I miss the 2005-2015 games where they use to be linear with a little story trying to be unique in its own way, some magic tricks and a distinct vibe. This game takes me back to those times.

When talking about South of Midnight I think it's important to keep some perspectives in check, this isn't some crazy new AAA Microsoft funded behemoth, this is a much more quaint project, a linear level-based game mostly consisting of platforming, some combat arenas in-between said platforming, and a sort of episodic narrative of short stories of the people and monsters you meet on your travels. For those who've played "Kena: Bridge of Spirits" this kind of structure will feel pretty familiar; same with those of a love of Xbox360 "adventure" games. Your "Enslaved" and "Remember Me"s. Nothing life changing from a gameplay perspective but a nice journey through some sites and sounds that doesn't overstay its welcome.

And while I do adore the style visually and do like the narrative (even if I think in terms gameplay the ending is a bit of a let down) I gotta say that the music and sound team do a lot of heavy lifting here and, while I do not want to insult the talents or efforts of anyone involved who all clearly worked hard and did a great job doing so, it is hard to not argue that many of the most memorable moments of this game is hard carried by its dynamic soundtrack and song choices that constantly elevate every scene in both mood and narrative. Without that soundtrack this game is okay, with it it is something far above that (Although at the time of this review the song lyrics don't have a subtitle option and.... please let the song lyrics have subtitles in the future, thanks).

I know in a world of hundred hour never-ending games there's this perception that 35 quid for an 11-12 hour game is somehow steep but honestly I think you're getting a good deal here, for what it was it was fun and it was really interesting to see characters and folklore that I don't ever really see in games, it stands out as something worth experiencing because of that unique setting and, with the fact that the structure of the game is somewhat episodic I would actually love to visit this world again some time because, as much as I'm glad this game didn't overstretch itself, it's hard not to feel like we're just scratching the surface of some wonderful adventures.

That said, to the devs, if you do ever return to this world make sure to bring Olivier Deriviere with you because I've believed for a while that he is one of if not the industry's greatest game composer's and... yeah he is not shaking off that reputation anytime soon :)

Despite whatever flaws this has the story, art, music and acting more than make up for it. For a retelling of Alice in Wonderland it's remarkable. But honestly the moment the Cheshire Cat, I mean Catfish, says "Look at 'dem nice duds. Did you get a promotion at the Piggly Wiggly?" this became one of my favorite games ever.

The gameplay is fun without being too difficult or easy. The artstyle & soundtrack are both banging. The story is really interesting and all of the characters feel like real people that you could meet in your day to day.

Really glad games like this are still being made. It reminds me of a time in gaming thats long past, when more studios were able to take risks and make something original. Compulsion games has done that with this beautiful game. I am loving my time with it and i thank the devs for creating it! Bravo

The gameplay is alot like Creatures of Ava or Lego Horizons. Clearing nests of "stigma" and getting more story as you clear the areas. Fighting a boss and getting the rest of the story. It's about 12 hours.

The story on the surface is a coming of age tale but how it is woven into the lore of the land is beautiful. Tragically so beautiful, were some of the stories. I got early access and have played 3 times in depth and have consistently cried in the same places. As a parent, it hits hard in some places. I can't stop playing because the little pieces of the story are so tiny but the emotional toll is so big.

I have the premium version and the art books are awesome. The soundtrack is great. There's even jam sessions!! So good! So proud and happy! I am finding more and more secrets and understanding the story deeper, every time I play. I'm proud to have been among some of the first who played.

Despite a strong start, this game quickly nose-dives and devolves into fighting the same 5 enemies over and over again.

I really wanted to like this game. The setting, the visuals, the music, everything seemed to be right up my alley and for about the first 2-3 hours it was. I was really enjoying myself and having a great time.

Then it feels like Compulsion games decided "hey, they've passed the refund time period, we're good." and just stopped trying. The story beats become fewer and farther between, it's still the same 5 enemies through the whole game and the last boss battle isn't even a boss battle. It's just fighting a few waves of the same 5 enemies over and over again and killing the enemies hurts the boss.

The final confrontation with the big bad is LITERALLY a cut scene conversation which at the end of it, the main antagonist just sort of walks off the screen and that's it. Roll Credits. We got your money! Hahahaha.

The graphics are awesome and the music is super fun, but the controls are god awful. The target lock-on is the worst. Constantly I'd try and lock onto the enemy RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME and the lock-on would randomly pick some enemy in the back and the lock-on cursor is so bad it's hard to tell in the middle of battle so I'd end up flinging a very costly spell at an enemy across the battlefield that I couldn't reach and then I'd be stuck waiting for the recharge timer.

What an absolute waste of a promising premise and start...and my money.

"the roots of this trouble go deep"

this game is far too short, but i was so impressed with it - from the soulful music to the lively character design, everything about it is beautiful. the story had me tearing up through multiple points, it pulls on ALL your heart strings. this game shines a light on the dark history of the southern united states, but it's also a genuine representation of the hospitality and empathy the south has always been known for.

"We The Happy Few," was a surprise hit for me. I played it a long time after initial release and I absolutely enjoyed almost everything about the game. Some of the world design was iffy but it was incredibly immersive and overall a very good game. I had played "Contrast," before but had no clue it was by the same dev so for me, We the Happy Few is how I learned of Compulsion Games. Since I played "WTHF," I've been very eager to see what Compulsion put out next. They did not disappoint.

This game has beautiful art style and design. The audio is also absolutely fantastic. I honestly cannot believe how good the soundtrack is. The story is good. Don't let the fairy talesque art and embellishments fool you. This game is DARK. One of the earlier levels caught me completely off-guard cause I was expecting it to be a bit dark.... not THAT dark. I absolutely love it.

Now... Time for the Elephant in the room. The combat is O'Kay. I can only speak from my experience but I read that it was super easy before I started playing. Since it was so basic I selected the hardest difficulty and it's been perfectly fine. The first couple of chapters were hard while I was trying to find the rhythm of the combat. Once I got to Chapter 3/4 it started to be come just hard enough to be challenging but I've been having fun mixing up the skills and trying to figure out how to best play the "arena."

People have also complained about the length of the game. Well...that's entirely based on how you play. There are 14 chapters roughly. I've been completing a chapter every hour or so and am not even halfway through the game. I'm currently sitting at almost at 7 hours. There are lots of little nooks to check for collectibles and upgrade material which is find because I find the exploration enjoyable. Overall play time is what you make of it. If you wanna just beeline to the end...yeah it's gonna be short.

If you liked Kena: Bridge of Spirits but felt the combat was a little over-tuned than this is the total opposite. It's half-baked but if you set the difficulty accordingly I think there is fun to be had with it. On the other hand Kena was fun but pretty light on story. This is the opposite and VERY well written with an enjoyable main character. Easy recommendation.

South of Midnight is a game of beauty, music and stories set in the deep south. As a weaver you will mend the broken souls of those whose tragic stories will move you.


You play as Hazel who tries to save their mother when your house along with her get swept downstream during a hurricane. On your way to find her you discover you're a weaver, a person who can find pieces of broken individuals' souls and bring them peace by sewing up their deepest wounds through magic.

As you progress through the game you will gain new upgrades for your basic spells. When you can learn each upgrade is locked behind story progression but once unlocked you spend your upgrade points (earned by collecting Floofs in the game or combat and there is plenty to find to upgrade your skills at a good rate). The game is linear and there are no side quests or loot to find outside of Floofs for upgrading your skills.


Okay the good stuff. The narrative is the strength of this game. The stories are raw, emotional and do not shy away from the tragedies that have befallen these poor souls. Yes there are trigger warnings and for a very good reason. Themes of abuse, neglect and death are all explored but done so in such a heartfelt and real way. I loved the stories and all the characters you meet along the way. The voice acting and music were also top notch across the board.

Now for the not so good. The combat. The combat feels good but it is so repetitive with the same enemies and the same moves. Each chapter is laid out the same, and you have a few fights to clear out the area and collect souls in each one. There are major bosses that you encounter but most of the time it is the same enemies and same format. And the platforming…well it gets old too. And there is a lot of it, much more than what I would have liked.

Moving around feels good enough but there are some sections where you have to run away from this evil entity chasing you at the end of each later chapter before cleansing the soul of the person you're trying to help. It is not timed but they can catch you and you die having to restart at the last saved checkpoint. It was more frustrating than fun in those parts.


Settings & features include; there is a whole host of settings to tweak your experience for your system. Too many to name but all your usual ones. Also many different difficulties from story mode (no real challenge in combat) up to hardcore. I played on normal mode for my run-through.

❗ I started having crashes around chapter 9 or a little halfway though the game (the devs are aware and looking into it). Also every time I made changes to rebind some keys they would not save upon exiting and re-entering the game. The devs are also aware of this problem. You just have to, at the moment, reset them every time you boot up the game.


I don't really need to say how beautiful this game is. You can see it in the stills and the trailers. The world is gorgeous and each character is full of personality. Also the art style is subjective. You either gravitate towards that art style or you do not. For myself I really enjoyed it. Very Tim Burton or Coraline inspired.

What personally blew me away however was the level of detail in the environments. The small touches that brought the interiors to life and made them feel lived in or the lighting. To say I took “some screen captures” would be an understatement.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3463506920
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3463538712


Overall I enjoyed this game from the standpoint of the stories, artwork, music and characters. I loved every story and meeting each character and hearing their tragic tales. Also the backdrop of putting this game in the deep south was such an interesting move. We rarely, if ever, get games set in the deep south with its deep folklore and music.

Honestly it is the combat that drags this game down, not in the mechanics but in its repetitiveness of the enemies. Combat and platforming got very tedious halfway through the game and at that point I was playing to see more of the story and just tolerating the combat to keep the narrative going.

So as far as recommendations I would say yes, but on sale. I bought the standard version and the hours I got out of it may seem short for the price. But honestly, time (in terms of length) is not important to me. It is the quality of the time invested. I hope they put a story mode in, I know people have asked and it is a good idea as that is the games strength. That was my experience, hopefully it can guide you to a more informed decision if you're on the fence about buying it. ✨

Also note it is on gamepass too.

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This game was purchased by me for my personal library. On occasion I share my experiences with the groups I write for to help bring attention to games I’ve personally purchased and wish to give more exposure too.

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