we are as people, and how, sometimes, it makes us so unique in the end.
Inspired by Deep South folklore, South of Midnight offers us an intriguing story and stands out with its atmosphere and narrative. Even though it has a great soundtrack and entertaining sequences, it can be a bit sad that it gets repetitive after a while.
Review in Turkish | Read full review
Ultimately, Compulsion Games has created a love letter to the South, to its beauty and its stories. The dark fairytale we see in South of Midnight is narratively one of the heaviest hitters I've played, and that's something special.
South of Midnight is a visually distinctive action-platformer with tight platforming mechanics and a unique stop-motion aesthetic, but it suffers from excessive hand-holding, lackluster combat, and a story that leans too heavily on exposition. While its momentum-driven traversal can be satisfying, the rigid level design, repetitive encounters and underdeveloped narrative threads prevent it from reaching its full potential.
"A unique adventure with a distinctive artistic direction" While South of Midnight doesn't offer revolutionary gameplay mechanics, it stands out for its unique artistic direction and emotional narrative inspired by Southern folklore. Its weaknesses in combat and platforming diminish the challenge, but it makes up for this with its enchanting world and distinctive sound design. A worthwhile experience for fans of narrative adventures and mysterious atmospheres.
Review in Arabic | Read full review