Few games have taken inspiration from the American Deep South, which is one of the reasons why South of Midnight has stood out since it was first announced. South of Midnight is the story of Hazel, a seemingly ordinary woman who discovers that she is actually a magical “Weaver.” As a Weaver, Hazel can “weave” objects into existence and utilize all kinds of other interesting abilities tied to the weaving theme, with these skills coming in handy as she explores a mysterious fantasy world full of bizarre creatures pulled from southern folklore.
My time with South of Midnight covered Chapter 3 of the game, with Hazel already outfitted with hooks and a distaff. Hazel can use these items in combat against the Haints, which are the strange, demonic creatures that players have to fight in the game. South of Midnight combat is nothing revolutionary, but it gets the job done, with Hazel’s unique abilities adding an extra layer of intrigue to the proceedings. Even in this early chapter, Hazel can freeze enemies in place, yank them to her, and knock them away with a “strand push” blast. These abilities come with cooldown timers, so using them strategically is key.
When not using Hazel’s special abilities, combat largely consists of mashing the X button and then hitting B to dodge incoming enemy attacks. It’s simple, but fun enough, and the preview offered a glimpse things will evolve as the game goes on. Hazel is able to collect a currency called “floofs” on her adventure that can be used to purchase new abilities and upgrade existing ones. The South of Midnight skill tree is relatively small compared to many other games, but that doesn’t mean it has any less of an impact. I had enough floofs to choose between a variety of upgrades for my special abilities, but ultimately decided on a ground pound that gave me an extra attack to use when fighting Haints.
South of Midnight Has a Unique Way to Teach New Platforming Tricks
Chapter 3 also saw Hazel’s traversal abilities expand rather dramatically. While exploring the game world, Hazel comes across a family of “ghosts” who demonstrate how to get across obstacles and other hazards. By the end of Chapter 3, Hazel could double jump, glide, and even run on walls. Sometimes platforms and walls needed to be solidified using Hazel’s special abilities, which mixes things up a bit. Platforming in South of Midnight works well and is fun, and leaves the door open for Hazel to get more traversal tools in later chapters.
Hazel’s skills allow her to avoid spike traps and swamp water on the way to the primary objective of the chapter: freeing a giant talking catfish from the hands of a massive tree giant. The fish sends Hazel to a paranoid man named Rhubarb who was in possession of a bottle tree. With bottle in hand, Hazel can set about collecting the mystical materials necessary to free the fish. This goal led to various battles around the swamp, as well as interesting echoes that explained the backstory of Rhubarb and his ill-fated brother Benjy. These scenes ultimately tie into freeing the fish, but the how and the why are not worth spoiling.
Between the fish, Rhubarb and Benjy, and the ghost people, South of Midnight effectively tells three stories in this one chapter alone, yet none of them ever got in the way of the actual gameplay. The cutscenes don’t overstay their welcome, and for the most part, the game keeps its focus on platforming, exploration, and combat. The stories told are interesting ones, with South of Midnight examining southern folklore in an engaging way that I really haven’t seen other games do before.
South of Midnight Encourages Exploration
South of Midnight is telling linear stories and so, for the most part, players are put on linear paths. However, Chapter 3’s level is more open than players may realize at first glance. There was one instance where I accidentally got turned around and wound up finding a side path that led to extra floofs. This inspired me to thoroughly explore the rest of the area and discover plenty of extra floofs and goodies off the beaten path. If the other chapters are anything like Chapter 3, South of Midnight seems like the kind of game that will genuinely reward players who take their time.
When I was satisfied I had found everything, I continued South of Midnight‘s story, which climaxed with an exciting chase sequence and a climb up the giant tree, all set to a stellar musical score that perfectly fit the southern folklore aesthetic and tied directly into the stories being told. The music pairs brilliantly with South of Midnight‘s stop-motion art style to create unique vibes that should help it stand out among the many other big games launching this year.
Even though I only played one chapter, South of Midnight left me impressed in basically every category. The music, visuals, and story come together to create a remarkable presentation, anchored by solid combat and fun platforming. South of Midnight may not be getting quite as much attention as some of the other heavy hitters coming to Xbox Game Pass in 2025, but it could easily be one of the year’s sleeper hits if the rest of the game is as good as Chapter 3. I can’t wait to see where Hazel’s adventure goes from here.
- Released
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2025
- ESRB
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rp
- Developer(s)
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Compulsion Games
- Publisher(s)
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Xbox Game Studios