South of Midnight (Review)

 

Written By: Sam Delong- Every time there is an XBOX Exclusive released- and that seems even rarer these days- I often hear that it is "the game that XBOX needs. South of Midnight is the game that the industry needs. In a time when we are seeing games with 7-year-long development cycles, ridiculous overblown budgets, and soulless live service monsters devoid of heart -- Compulsion Games' latest third-person adventure stands out. It a is a work of art. And much akin to an oil painting, your appreciation of what you see will depend on what life has presented to you. The Canadian developers' past games have always placed a great emphasis on the aesthetic and style of their titles more so than gameplay. And it's the story and how it ties into its lore and history make it worth a look.

Our story begins with Hazel, a young track star living with her mom in the Deep South fictitious town of Prospero. As the game begins, Hazel is gathering an emergency kit as a hurricane looms closer to home. Hazel as a protagonist has an immediate charm to her and is one of my favorite new characters. She's snarky, sweet, and has just a hint of regret at the start of the story. Adrian Rae's performance always brought a smile to my face-- especially when she's dealing with the story's more fantastical moments, like when she is adjusting to her new powers or talking to a giant catfish.

Hazel also has a satisfying story arc throughout the roughly 12-ish hour campaign, going from a self-serving quest to a proper video game hero. There is a naivety in her that reflects her uncertainty about what is happening around her. It's just cheesy enough that it falls in line with the dark animated tale presented in its art style.

South of Midnight's slick art style is just as much a character in the game as the story itself. It is a step higher than the classic Wallace and Gromit shorts I watched as a kid, thanks to the power of Unreal 4. The lighting, in particular, is impressive, with breaks of sun pushing through trees and shadows across large caves. One of the best examples of this lies in the game's opening prologue, as Hazel runs to escape the path of a violent hurricane. Not only does it set up her emotional stakes at the start of her adventure but it also gives a great sense of what a showpiece the animation is. Hazel runs alongside rain-soaked streets and through emerald green fields, and waves of water, moving slightly out of step with the wind.

South of Midnight also has something that I didn't realize I had missed -- a methodical chapter-based story that takes its time, and at times is a bit of slow burn in the best way. This gives us time to invest in Hazel's back story, exploring her relationship with her vengeful grandmother and a bond with her mom that single parents will definitely understand. It also hits a stride and, from then on hits the ground running, unfolding a gothic horror tale that has universal appeal. It explores themes like the weight of carried trauma, toxic family ties, and delves into some dark turns that, if you are open to their true meaning-- will break you.

The combat is engaging and has a start-and-stop flow that reminds me in all the best ways of Jak and Daxter. You'll run, jump, wall run-run, and perfect dash your way around enemies made of pure darkness, being called Haughts. The combat and traversal is fun, but it is not re-inventing the wheel either. Many of the gameplay elements have been seen in other games. Sometimes transitions between wall-running and jumping can be a little clunky, and may lead to Hazel falling off cliffs or combat hit boxes being out of sync.

Fortunately, South of Midnight is pretty forgiving with its death checkpoints. After a tumble or a death, Hazel will get dropped back right back into combat, dangling down by a cool strand animation. Combat is broken up into walled-up areas, akin to the Devil May Cry series. Even though the combat is basic at first, your move set will become layered once you start pouring points into a pretty robust upgrade tree.

Hazel will eventually embrace your inner hero and begin to help various citizens of Despero, and it's heard that she'll encounter the often-heart-breaking stories of mythical creatures, often culminating in some creative boss encounters. All the major enemies you come across are accompanied by their own musical score, adding to the game's excellent soundtrack. The boss theme is an element that has been heard to believe and works way better than I expected -- pulling off an extra emotional push and giving even higher stakes to an already engaging story.

South of Midnight is the best XBOX exclusive since Psych Naughts 2 -- with a care for lore and a dark fantasy story that is dripping with charm and creativity.