Jeff Brutlag

When I saw the announcement trailer for South of Midnight, I knew I was hooked immediately. The more I heard about how it would feature fantastical folklore from the American Deep South, the more I craved it. It’s a type of fantasy I don’t often see in gaming, and I was ready to see what all it had to offer.

Thanks to Xbox and Compulsion Games, I got to try the game early. After working my way through the whole story (which helped me cope through a gross bout of allergies), I’m so glad they gave me the opportunity. This game has an artistry and personality to it that make it stand out from any game even remotely like it, and that alone is why you should at least give it a shot. The more you play it, the more you see how lovingly the team crafted every bit of it.

South of Midnight follows the story of Hazel Flood, a young woman whose house gets swept away by a terrible hurricane with her mother still inside. In a desperate attempt to outrun the storm and chase after the house, Hazel discovers she’s a Weaver, one who has magical access to The Grand Tapestry, a magical connection to Weavers who came before her, that guides her to where pain, loss, and suffering has become a physical presence on the land. She uses the magic from the Tapestry to unravel the demonic Haints that attack her along the way, reweave Stigma formed from trauma that spreads through the land like a cancer, and release the painful memories that keep them tethered to earth. As she unravels the pain from those she encounters, she gains perspective on the pain she feels about her mother becoming less present in her life.

From start to finish, this game is jam-packed with beautiful sights, engaging gameplay, and memorable personalities. Any direction you point the camera has a display of artistry, be it a gorgeous sunset in the forest, or a quirky billboard, that keeps the world feeling lively. The combat is enough to hold your focus, satisfying to get right, with a plethora of customization based on how much of a challenge you want. The characters are all so beautifully crafted, with complex, intriguing stories that have you examining every angle how trauma burdens you, and those around you. Hazel made for such a perfect protagonist with her mature, but fresh perspective on situations she’s never had to go through. She’s funny, smart, head-strong, and so easy to root for because from the moment you meet her, you can tell her heart is always in the right place, even as she’s making mistakes.

Oh, and the music? Bop after bop. As a former band kid, I just know the band recording this music must have been having a blast, because I know I would.

South of Midnight’s strongest features for me were the homages to the American Deep South, and the delicate way it handled themes of loss, grief, and living with trauma. I can’t recall a fantasy game that’s even comparable to this one, bringing Southern folklore to life in ways that will mark its territory as one-of-a-kind. The haunting portrayal of trauma and pain festering in the land through demonic, putrid Haints brought a macabre factor that, as a horror fan, truly excited me, yet I don’t feel it was spooky enough to fend off those who avoid scary games. The representations of folklore through legends like Huggin’ Molly, and cultural practices like cleansing evil through bottle trees felt loving, like a true celebration from a team that holds these stories close to their hearts.

That heart beats through the story and themes of this game, reminding us that empathy can be our greatest strength against our most horrifying obstacles. Hazel’s commentary on the tragic tales of those whose pain turned into Stigma on the land reminds us that good people can make mistakes, and that there’s usually a story on why someone is “bad” (but never an excuse). Even the most heinous of characters have an element to them that makes you hesitate to call them evil, showing that great suffering can bleed our hearts dry, forcing us to scramble our way to feeling alive again. With grief, loss, and trauma being a great equalizer among us, it’s always appreciated when stories like these humanize what it’s like to live with that pain.

In a time where we could all use a little more empathy, South of Midnight really stood out to me through how it tackled the role others can play in “unraveling” the hurt in those around us. Hazel’s main goal, no matter what she encounters, is to save her mom, but it often requires her to unravel strangers’ pain through witnessing their most heartbreaking moments. The metaphor isn’t too thinly veiled in that, if she can empathize with ghosts of their past, surely she can understand the woman who loves her most, but I think the story goes even deeper than that.

The game reminds us at every step that empathy, while, yes, is something we feel, is something we have to practice, even when it isn’t easy. It was important for Hazel’s journey to understand that pain can run so deep, it becomes toxic to one’s self and the world around them. Because we start the story with her lashing out at her mom for not being around, seeing her apply a kind heart to damaged souls in The Grand Tapestry is so important in showing that hurting others can be a result of being hurt, ourselves. Though there’s a magical application to how she alleviates their pain, there’s such a simplicity to how simply she listens and understands, that really drives an important lesson home for the player.

Pain, grief, and sorrow can be so heavy, sometimes in ways that we can’t quite relate to, but it can be as easy as saying “I get why you’re hurting” to make that pain feel a little lighter. It might seem like such a small, simple act, like a drop in a bayou, but the ripple effect is the most powerful part about it. Sometimes that’s all it can take to keep someone’s spirits up, and help unravel some pain that you may be holding onto, yourself. It’s not that you owe everyone empathy, but there’s a gratifying feeling to listen when someone really needs it. I think South of Midnight illustrates that feeling with a breathtaking level of beauty. 

If I were nitpicking to find any notes I’d give about this game, I’d say that the combat, in my opinion, while flashy and graceful to watch, eventually loses its steam, and the game ended a little too abruptly. The boss fights were all stellar (except for one that was just multiple waves of enemies we fought throughout the whole game), but the combat otherwise started to feel a little more like a chore. I think a few more nuances, like more options for ranged combat, or even some creative mini-bosses along the way could have kept it feeling fresh the whole time. 

While I’m not at all upset about the conclusion of the game, it felt like the game set itself up for a grand finale, only to give us a quick cut-scene before rolling the credits. The ending made sense to me, and it was the perfect development for the characters involved, but it was like the game handed me a cake with not nearly enough frosting. Sure, it was good, and all the components were there, but it could have been just a tad bit sweeter if there was a bit more to chew on. 

I want to give another huge thank you to Xbox and Compulsion Games for giving me the opportunity to play this game ahead of launch day, days I used to do a couple streams of it on my Twitch channel. South of Midnight has beauty and personality that give it a presence unlike any other. Every beat of this fantastical adventure is filled with love for the culture it represents, and passion for showing its audience that just a bit of your kindness can unravel the stigma from unimaginable pain.

South of Midnight is available on Xbox, Xbox Game Pass, and Steam, and I think you deserve to experience this stunning game.