Video games can take us anywhere, but too many titles settle for familiar settings. That’s why South of Midnight’s novel premise, a journey through myths from America's Deep South, gives it such initial potential. Fortunately, this Compulsion Games title for PC and Xbox Series X/S title delivers a lovingly rendered world full of stories and people worth caring about. South of Midnight's refreshingly no-frills action-adventure gameplay and budget price ($39.99) combine to form an early 2025 favorite—and an Editors' Choice winner.

A Rich, Southern Gothic Tale

At its core, South of Midnight is a mystical coming-of-age tale. You play as Hazel Flood, a teenage track star living with her widowed mother. When a hurricane separates the two after a nasty argument, Hazel must rescue and reconcile with her mother before it's too late. Along the way, she unlocks magical powers as a Weaver, a person able to see and manipulate strands of fate.

The game begins in a grounded and contemporary Deep South. However, Hazel’s spirit quest soon takes her into a fantastical Southern Gothic fantasy realm where the region's various myths and folklore suddenly come to life. You hang out with a talking catfish and contend with monsters and demons pulled from nightmares, like the multi-armed child thief Huggin' Molly. Compulsion Games' previous title, We Happy Few, blended many influences to riff on 1960s British paranoia. South of Midnight does something similar, creating a passionate medley of mythology that feels like it has a real history behind it.

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Hazel is an African-American Southern teenager, which gives South of Midnight deeper meaning, more cultural weight, and appealing specificity. It doesn't shy away from the long history of intense suffering Black people have faced in the South. Hazel sees visions from enslaved ancestors and weeps for victims of generational poverty. She even has an estranged relationship with her rich, white grandmother, who might as well live on a plantation. It’s not an exclusively Black story, but Blackness is at the forefront. The developers are French Canadians, but they tastefully handled the racial elements. The story is bolstered by authentic performances from Black actors, including Adriyan Rae as Hazel.

Hazel's story forms the main narrative thread, but South of Midnight wants to be a grand tapestry showing how our stories impact each other. The hopeful yet heavy themes, full of abuse and child loss, certainly earn the title its Mature rating. The game's middle section almost becomes an anthology as Hazel hears tragic tales on her journey and strives to undo the victims' pain. I was particularly struck by a story about Black men struggling to deal with harmful, corrosive anger unwillingly passed from one generation to the next. The structure reminded me of Psychonauts or What Remains of Edith Finch. The traveling tales also feel appropriate for the setting and its oral storytelling tradition.  

Platforming, Puzzles, and Combat

I expected South of Midnight's stellar storytelling to do much of the heavy lifting, fully prepared for the gameplay to seem a bit generic in comparison. I anticipated something like Tales of Kenzera: Zau, where the awesome Afrofuturism wrapper uplifts an otherwise decent Metroidvania. As a game, South of Midnight is a charming throwback to PlayStation 2-era action-adventure releases like Kena: Bridge of Spirits. It's a 10-hour trek with a solid mix of platforming, puzzle-solving, and combat.

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The platforming is the strongest element. You quickly unlock a variety of nimble and fluid techniques that make even simple navigation fun on a tactile level. Glide, double jump, wall run, and zipline across landscapes with all the grace of a Jedi in Respawn's Star Wars games. The best sequences force you to stop and think about how to progress, like a vertical clock tower climb that might as well be from Tomb Raider. Each level ends with a chase that tests your reflexes without becoming frustratingly rigid.

As a Weaver, you gain a few powers to solve environmental puzzles. For example, you can summon objects into existence or pull existing items to advantageous new locations. One brainteaser tasks you with igniting a giant lighter to create an updraft so you can glide forward. Hazel can even conjure and fling a little stuffed creature, Crouton, who sneaks through gaps to reach crucial areas.

Combat might be the weak link, but even at its worst, it’s still fine. Hazel fights horrific shadowy foes called Haints. By default, you have basic strikes, dodges, and a Doom-esque glory kill to restore health. But your Weaver powers come in use here, too, not just with puzzles. You can bind enemies, pull them toward you or push them away, or command Crouton to possess them to gain a temporary ally. 

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The skill tree gives combat more depth, and you'll find upgrade points by exploring areas off the beaten path. However, the fighting doesn't have many options. Likewise, there are few enemy types, and encounters occur in the same closed arenas.

South of Midnight successfully executes the many formulas it emulates, and it's a refreshing contrast to modern, bloated AAA releases. It's a tight journey with enough mechanics to feel substantial (unlike the barely interactive Senua's Saga: Hellblade II). Still, those mechanics are more of a lean skeleton to support the excellent story and presentation.

Graphics: Tremendous Visual Style

South of Midnight's setting shines in ways other games do not. The rich environments are full of detail and character, from smalltown swamps to twisted Mardi Gras celebrations. Despite its budget price, the game displays plenty of production value. 

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Speaking of production value, I’m obsessed with the game's soundtrack. Composed by Olivier Deriviere, who also worked on Streets of Rage 4, the background music is full of fun rhythms and jazzy tunes featuring wailing horns and ragtime piano.

But what turns this soundtrack into an all-time great are the numerous vocal tracks full of deep, emotional performances that make the game’s themes hit you like a freight train. I never would've imagined that a fight against a giant alligator could get me so pumped, but when the theme song sounds like Dolly Parton warning you about Sephiroth, you get hyped! Likewise, the Black male pain side story mentioned earlier culminates in a boss fight with soulful lyrics that nearly brought me to tears.

I also love that South of Midnight isn’t photorealistic. The exaggerated, puppet-like character designs contribute to the game's mythic, storybook quality. The expressive, stylized look made me feel for the characters on a human level. The game has a cool stop-motion aesthetic, like The Nightmare Before Christmas or James and the Giant Peach. I only wish the game committed more to this visual style. It’s apparent in cutscenes but easy to miss during gameplay. You can turn it off, but you can't amp it up. Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales proved that stop-motion graphics can work great in games, even if limited to just one costume. 

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I played South of Midnight entirely on Xbox Series S. Judging its frame rate is tough because of the aforementioned intentional stop-motion look, but the game ran well. That said, some textures failed to load, and I experienced a few crashes, including a particularly frustrating one that forced me to redo a major fight just as I neared the conclusion.