South of Midnight, A Fine Adventure Game We Found Lacking

With slightly better gameplay and story, South of Midnight could have been the year's hit. Or, at the very least, a cult classic. Rare are the adventures that will pull you into their world with their audiovisual presentation within just a few minutes, but this is one such game. The visual presentation, music, episodic format, and setting—a decadent American South where realism and dark fairy tales blend equally—are undeniably original and masterfully executed. Unfortunately, South of Midnight also has several serious issues that hold it back significantly. These primarily concern the combat system and the unengaging main story. It goes something like this…

If you want to check out an actual GOTY contender, check out our Blue Prince review!

The Story of South Of Midnight

The village where young Hazel lives is hit by a flood, which sweeps away her home and her mother. Hazel sets out to rescue her but soon learns that she is one of the so-called Weavers—special people capable of seeing the threads from which the world is woven and, if they break, reweaving them. This usually happens in cases of great human suffering and is far from harmless. In these places, a kind of demon—the Haints—begins to appear and haunt them. Aside from searching for her mother, Hazel will also try to help people (and creatures) struck by similar misfortune along the way, thus averting the impending crisis.

Suppose you're familiar with the Southern Gothic genre. In that case, you know that the American South is no stranger to suffering—alcoholism runs rampant, poverty is the standard, and families are completely dysfunctional. Violence and even murders within them are not uncommon. This fact is used in South of Midnight to justify several excellent episodes where you investigate various, more-or-less disconnected cases.

For example, in one episode, you'll investigate the disappearance of a mentally disabled brother; in another, you'll encounter an alligator grown to the size of a small island; in a third, you'll look into missing children allegedly taken by a witch into her mountain lair, and so on. The locations you visit change as quickly as the cases themselves—one moment, you're in a sunlit valley, and the next, you're wandering through cursed overgrown hills. Stunning, well-optimized graphics accompanies all of this. The game is relatively linear but offers some degree of exploration (somewhat in the style of Uncharted), maintaining a good pace in that regard.

The Main Story Is Lacking

On the other hand, the main story about the search for Hazel's mother is nowhere near as strong as the aforementioned episodes. Since the mother is absent for much of the game, her character (and her relationship with Hazel) is developed through short cutscenes triggered by finding scattered objects from their home. These feature sentimental monologues explaining why their relationship may not have been as idyllic as it should have been. All in all, relatively weak.

The second major issue with South of Midnight lies in its combat, which, at best, could be described as functional. At first, things seemed like things might improve—you have various power combinations and abilities (which can be upgraded by gathering materials through exploration) and multiple enemy types. However, it quickly becomes clear that all fights with the Haints occur in small, enclosed arenas where enemies attack in waves, and the tactics never change. It grows tedious once you recognize the formula. The controls aren't the most precise either.

The Look and Feel Of South Of Midnight

South of Midnight delivers a striking audiovisual experience that immerses players in its haunting Southern Gothic world. The art style blends decayed realism with dark fairy-tale surrealism—sun-blasted valleys, murky swamps, and eerie, overgrown landscapes are rendered with meticulous detail. 

The animation, particularly in cutscenes, enhances the story's emotional weight. The soundtrack stands out even more, featuring acoustic compositions steeped in Southern folk traditions, from melancholic banjo melodies to haunting vocal hymns.

Unique lyrical segments, where verses narrate key story beats, add a poetic layer rarely seen in games. While the graphics are beautifully optimized, some texture pop-ins and repetitive environmental assets slightly undercut the immersion. The game's presentation is its strongest asset, crafting an atmosphere thick with dread, mystery, and faded grandeur.

Southern folk traditions, from melancholic banjo melodies to haunting vocal hymns, are best experienced with our XP-Panther Wave Blossom headphones to appreciate the game's rich, layered sound design fully.

Finally, it's not often that I single out music in video game reviews, but here, it would be a mistake not to. Not only do the acoustic compositions in South of Midnight perfectly capture the decadence of the South, but there are also unique segments where the story is narrated in verse, detailing the cases you're currently investigating. The effect is unusual for video games, and the initiative deserves praise.

In Conclusion

Overall, South of Midnight is a solid, even excellent adventure with untapped potential to be amazing. It has some truly fantastic elements, but the formulaic gameplay and weak main story stand out so much that this very short game—clocking in at just ten hours—sometimes feels stretched.

Rating: 7.5/10 

It is a visually stunning, atmospheric adventure with strong Southern Gothic charm, held back by repetitive combat and a lacklustre main story.

Recommended Age: 15+

Due to its dark themes, mature storytelling, and occasional violence, it's best suited for older teens and adults.