Games

South of Midnight: A Haunting Folk Tale You Can’t Miss!

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Originally developed by Compulsion Games, known for their previous title We Happy Few, which had a limited appeal due to its confusing mix of action-adventure and procedurally generated roguelike survival elements, South of Midnight is a return to the studio’s roots. While their first project, Contrast, from a decade ago was a meticulously designed puzzler and platformer, South of Midnight maintains a distinct identity and focuses on creating a detailed, carefully crafted environment. This approach significantly enhances the game’s quality.

In this contemporary tale, you take on the role of Hazel Flood, a young girl who argues with her mother and then gathers her things to flee from an approaching hurricane. She leaves home only to return when her family’s house is being destroyed by the storm, with her mother still trapped inside. As Hazel tries to rescue her, she is suddenly swept away to a mysterious and perilous location. It is revealed that she has been endowed with the legendary powers of a ‘Weaver.’ This story combines modern elements like smartphones with an ancient feel, immersing you in lush swamps and mystical bayous filled with life and plenty of supernatural oddities.

Equipped with an assortment of magical artifacts such as Hooks for battling Haints, Hazel navigates through the stigma (large areas tainted by tarry black corruption, marked by glowing red sores), which has taken hold in various places across the humid swamplands, muddy forest paths, abandoned trailer parks, and treetops entwined with thorny vines. The captivating Cajun fairytale from “South of Midnight” unfurls through a variety of distinct settings that seem to have been lifted straight from the pages of a storybook. Each chapter is accentuated by sepia-toned illustrations, serving as a visual bridge throughout the tale.

Stunning vistas (comparable to a massive riverboat split in two by decay) coincide with challenging and swift gameplay mechanics (Hazel can perform double jumps, glides, and wall-runs) and exploration, encouraging you to deviate from the main path to uncover health meter enhancements or upgrade points that unlock additional skills. Additionally, scattered notes found throughout the game’s fourteen chapters contribute depth and authenticity to the dark tales of “South of Midnight“, compelling you to pause and read them instead of being easily overlooked as in many other games with extensive text that can be disregarded. This is all part of the intricate and layered swampy Southern Gothic environment Compulsion has created – one that appears highly tactile, as if it’s been made from clay, wood, and fabric.

The game’s battle system, at first appearing rather simplistic with a single button for attacks, expands into a more complex experience as Hazel’s Spindles are introduced. These tools allow you to perform spells, enveloping enemies in web-like bindings, making them susceptible to disentanglement. Besides that, Hazel can manipulate foes with her Hooks by pushing and pulling them, or employ Crouton, her plush toy companion, to temporarily control enemies. This temporary alliance provides additional assistance during combat. Moreover, you can navigate tight areas while controlling Crouton during exploration.

In this game titled “South of Midnight“, the battles with adversaries and leaders are strategically placed and not too frequent, providing ample time for you to explore and appreciate the exquisitely detailed Deep South setting, replete with its chilling myths and legends, as well as an assortment of vibrant characters. The narrative is also delivered by a catfish, who accompanies you on your journey to save Hazel’s lost mother. This fishy guide shares insights about the origins of some of the terrifying creatures you encounter, such as the colossal, ravenous albino alligator Two-Toed Tom, whose immense size allows him to reduce a church to mere fragments by stomping and chewing it.

Meanwhile, as Hazel flees from an ominous entity, the story gains a palpable tension, with the pace expertly balanced to keep readers engaged. The journey is filled with moments that push you forward, eager to discover what has happened to Hazel’s mother. At its core, this tale delves into the heart-wrenching experiences of the characters encountered along the way, some of which are disturbingly dark. For instance, one narrative thread uncovers a chilling account of Hazel’s father’s troubled past. Throughout her journey, Hazel collects these traumatic memories in a blue glass bottle, containing and disentangling their negative impact. It’s an intricate web of emotions.

With a distinct charm and an eerily captivating ambiance, South of Midnight stands out as uniquely exceptional, thanks to its deliberate use of stop-motion animation, tactile environment, and enchanting folk tunes. Though minor issues with frame rate occasionally crop up, unrelated to the animation style, they don’t detract from the immersive world that Compulsion has crafted here – South of Midnight spins a compelling, top-notch tale that will linger in your memories.

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2025-04-03 19:12

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