South of Midnight Reviews
Check out South of Midnight Review Scores from trusted Critics below. With 49 reviews on CriticDB, South of Midnight has a score of:
With a thoughtful message, soulful world, and beautifully imaginative design to push things along, Compulsion delivers a classic adventure seemingly beyond their weight class with South of Midnight. It’s the exact, elusive story-driven diamond in the rough that Xbox has been in search of for generations now.
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Although its gameplay is merely servicable, South of Midnight's dark yet compelling narrative is the shining light, elevated by excellent sound design, enchanting characters and a spectacular art style. It's proof that the industry still has the creative juice when allowed to be squeezed.
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South of Midnight has high points of a pretty good narrative and a beautiful world, and low points of repetitive gameplay, particularly the combat. The game is fully playable on the Steam Deck.
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Despite its gameplay shortcomings and optimization issues, South of Midnight is an evocative love letter to the Deep South and Cajun folklore. With a touching and inspiring story revolving around Hazel Flood and her journey to rescue her mother, it tackles the darker aspects of Southern culture with well-deserved nuance and respect. While it is a good game with an enjoyable story and a lovable cast, it stops just short of greatness due to its barebones combat and lack of replayable content. Still, South of Midnight is worth the cost of entry and 12-hour runtime. While some spaces in the...
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South of Midnight has a good story, and is a good action adventure game. It may get a little repetitive at times, but the story keeps you in enough to keep playing. I gave it all the time I could, and maybe it deserves another playthrough, since I walked away asking more questions then I started with. I only need to hear the music once though, I guarantee.
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That brevity is perhaps a saving grace, though, as South of Midnight's story sees its protagonist, Hazel, engage in a series of vignettes while on an unexpectedly fantastical adventure to find her mother, who at the game's outset is swept away by hurricane-induced flooding. Hazel quickly discovers that she is a Weaver, able to manipulate the fabric of reality through magical abilities that double as her traversal and combat tools. South of Midnight is gorgeous and atmospheric, and has a sufficiently compelling rhythm thanks to its narrative, but certain mechanical aspects are left wanting.
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South of Midnight is a new action-adventure from Compulsion Games. Explore the mythos and confront mysterious creatures of the Deep South in this modern folktale while learning to weave an ancient power to surmount obstacles and unravel your family’s hidden past.
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Western storytelling loves to use mythology as worldbuilding, but it fixates on Greek, Roman, and Norse myths so often that it's easy to forget other parts of the world, like the American South, have plenty of folklore as well. South of Midnight, the new action-platformer from Compulsion Games, uses this underrepresented roster of cryptids to great success, telling a heartfelt story centered around a girl and her mother. Its decent combat and platforming are elevated to great heights by stell...
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South of Midnight has been on my radar since it was first announced back in 2023. Leaning heavily into Southern folklore, developer Compulsion Games’ latest also carried with it a distinct, frame-jumping visual style. It looked, sounded, and seemed to act different to most.
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With an eye catching aesthetic, unique setting, and a refreshing lack of bloat, South of Midnight is an enjoyable narrative driven action-adventure romp of the type we get all too infrequently in the age of live services and open worlds.
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Fairytales and folklore, the stories we’re told as children and then share as adults, feature some of the darkest and most mysterious characters in history. Passed down through generations, what makes these myths particularly compelling is how cultures treat them with reverence and how different subcultures each have their own legends and traditions that set them apart. South of Midnight, the new action-adventure title from Compulsion Games, tackles the folklore of the Deep South, a setting...
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South of Midnight weaves oft overlooked southern folklore into a rich, myth-filled journey that is a bit straightforward all presented with a unique visual flair and outstanding soundtrack.
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After 12 hours, I retired my controller feeling deeply conflicted. While the journey was enchanting, oozing with unparalleled style and majesty, it fell just short of being as magical as I hoped. It’s sheer audaciousness makes it an easy game to recommend for those looking for something original in a sea of trend-chasing games. But its shortcomings could leave some players yearning for a fuller experience.
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outh of Midnight is a beautifully packaged, easily-digestible morsel of Southern Gothic mayhem that only stuck in my throat a couple of times. It won't move mountains for the horror community, nor does it stray far from the Xbox 360-era action adventure rulebook, but whatever South of Midnight lacks in innovation, it makes up for with unmistakable ambition.
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South of Midnight has some incredibly strong storytelling chops, brought together by its stunning visual design and excellent soundtrack. Unfortunately, the experience is bogged down by boring, repetitive combat and lackluster platforming, but it's worth rushing through those parts to experience everything else South of Midnight has to offer.
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A hallmark of excellence. There may be flaws, but they are negligible and won't cause massive damage.
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South of Midnight is a rare gem that seamlessly blends imaginative storytelling, satisfying gameplay, and top-tier presentation. Compulsion Games delivers a title that feels as if it punches above its weight, offering a visually stunning, emotionally rich journey through a myth-laced Southern gothic world.
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South of Midnight may not be a standout in the gameplay department, but the dazzling art style, interesting world building and fearless storytelling more than make up for it. Games Pass continues their recent string of successful launches with another great title, bravely exploring themes of trauma, healing and empathy in a refreshingly unique new setting.
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South of Midnight excels in key areas, but its gameplay is so underwhelming that it's hard to truly appreciate everything it does well. Those playing South of Midnight on Xbox Game Pass may be more accepting of its shortcomings, and the fact that it's a budget release also helps, but the game falls well short of its full potential.
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South of Midnight doesn't reinvent anything, but it does a competent job of everything it attempts. With all that’s going on in gaming right now, that's worth something. South of Midnight respects your time, delivers an emotional narrative, trusts that you know how to play it, and is bursting with texture and taste. This is a future classic for someone, and it might just be you.
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South of Midnight is one of the most memorable story-driven experiences of 2025. With a strong cast and a superb art style, anyone will enjoy a short but sweet journey, which will cling to your mind because of its endearing nature.
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South of Midnight's action may not have the strongest hook, but its poignant tale of hope and sorrow tailored to Deep South mythos keeps its head raised high.
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South of Midnight’s strong story and presentation make the most of its overlooked mythology and oft-forgotten setting, but don’t embark on this journey looking for top-tier action-adventure game design.
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South of Midnight is Compulsion's best game by a country mile, emerging as an assured and beautifully crafted Southern Gothic folktale that feels like a bracing breath of earthy, swampy air.
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Mariee’s song echoed what South of Midnight had been whispering: that the ghosts in our hearts can rest, if we have the courage to face them. To name them. To forgive, or at least try. And maybe, just maybe, South of Midnight wasn’t just telling a story… it was pulling the strings all along.
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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 an 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.
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It doesn't exactly wow with its combat and platforming, but these parts of the game are mechanically sound, and South of Midnight's memorable characters, incredible visuals, and catchy soundtrack are so strong that it doesn't really matter that the gameplay is just decent. South of Midnight is the type of story that will sit with you, and a good reminder that we need more games about the American Deep South.
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South of Midnight pares a refreshingly different narrative and setting with artistic visuals that bring to life folklore from the American Deep South. It’s captivating, and there’s almost nothing like it. Unfortunately, South of Midnight is saddled with frustrating, unpolished combat and action sequences that become repetitive long before the game’s midpoint. Even with its glaring faults, South of Midnight is mostly worth playing just for the orc-free story and uniquely American characters.
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It's a fairly linear tale, but one that doesn't overstay its welcome — lasting just over 12 hours for me to complete it with minimal collectibles left behind. It's not a game I'd come back to replay for the combat, but I found it to be serviceable enough to keep me engaged. For creepy folklore from the Deep South and endlessly charming gothic vibes in a tight-knit adventure, South of Midnight will impress.
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South of Midnight is a monotonous action-adventure game plagued by boring, repetitive fights and boss battles, with a story that loses momentum when it needs it most. Thankfully, its strong characterization, setting, and soundtrack do a lot of the heavy lifting. If you’re able to survive the grind, you might walk away feeling satisfied, but you’d be forgiven for calling it quits before the credits roll.
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For me, South of Midnight is a bit of a triumph, and exactly the sort of thing I want to see more of from Xbox Game Studios. It's not perfect, and its combat mechanics are a bit lacking, but the game has so much soul, personality and charm that it's hard not to fall in love with it. I was engrossed with the storybook visuals, the well-delivered narrative and the satisfying traversal from start to finish, and I really can't recommend this one enough.
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The best compliment I can pay Compulsion Games outside of saying that South of Midnight is incredible is this: they gave a voice to a group and region of people that traditionally receive lackluster, inaccurate, and/or distasteful representation in video games. The world, the storytelling, the environments will stick in my head for years to come.
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All in all, even with my qualms about the combat system, South of Midnight still managed to exceed my expectations. It has the 3D platforming goodness that should appeal to fans of the genre, and levels that are a joy to explore from a traversal standpoint. More importantly, its compelling story hooks you with its excellent use of the often underrepresented Deep South as a setting, along with its rich folktales and troubled history. And yes, it comes as no surprise that the game explores dark and unsettling themes, all while reminding us that love, forgiveness, and acceptance help mend...
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South of Midnight is a weighty adventure that pays tribute to the deep South with astonishing art, impeccable sound design, and the best music you’ll hear in a video game this year. It’s an emphatic journey about connecting with our most vulnerable neighbors when they need it most rather than leaving them to suffer alone. The artistic craft on display is unimpeachable, though the full package is weighed down by the demands of a big genre game that Compulsion isn’t fully able to keep up with.
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From its engaging narrative which finds a young woman desperately searching for her mother, to its stunning visuals that are a treat for the eyes, there's a lot to love about South of Midnight. It's just a shame that the combat is a bit repetitive and that the powers you acquire are uninspired.
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Compulsion Games conjured yet another narrative-strong release set to a backdrop of enchanting American South folklore that tells not only a coming-of-age story but also one of grief and sorrow that weaves its way into our heartstrings.
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South of Midnight is a masterclass in picking a theme and sticking to it all the way through. The usage of music as a character world/lore enhancement is one of the best examples out there of what TO do. From the character models, to the music, and beyond; South of Midnight shows how to build a game around a style and committing fully.
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Overall, I have been delightfully surprised by South of Midnight and enjoyed every moment I have spent playing. It is easy to get swept up in the adventure, especially with the fantastic soundtrack inspired by the folk and country music of the South. The game is lively and immersive and brings a magical and creative spin on a coming-of-age story. If you want a game rich in compelling folklore and immersive gameplay, then South of Midnight be just what you are looking for.
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I was immediately intrigued by South of Midnight when it was revealed back in the summer of 2023. A dark fantasy set in the American Deep South that utilizes a stop motion animation stylization? I needed to know more. Having now experienced the game for myself, I’m most impressed by how South of Midnight handles the stories and characters of this deeply fascinating world.
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South of Midnight comes out swinging with an incredible story, but the gameplay just isn’t there to back it up. If you love a good story and an awesome soundtrack, it’s still worth a look.
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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.
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South of Midnight has a lot to love, from the excellent use of stop-motion to the sweeping score and accompanying blues music to the personal story of Hazel and the American South setting. But it would be a better film than a game.
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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.
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South of Midnight is a stunningly beautiful and moving experience. While the gameplay doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel, it combines excellent writing and music to move your soul in ways only the best games can. This title is an enormous step-up for Compulsion Games, and I hope this isn’t the last we see from Hazel Flood.
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Despite some minor tech issues and lack of any real unique gameplay elements. I really enjoyed my time with South Of Midnight, its story and protagonist Hazel connected with me in a way I didn't expect. The setting and art direction give South Of Midnight an identity all it's own.
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South of Midnight is a refreshing and satisfying action-adventure that has all of the trappings and nostalgia of the classics of yesteryear, yet has all of the bells and whistles you’d associate with modern gaming.
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South of Midnight is a straightforward but well-executed action-adventure game elevated by the artistry and heart of the American Southern culture that’s wrapped around it.
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Clearly the aim here has been to make something broad, to bring this story and its amplification of southern culture to as many people as possible. But in the process the joy of more rewarding interactivity, or more uniquely defined identity beyond the familiar platforming and fighting patterns, has been lost.
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South of Midnight is a gorgeous adventure with wonderful performances, striking visuals and solid platforming gameplay. Its combat, however, is repetitive and reductive in equal measure, letting the overall package down considerably.
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