South of Midnight is the newest title from Compulsion Games, the relatively quiet studio best known for their first-person action game, We Happy Few. Equally evocative in its art direction and atmosphere, South of Midnight tells a supernatural story set in the American Deep South, fueled by folklore and myth. After the game was announced in 2023, expectations were relatively high, but since its release, the reception has been rather muted. Despite decent reviews, South of Midnight hasn’t grabbed the attention of the gaming mainstream in any meaningful way, so what’s the deal? Is South of Midnight an underrated gem of 2025 or a disappointing follow-up from Compulsion Games? Let’s take a closer look at this newest first-party Microsoft game to see if it’s worth playing.
Hazel and the Hurricane
South of Midnight centers on Hazel Flood, a young woman living in the rural American South with her mother, Lacey. When a hurricane wreaks havoc on her hometown, whisking her mother away in a flash flood, Hazel sets out on a rescue mission. At the same time, she starts to experience supernatural visions, and soon discovers her place as a “weaver”. Thrust into a dreamlike world full of mythical creatures and hostile phantoms called Haints, Hazel must use her powers to heal the hostile spirits and mend the fraying Grand Tapestry of life. Tasked with facing these insurmountable odds, Hazel will have to tap into numerous powers to save her family and rebuild her home.
Without spoiling anything, South of Midnight has a particularly strong story that’s well-acted, full of emotion, and plenty of surprises. The stunning art direction does wonders in bringing this story to life, most notably through bold, claymation-style visuals. Characters and enemies have a sharply stylized look, and while the animation can be a bit choppy, it keeps you visually engaged throughout. The music is also a highlight, with uproarious, cheerful tunes led by powerful vocals. These elements combine to create a palpable atmosphere of tension, excitement, and wonder, bolstering the otherworldly tone of the experience. Generally speaking, South of Midnight offers an interesting story in a memorable world, complete with a striking art style and killer music.
Duck and Weave
The story is pretty unique for an action title, but in all honesty, South of Midnight plays it safe with the gameplay. During your journey, you’ll spend a lot of time mashing buttons in hack-and-slash combat, doing some light platforming, and the occasional puzzle or two. In a lot of ways, it’s reminiscent of PS2-era God of War games, except instead of Kratos defeating Greek Gods, you’ve got Hazel taking on creatures from Southern folklore. In fact, much like the Blades of Chaos, Hazel dual-wields her weapons with ease, slashing down enemies in a frenzy. That said, if you’re a fan of this type of gameplay, South of Midnight is enjoyable if familiar.
The platforming and puzzle solving are equally by the numbers, but still fun, mostly due to the spectacle of the graphics and story. Cool bosses and exciting setpiece moments keep the pace up, so you’ll never feel downright bored, but some sections can start to feel repetitive. To that point, after you’ve beaten the game once, there aren’t a ton of reasons to return. Apart from hunting down achievements or in-game collectibles, replayability is rather low. Thankfully, South of Midnight is on Xbox Game Pass, so if you already subscribe, you won’t have to plop down extra cash to try it out. Overall, if you like hack-and-slash combat and third-person action, South of Midnight is worth checking out, just don’t expect any crazy innovations in the genre.
South of Midnight is available on Steam and Xbox.
Short author bio:
Matt Owen
As a lifelong gamer and overall media fiend, Matt gets his hands on every new game and watches an unhealthy amount of movies and TV: action, horror, mystery, and sci-fi in particular. When not bingeing on entertainment, he enjoys reading and writing short stories, cooking, and producing video and podcast content.