South of Midnight Review: A Gorgeous Game with a Gameplay Problem

South of Midnight Review: The Most Beautiful Game You'll Barely Want to Play

Imagine Coraline met Princess and the Frog, took a road trip through the haunted swamplands of the Deep South, and soundtracked the whole thing with a vinyl crackle of swampy jazz and blues. That’s South of Midnight—a game that doesn’t just dip its toes into folklore but dives headfirst into bayou magic, Southern myth, and otherworldly wonder.

From the very first thunderclap, this Xbox exclusive sets a tone unlike anything else on the 2025 calendar. You’re not just playing a game—you’re stepping into a living, breathing ghost story. It’s strange. It’s soulful. And at its heart is Hazel, a teen heroine as fiery and complex as the storms swirling above her head.

But here's the twist: for all its artistic brilliance and storytelling gold, South of Midnight carries a burden—it’s trapped in gameplay that doesn’t quite keep up. This isn’t a disaster, but it’s a case of style overshadowing substance. And yet… there’s still magic in the muck.

A Heroine With Heart, and a World Full of Weird

Hazel isn’t your average video game protagonist. She’s not a warrior princess, not a battle-hardened soldier—she’s a teenage girl from a southern town that’s more water than ground these days. After a catastrophic flood tears her life apart, sweeping her mother away, Hazel is thrust into a role she never asked for: a Weaver. Think swamp witch meets healer meets folk-magic guardian. She’s got the heart, the strength, and yes, the magic, to hold her world—and maybe ours—together.

The beauty of South of Midnight is that it never treats its setting or its folklore like window dressing. This isn’t some shallow aesthetic slapped on a fantasy game. This world breathes Southern culture. From the way Hazel talks to the music she hears to the colors that guide your path—everything is steeped in real-life tradition. That blue paint you see on climbable ledges? It’s “haint blue,” a legit Southern tradition used to keep away evil spirits and floodwaters. The devs didn’t just make a world—they researched it.

The story is emotionally driven, with real stakes and genuine character development. Hazel’s personal quest to save her mom becomes something much bigger: a journey into the heart of Southern myth, filled with creatures pulled from dusty local legends and given new life. And while it easily could’ve gone down a preachy or performative road, it doesn’t. This isn’t “woke” for the sake of it—it’s rooted in authentic storytelling. And that makes it powerful, heartfelt, and refreshingly different.

Soundtrack of the Year, Anyone?

Let’s not tiptoe around it—South of Midnight might have just dropped the most immersive, goosebump-inducing soundtrack of the year. Every boss you encounter doesn’t just come with a health bar—they come with a song. A full, original composition crafted in deep southern jazz, blues, and folk. It’s not just ambiance—it’s storytelling.

Take Two-Toed Tom, the legendary gator with eyes like coals and a mouth full of doom. Not only is he an actual piece of Southern folklore, but the game gives him his own haunting, horn-filled anthem that kicks in during his boss fight. The music isn’t just something you hear—it hits you. You feel it in your bones. And the best part? Every major enemy gets the same treatment. Each track is stitched together with the lore of the character it’s tied to.

And it’s not just the battle tracks. From the soft, eerie melodies that hum through the marshes to the slow, soulful ballads that play in key cutscenes, every audio cue has purpose. The voice acting is spot-on too—full of southern charm and grit. It’s rare that a game’s sound design feels this intentional, this alive.

It’s clear Compulsion Games poured heart and soul into the soundtrack, and it pays off in a big way. If the story is the spine of South of Midnight, then the music is its heartbeat. It elevates the quiet moments, amplifies the drama, and ties every mystical thread together into something that just feels right.

The Gameplay... Not So Much

Unfortunately, while the worldbuilding and narrative elements are firing on all cylinders, the gameplay mechanics pull a hard left turn into “meh” territory. South of Midnight looks like a next-gen adventure, but often plays like something out of 2008. Combat, in particular, feels like a missed opportunity wrapped in pretty effects.

At its core, the combat boils down to one primary attack button, a few timed abilities on cooldowns, and some very basic enemy AI. There are no combo systems, no parrying, no sense of rhythm or flow. You hit, you wait, you hit again. And then you wonder when something more exciting is going to happen—but it doesn’t. Even as you unlock “upgrades,” the combat never evolves beyond its painfully simple loop.

Worse, there's barely any real difficulty. Even when you’re swarmed by enemies or your health bar dips low, the game never delivers that “oh crap” moment that gets your blood pumping. It’s like the game is gently patting you on the head, saying “you’re doing great!” while robbing you of any real tension.

There’s a huge disconnect here between how good this game looks and sounds and how dull it often feels to play. It’s like someone gave you a five-star meal but forgot to add seasoning. You’ll still enjoy the view, but you’ll be quietly wishing for a bit more kick with every bite.

Platforming? Surprisingly Good

Now, not everything on the gameplay front is a downer—because the platforming? Surprisingly fun. There’s a smoothness to the way Hazel moves through the world that makes traversal genuinely enjoyable. Whether you're scrambling up a vine-covered shack or leaping across crumbling bayou platforms, the movement system feels tight, responsive, and polished.

The world is clearly built with verticality and exploration in mind. And honestly? Just being in this world is a treat. The scenery is so beautifully rendered, and the transitions between areas are so fluid, that even simple traversal feels rewarding. There’s a rhythm to the movement—one that occasionally tricks you into forgetting how simple the combat is.

That said, it still stumbles in one key area: challenge. There are a few sequences—like rising floodwaters as you scale a treehouse or avoiding falling debris—that look intense but are designed with such generous timing that you’ll rarely fail. It’s more like scenic jogging than actual survival.

Collectibles are another mixed bag. They’re satisfying to find, but not because they’re cleverly hidden or hard to reach. They’re mostly just... there. By the end of my playthrough, I had nearly 100% completion without breaking a sweat. And the reward for all that exploration? Meh. The upgrade tree is so barebones that finding new items doesn’t feel like a big deal.

So yes, movement is a win. But like everything else in South of Midnight's gameplay department, it stops just short of truly pushing you. And that’s the running theme here: amazing ideas, beautifully presented, but rarely fully explored.

But Let's Talk About Crouton

Let’s take a moment to appreciate the MVP of South of Midnight: Crouton. Yes, that’s the name of Hazel’s hand-crafted puppet sidekick, and yes, he’s as weird and wonderful as you’d hope. If this game had merch, I guarantee Crouton plushies would be flying off shelves faster than you could say “tea-sipping possum.”

Functionally, Crouton isn’t just comic relief—he’s an essential part of exploration. Hazel can send him crawling through tight nooks and hidden crawlspaces she can’t reach herself. But what really makes these moments shine are the little worlds you discover through Crouton’s eyes. One minute you’re stumbling into a miniature parlor where woodland creatures have gathered for a jazz-infused tea party, and the next you’re witnessing a group of eerie dolls staging a silent rebellion. These aren’t just gimmicks—they’re lovingly crafted vignettes that drip with personality.

Honestly, these sequences are some of the most memorable parts of the game. They capture the essence of South of Midnight better than most of the combat or platforming ever does. It’s like the developers were whispering, “Hey, this is the weird magical stuff we really wanted to show you.”

If anything, Crouton ends up being a bittersweet reminder of the untapped potential elsewhere in the game. More interactions like his, more environmental storytelling like this, and South of Midnight could have leaned harder into its strengths—and we’d all be better for it. Crouton’s charm is undeniable, and it’s a shame the rest of the game doesn’t always match his creative spark.

A Work of Art, Trapped in Basic Design

South of Midnight is the kind of game that feels like it should be on every “Best of the Year” list. It’s got heart. It’s got soul. It oozes with personality and shows a level of artistic intent you just don’t see every day. Every corner of its world is painted with folklore, charm, and care. The characters stick with you. The music burrows into your brain. The vibe? Immaculate.

And yet, as much as I want to scream from the rooftops that this is a must-play, the reality is a little more complicated.

The problem isn’t what’s here—it’s what’s not. The combat never evolves, the exploration rarely challenges, and by the time the credits roll, you’re left wondering how such a breathtakingly imaginative game can feel so mechanically… flat. It’s like someone built a world of wonder and handed you a rubber mallet to explore it with.

Don’t get me wrong—South of Midnight is worth experiencing. It’s one of Xbox’s most original exclusives in years, and it deserves recognition for taking bold creative swings. But it also serves as a reminder that artistry alone can’t carry a game. It needs the mechanical backbone to support its ambition.

Right now, South of Midnight feels like a handcrafted canoe drifting down a stunning, soulful river—only to keep bumping into shallow sandbars. Still a journey worth taking, but not quite the smooth, unforgettable ride it could have been.

South of Midnight is a strange, beautiful paradox. It’s like reading a gorgeously illustrated fairy tale—only to find half the pages missing. It’s a game that swings for the stars with its art, music, and narrative, and yet stumbles when it comes to the thing we do most in games: playing them. Still, even with its gameplay tripping over its own ambition, South of Midnight is a journey worth taking. It may not always challenge your reflexes, but it’ll absolutely stir your imagination. And when Crouton crawls into another little nook to find a secret tea party hosted by a jazz-playing raccoon? That’s when the magic hits. Sometimes, soul matters more than polish—and this one’s got soul to spare.

Don’t drift too far—more magical gaming reviews await you at Land of Geek Magazine!

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