South of Midnight | Xbox Review

April 18, 2025 Scott Clark

Anytime a game showcases a culture unfamiliar to me, I get immediately excited. This is why I couldn’t wait to get my hands on South of Midnight from Compulsion Games. The unique art style was also a draw with its fantastical creatures and intriguing voice acting. Add that to the fact that the game is available on Game Pass, there was no way I was going to pass up on this title. After rolling credits on the game, I have more mixed feelings about its quality. There’s so much to love in terms of its presentation, but some gameplay aspects show its budget title veneer more than I was anticipating.

Songs of the South

Let’s start with the good. It’s difficult to argue against South of Midnight‘s presentation. The world Compulsion created here offers a taste of Alice in Wonderland if it were set in the modern southern United States. The environments are gorgeous and interesting to explore off the beaten path, and these side tangents creatively loop back around to the main directive. It’s refreshing to have a linear experience and hearkens back to the days of the Xbox 360 and PS3. There’s no massive overworld to explore, no list of side quests to accomplish, and the game can be completed easily in a dozen hours or so. It gives me hope for more AA budgets in games of the future.

The main character is a young woman named Hazel who lives with her mother in the south. A hurricane sweeps away their house with Hazel’s mother inside. As Hazel pursues, she begins to see magical strands, a byproduct of her abilities as what’s known as a “Weaver.” According to Hazel’s guide, a talking catfish, Weavers are “individuals who can perceive and tap into the power of the Strands which they use to battle Haints and repair the Grand Tapestry that ties all creation together.” Hazel quickly begins to learn Weaver abilities to help her fight Haints and bring peace to characters that have experienced various forms of tragedy.

This is also where the game shines. The stories Hazel unravels are incredibly interesting and darker than I expected. These come across as Grimm fairy tales with a bayou flavor, and I thoroughly enjoyed each of them. They were the driving force for completing each chapter, as I couldn’t wait to see what new bite-sized story I’d encounter. The fact that some (perhaps all) are based on real southern folklore made them all the more appealing.

Almost, But Not Quite

South of Midnight‘s gameplay is comprised of traversal and combat encounters. The former doesn’t consist of anything you haven’t experienced before, but is simple enough and provides a good amount of fun. You’ll acquire new skills like a double jump, air dash, and even a Spider-Man like web sling. Seasoned gamers will feel right at home with these familiar mechanics. They’re never overly difficult, even during intense chase sequences. The only hiccup I had was when jumping on short ledges, where Hazel simply couldn’t decide whether to jump up or stay on the lower ledge. My co-host, Zack, also reminded me that during climbing segments, it would be very helpful if Hazel would reach out for ledges that she’s intended to reach next. This is a minor gripe, but would have avoided multiple falls I encountered.

My biggest issue lies with the combat, which takes place in predetermined arenas. Hazel attacks enemies with melee, but it often feels like the game is working against you. If you land a successful spree of attacks, you’re rewarded with the enemy retaliating by becoming invincible for a short period of time. You’re provided with several special abilities, each with a cooldown. Once you learn how to use these, battles become a bit of a breeze. Outside of adding a few different enemy types along the way, these battles never really change. The repetition makes these encounters come across as cumbersome rather than enjoyable and makes me wish that combat had been left out of the game entirely.

I also found the story’s ending a tad underwhelming, especially since the smaller stories along the way were so great. The game just sort of ends abruptly and left me wanting more smaller story bits. That’s a shame, because Hazel is a very likable character, and I’d like to see more from her.

South of Midnight Final Verdict

It might sound like I’m being overly critical of a game that doesn’t have a AAA budget. However, I’m genuinely impressed with the artistic elements at play in South of Midnight. It’s beautiful to witness, and the unique music and sound design make it worth experiencing and then some. I just wish I had enjoyed the combat a bit more instead of sighing sadly every time I came across a new encounter. I have no regrets playing it, but its one I doubt I’ll ever revisit. With that said, I’d play a sequel immediately, if that were to happen. The world and characters that Compulsion came up with are genuinely interesting, and this world deserves a second chance at greatness.

To hear me talk more about South of Midnight, be sure to listen to our April 17th, 2025 episode of The Gaming Outsider Podcast around the 51:26 time stamp.

This review is based on an Xbox Game Pass copy of South of Midnight. As of this writing, the game is also available on PC, but nowhere else.