South of Midnight

Compulsion Games is a tricky one. This Canadian studio has creative vision that matches the best, but their execution is often of a lower calibre. Take their previous title, We Happy Few, as an example. The idea and concept is astounding and incredibly memorable and unique, but when put into practice the actual video game as a whole lacks a certain level of thrill and coherence. The reason I'm bringing this up is because that's very much the same story as South of Midnight, a game that has been one of my most anticipated projects since its reveal.

South of Midnight follows the young Hazel, a promising athlete from the American Deep South who is sent on a daring mission into folklore and myth after a fateful night where a hurricane essentially steals her house and her mother. Hazel's journey takes her into an unusual world inhabited by creatures of legend used to taunt and terrify children, all in an effort to find her mother and reunite their family. However, there's an added asterisk to this story, and this is that Hazel is a Weaver, a powerful magical user who can tug, untangle, and mend the strands that hold the world together. It's with this power in mind that Hazel finds her journey to save her mother side-tracked by tasks that revolve around freeing and healing fantastical mythological beings.

Again, like We Happy Few, South of Midnight's concept and story is a home run. The creativity and the idea feel entirely fresh and unique and I have nothing but pure applause for Compulsion on this front. The narrative is also one of the stronger elements of this game, presenting an overarching tale that is split into smaller segments that each tell their own typically harrowing or saddening story. Compulsion has flexed its muscles and cooked up a great narrative here, one that has depth, variety, emotional weight, compelling characters, and plenty of twists and turns along the way.

This is matched by the audio-visual presentation of the game. Once again, Compulsion has proven that it can take an idea and offer it up in a striking and engaging manner. Like We Happy Few and its colourful, retro post-War British aesthetic, the Deep South-inspired levels and amazing stop-motion Sea of Thieves-stylised art direction are top-of-the-line and stand out. The characters and particularly the mythological "bosses" are some of the most interesting I've seen in a game, as they don't just stand out, it feels as though entire chapters of the game have been designed around them and their theme. This is even reflected in the soundtrack, which presents songs that are specifically written in relation to each major boss and its narrative arc, all performed with a Deep South beat and tone. It's some of the finest musical work I've come across in a game to date.

And yet, South of Midnight is held back in one very, very key area: the gameplay. It's We Happy Few all over again, where so many parts of the overall whole stand out but the actual experience of playing the game and going from the prologue until the credits roll just doesn't quite click. It's a very linear game, and while I don't have a problem with that at all, the level structure needs to be presented in such a way that platforming, combat, and the little bits of exploration in between all either excel or effectively complement the wider whole. This hasn't quite been achieved in South of Midnight.

The level structure doesn't excite or surprise. If anything, it's too predictable and familiar, with a distinct lack of variety as the story progresses. I typically don't care for collectibles in games, but in South of Midnight this idea lacks too as it's presented in the form of nine total health upgrades across the 14 playable chapters, and otherwise a bunch of lore-expanding readables and spendable Floofs that are used for the progression that also lacks any charisma and feels like it could have been avoided altogether.

Then there's the combat that never really changes from minute one until the final boss fight, with core mechanics that are only marginally spiced up through the introduction of the limited weapons and tools and the variety of enemies, which frankly, aren't very varied at all... There are perhaps five of six different enemy types that are introduced throughout the story, and each do slightly unique things but require Hazel to approach them in almost exactly the same way. Each combat scenario is also fenced off from the wider whole and set in battlegrounds that look the exact same all the way throughout, and it feels simply disappointing that a team with such great creative potential like Compulsion couldn't find a better solution for this core part of the gameplay.

It might sound like I'm bashing the game, but the best example I can provide as to how South of Midnight plays is that it feels like a PlayStation 2 adventure, where mechanical depth was noticeably more limited. Today, we expect more from games and how they engage the player, and South of Midnight in a gameplay sense never really offers this.

But let me stress again that as far as a story and a creative vision goes, South of Midnight is a triumph. This game stands out on those parameters. It's in its own favour that it only takes around 10 hours to beat (and I'm talking about doing everything), because any longer and the limited gameplay would become a serious problem. As it is, South of Midnight is a good game - nothing more, nothing less - one that storytelling-lovers will find enjoyment from and one that fans of tight and refreshing gameplay will find a bit repetitive and flat. Like I've said before, it's We Happy Few all over again...