The south of Midnight is a bold, unforgettable, beautiful journey into the heart of the American South, which most games dare to explore.
Developed by Compulsion Games, south of Midnight, it blends folk tales, magic and unpleasant truths into a rich, story tapestry that is consistently mythical, deeply personal.
This is not a southern sugar-coated version. Its history acknowledges its deep roots in slavery, poverty, generational trauma and resilience. It’s heavy and sometimes painful, but it’s never free. Instead, this fights by injecting the power of love, impactful storytelling, and legacy into the game.
The whirlwind of the story
At the heart of this story is a young black woman with impressive character designs, just an example of the game’s stunning visual orientation. Hazel is an athlete, she runs the tracks on an incredibly expensive trainer, she is her daughter, after all, a weaver, someone who can manipulate the threads of reality itself. The last weaver died a long time ago in Prospero, Hazel’s hometown of Chickasaw County.
After the hurricane wipes out the house and separates her from her mother, Hazel has to chase the river through her mother’s trailer with magical lenses and sewing needle artifacts. These come in many different forms as they progress through the game.
Along the way, you become friends with a greater magical creature than some creatures that require you to complete a quest for you to deepen your connection with your past. Hazel’s discovery that her ancestors are all part of the history and evolution of the weavers, linking her past to discovering what is happening in the present.
Hazel is the main character who orders attention. Not only for her sharply defined features and fluid, stop motion inspired animations, but also for the integrity and strength she wrote. From her clothes to her voice acting, the care put into her designs reflects the game’s commitment to authenticity and atmosphere. Hazel is interested in the world, her past, and why her mother is more interested in the people other than her.
Smash, weave, repeat
Now everything in the Midnight South is not magical. Combat is one major misstep in the game. In many cases, encounters occur in closed-off arenas. There, the waves fall after Heinz waves until they “pop” through the cursed realm and proceed. It’s serviceable and sometimes fun, but not as engaging and innovative as the rest of the game.
The repetition begins to thin and thin, especially during the segments after the game is tilted significantly towards these encounters. It’s fine if you don’t mind consistency, but I didn’t wish there was more attention here as all the other elements of this game are running at a higher level.
Thankfully, Hazel’s traversal and puzzle solver abilities, especially her weaving mechanism, are far more satisfying. I hope there will be fewer arenas packed with platform and environment storytelling moments and the same Punch Dodgestone formula. Still, even with the flaws of combat, you can still soar south of Midnight.
Art is back to life
The south of Midnight is simply stunning, so we need to talk about art style. All levels appear to be carved from living paintings. Just as Southern folktales have come to fruition, the environment feels lovingly made has the quality of handmade textures. Each area feels alive in the details from the bustle of cicadas, whether it’s a sun-covered hut town, a pig-stuffed reverse water, or a claustrophobic bayou, from the far silhouettes of forgotten creatures.
Stop motion style animation adds the feeling of playing in dark fairy tales and living folktales. The best way to explain that is when Guillermo Del Toro mixes the bread and mixes the stop-motion pinocchio with an old-fashioned Tim Burton splash. There is so much power in this medium of storytelling, and the team at Compursion Games has used it to provide one of the best looking games in recent years.
Background music sounds like it was made with MIDI players, especially before, in the late 90s, but fortunately, this builds up as the game progresses. The soundtrack also moves from gospel-infused blue to creepy folk ballads, each tailored to the creatures and myths you encounter. Some songs feel like Southern hymns, while others sound like they were sung on the pouches of past generations. The music in the game is rarely integrated into this narratively. It only enhances the overall experience.
Final Thoughts
It’s not a perfect game, but it’s a passionate game, rich in vision, mind and a sense of place where most games only dream of achieving. Midnight’s South is a game that I’ve been hoping to make for Xbox Studios for many years.
A vast movie single-player experience that is very fun to play. If you are looking for something different, artistic, grounded and truly memorable, Midnight South is worth a trip. Like the South it depicts, it is messy, complicated, and painfully beautiful.
5 stars (out of 5)
Highlights: A detailed and engaging story. Beautiful art style
Lowlight: Repetitive Combat
Developer: Forced Games
Publisher: Xbox Game Studio
Platform: Xbox Series X/S, Game Pass, PC
Available: Now
Reviews conducted on Xbox Series X use pre-release code provided by the publisher.
