Game Information

Game Title: South of Midnight

Platforms:

Xbox Series X/S (Apr 8, 2025)
PC (Apr 8, 2025)

Trailers:

Developer: Compulsion Games

Publisher: Xbox Games Studios

Review Aggregator:

OpenCritic - 82 average - 69% recommended - 29 reviews

Critic Reviews

A Gaming Network - Marcel Dee - 8 / 10

A Love Letter to the Deep South. South of Midnight is an evocative and beautifully crafted experience that blends folklore, storytelling, and action into a mesmerizing package. Despite some gameplay shortcomings, its breathtaking presentation, compelling narrative, and rich world-building make it a standout title. The game may not be for everyone—especially those looking for fast-paced action or deep RPG mechanics—but for players who appreciate a well-told story wrapped in a visually unique and culturally rich setting, South of Midnight is a journey worth taking.

Atarita - Atakan Gümrükçüoğlu - Turkish - 81 / 100

Inspired by Deep South folklore, South of Midnight offers us an intriguing story and stands out with its atmosphere and narrative. Even though it has a great soundtrack and entertaining sequences, it can be a bit sad that it gets repetitive after a while.

But Why Tho? - Kate Sanchez - 9 / 10

Ultimately, Compulsion Games has created a love letter to the South, to its beauty and its stories. The dark fairytale we see in South of Midnight is narratively one of the heaviest hitters I’ve played, and that’s something special.

Console Creatures - Bobby Pashalidis - 8 / 10

South of Midnight has a lot to love, from the incredible use of stop-motion to the sweeping score and accompanying blues music to the personal story of Hazel and the American South setting.

Console-Tribe - Simone Cantini - Italian - 75 / 100

South of Midnight may not be the ultimate breakthrough for Compulsion Games, but it stands as their most solid and successful work so far. This well-crafted adventure balances platform and action elements, supported by strong gameplay mechanics. However, its progression remains somewhat formulaic, its construction conventional, and its mechanics highly derivative. Despite these shortcomings, the game delivers enjoyment in every aspect. Exploring the bayou with Hazel offers delightful surprises, particularly from a visual standpoint, showcasing that Compulsion Games is on the right path.

Digitale Anime - Raouf Belhamra - Arabic - 8 / 10

“A unique adventure with a distinctive artistic direction” While South of Midnight doesn’t offer revolutionary gameplay mechanics, it stands out for its unique artistic direction and emotional narrative inspired by Southern folklore. Its weaknesses in combat and platforming diminish the challenge, but it makes up for this with its enchanting world and distinctive sound design. A worthwhile experience for fans of narrative adventures and mysterious atmospheres.

Digitec Magazine - Domagoj Belancic - German - 3 / 5

The playable fairy tale “South of Midnight” impresses above all with its audiovisual presentation. The southern atmosphere is perfectly captured with a detailed art style and interactive soundtrack. Narratively, the game works particularly well in the small story vignettes about the various mythical creatures from southern folklore. In terms of gameplay, however, the game disappoints with its conservative level design and monotonous battles. These stand in stark contrast to the otherwise loving and creative execution.

Echo Boomer - David Fialho - Portuguese - Recommended

South of Midnight is clearly a product of care and dedication, an adventure that bets on its strong visual identity and emotional connection with the player through resonant stories of a protagonist as strong as she is fragile. Its artistic style, inspired by Southern American folklore and stop-motion animation—rare in video games—sets it apart, while its soundtrack, rich in orchestral themes and immersive vocal compositions, adds even more emotional weight to the journey. The simplicity of the gameplay, with functional yet somewhat limited combat, may leave something to be desired, but it never compromises the essence of the experience. In the end, it is a game that does not seek to appeal to the masses but offers a memorable journey filled with striking moments and a unique atmosphere, in a style that deserves further exploration in the industry.

GRYOnline.pl - Anna Garas - Polish - 7.5 / 10

When South of Midnight fully commits to its unique ideas and inspirations, carried by Olivier Deriviere’s outstanding score, it is great. But when it is afraid to step out of the line, we get a standard, solid action-adventure with and oldschool vibe. If only the gameplay designers would inject more creative juice into their work, it would be a fantastic game. As it is, it’s simply good.

Gameliner - Bram Noteboom - Dutch - 3.5 / 5

South of Midnight by Compulsion Games delivers a captivating narrative and stunning audiovisual experience set in a gothic Southern USA, though its repetitive combat and uninspired platforming hold it back from true greatness.

Gamepressure - Michał Grygorcewicz - Unscored

South of Midnight is a pure mid-budget game that doesn’t even try to challenge the biggest launches of the first half of the year, but has enough character and charm to provide about ten hours of decent fun. [Review in progress]

Gamer Social Club - Dan Jackson - 8.5 / 10

As a whole it’s hard not to come away from South Of Midnight glowing. Its vibrant world, charismatic characters, incredible soundtrack and mythical creatures are true works of art. Going through that world as Hazel was a joy to do despite the repetitive combat. With a bit more variety in enemies and switching up the formula just a touch here and there, South Of Midnight could have been truly special.

Kakuchopurei - Lewis Larcombe - 70 / 100

[…] South of Midnight is a visually stunning, atmospheric game with a great concept, but falls short in execution. The story and setting? Brilliant. The mechanics? Solid but underdeveloped. The boss fights? Repetitive. The length? Shorter than expected.

It’s one of those games that could’ve been truly special with just a bit more depth and variety. But as it stands, it’s a good game—just not a great one.

KonsoliFIN - Risto Karinkanta - Finnish - 3 / 5

South …

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South of Midnight Review Thread

South of Midnight Review Thread

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Game Information

Critic Reviews