South of Midnight: A Hauntingly Beautiful Adventure

South Of Midnight Review Hazel Flood's desperate search for her mother, Lacey, after a devastating hurricane hits the town of Prospero, leads her to uncover a hidden legacy. She discovers she is descended from an ancient line of Weavers, women who can manipulate the very fabric of reality. Now, Hazel must harness these newfound abilities to save her mother and unravel a painful history woven into the heart of her community.

Set in a fictionalized, folklore-infused American Deep South, *South of Midnight* offers a uniquely captivating world. Compulsion Games, known for *We Happy Few* and *Contrast*, paints Prospero with dreamlike colors and mesmerizing light. The game employs a patchwork aesthetic for fantastical creatures and uses a mock stop-motion style to animate characters, giving them a marionette-like feel. The visuals are further enhanced by an incredible soundtrack featuring both instrumental pieces and original vocal tracks.

Gameplay Shortcomings Unfortunately, the gameplay doesn't quite live up to the visual splendor. Hazel's journey feels like a linear trek through a world that is more corridor than open space – an endless series of forest paths and swamp trails.

The game relies on familiar mechanics: *Uncharted*-style climbing, somewhat illogical double jumps and air glides, and ethereal platforms that Hazel can solidify using her Weaving powers. These abilities are presented without much explanation, Hazel accepting her powers with little questioning.

Limited Exploration and Basic Mechanics While there are occasional branching paths that hint at exploration, they primarily serve to hide lore notes and "Floofs," the energy source used to upgrade Hazel's Weaving abilities. Ironically, finding these items is easy thanks to a spell that guides Hazel to her next objective – simply going the opposite direction often reveals hidden treasures. The mechanics are incredibly basic.

Combat and Emotional Depth The combat is a series of scripted encounters in designated arenas. In each battle, Hazel faces "Haints," monsters born from the accumulated pain of the land. She fights them off before clearing the "Stigma" attracting them and returning to the linear path. Weaver-borne combat abilities, such as charged attacks and the ability to briefly possess enemies using Crouton, Hazel's childhood stuffed toy, do little to elevate the experience. Despite these shortcomings, *South of Midnight* possesses a strange charm.

Its ambitious ideas and bizarre creatures, like the giant talking Catfish who acts as Hazel's mentor, are oddly compelling. Some of its plot points carry unexpected emotional weight, evoking empathy for even the trees within the game's world. The voice cast is also impressive, with Adriyan Rae as Hazel and Walt Roberts as the Catfish standing out. Although dated gameplay and rigid linearity hold it back, *South of Midnight* can still weave its Southern charms if you can overlook these relics of older game design.