South of Midnight Preview: A wonderfully unique adventure for those looking for something new

With We Happy Few, Canadian-based Compulsion Games showed they have the ability to create game worlds as unique as they are unexpected. When Microsoft gaming boss Phil Spencer said a few years ago that Compulsion's upcoming title was the one he was personally most excited about out of everything Xbox Game Studios had going on, many became really curious. Myself included.

When it was announced in 2023 that the game in question is to be called South of Midnight and is a fantasy interpretation of the American South, I almost instantaneously fell in love. The American Deep South is very close to my heart and for the past 20 years I have made at least one trip to the region almost every year. Therefore, I tried to keep my head very calm when I finally got the chance to try South of Midnight last week, as having too high expectations is usually the surest way to be disappointed.

In the nearly two-hour portion of the game I got to test, which made up chapter three, I got to take on the role of Hazel, stepping right into an imaginative interpretation of something reminiscent of Louisiana. Exactly what her connection to this strange world is, I'm not told, but it's clear that she's looking for her mother - who was separated from her during a storm - by following a ghost called Mahalia for clues, and exploring newfound Weaver abilities at the same time. At her disposal, Hazel initially doesn't have many tricks in her arsenal other than a double jump and a dash.

However, there are three magic-like abilities, which prove useful mainly in combat: an ability to pull enemies, push them, and Weave too, which is a sort of trapping mechanism. But... when the adventure begins in this session, it's just me and Hazel going on an adventure. The forest and swamp-like area I find myself in is alive and rich thanks to a wide array of wildlife, but these are simply decorations and flair and do not affect the gameplay.

South of Midnight quickly proves to be far more of a platform and puzzle game than I might have expected. There are secrets to be found everywhere, which in this preview-version are mainly extra XP to level up Hazel in a typical level tree style. These appear as a small blue, shimmering cloud and are often hidden behind thorny bushes, high up in trees, or out on some lonely ledge in a swamp.

There's always clear colour-coding to indicate which direction you can go to avoid jumping blindly into inaccessible areas, and the climbing sections in particular feel surprisingly like 3D platforming, while other sections are more reminiscent of games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Gradually, Hazel develops more abilities and soon she can even glide in the air for a brief period and wall run.

I've been focussing on the purely mechanical aspects of South of Midnight, which doesn't feel fair at all, because something that is evidently clear is that this is a game where atmosphere, emotion, and imagination are the most important things. From the very first stumbling steps as Hazel, it's obvious that this is a downright stunningly beautiful adventure. The lush and vast forests and marshlands have been exaggerated here to something almost fairy-tale-like and feel equal parts terrifying, playful, and gorgeous. When a deep red evening sun breaks through the vegetation, I have to stop several times just to gawk at it.

When I do come across buildings and structures, they are simple shacks and the like, often built on wooden frames. Here, elements of Cajun, Native American, voodoo, African-American culture, and the region's folklore are crowded together, creating a world I've simply never seen in a video game before, with the closest comparison probably being 2003's Voodoo Vince... if anyone remembers that. Everything is accompanied by music with elements of jazz, bluegrass, and country, which takes the experience to another level.

The little story I get to enjoy mainly revolves around the giant and colourful catfish we have seen in the trailer and a person called Rhubarb. I'm choosing to be brief with this to spare you spoilers, but be prepared that it quickly becomes much darker than you might think. Everything soon then culminates in a really grand finale, before the adventure takes off to new heights and, unfortunately, my demo ends...

So, where are the battles, you might ask? From what I've seen, South of Midnight has no enemies walking around in the world that come and attack you with prejudice. The enemies are in well-defined locations, so you should be able to choose whether you're ready to take them on or not. The battles are also in a gated area, so once you start a fight, you have to finish it.

Hazel has a regular punch at her disposal, as well as the three magic abilities mentioned earlier. Without being revolutionary, you have all the features you'd expect such as the ability to dodge incoming attacks (and if you time it right, the opponent will take some damage if you select that trait in the level tree), perform combos, push enemies, and then to pull them to you to immobilise them for a short duration to maximise damage. You can then perform an "Untangle" on each defeated enemy to get some health back, and all the battles I took part in also had a single-use healing system to help you out.

The enemies are stylishly designed and terrifying nightmare creatures that come in red and black. They were not particularly difficult to defeat, but there are higher difficulty levels for those who prefer that. From what I understand, based on my time with Hazel, South of Midnight is not a game that is primarily based on battles, but rather the idea is that you should solve puzzles, adventure, soak up the story, and be enchanted by beautiful Southern environments, where the battles are above all used to create excitement and variety.

My first impression of South of Midnight is ultimately favourable and I understand Phil Spencer's hype. It really is something completely different, an adventure for those who want to be surprised and see something new. Sure, the level tree seems to be on the small side and the battles could possibly get monotonous, but on the other hand, the game is said to be around 10-12 hours long, which means that neither the level tree nor the enemies will have time to be worn out before we say goodbye to Hazel and this strange universe. High hopes are a sure-fire way to be disappointed, but having sampled the game, I'm now actually looking forward to the finished product in April even more.