“Deserves to be heard”: My experience with the first three chapters of ‘south of midnight’
Loading into South of Midnight, Compulsion Game’s new third person action-adventure game wows with a pre-rendered cutscene that has a vibrancy and design straight out of a stop-motion film. It feels like a discredit to state my first thought watching this was of Tim Burton’s Coraline, but I mean it as the highest form of compliment I can give. This beauty carries through to the game itself. From a high-octane river chase, to climbing up a towering half tree, half man, South of Midnight never stops showcasing its show stopping graphic fidelity via the Xbox Series X, and though it suffers some from its repetitive combat, South of Midnight deserves to exist and to be played, as it has a story to tell.
Please note this contains spoilers for the first three chapters of South of Midnight
A story Worth Being Told
Speaking of, lets start with something which it seems most reviewers are trying their best to not speak on, the story! South of Midnight so far, provides a story of people, and pain. Hazel is a Weaver, a being with the powers to interact with ‘threads’ to heal the past, discovering this through the tragedy of a hurricane, her mother Lucy being lost within it alongside their house, being ripped from the shore and shunted down river. There is an unspoken animosity between Lucy and Hazel's grandmother, Bunny, a elderly, gauntish looking, rich southern white lady, who’s design I love. Fleeing the Hurricane to Bunny’s mansion, Hazel eventually finds the Weaver’s Hooks, and from here embarks on a journey to rescue her mother. Its an endearing premise, and one which feels more real when you first see the interactions between Hazel and Lucy in the prologue, their chemistry as mother and daughter is clear to see, and feeds nicely into the story's driving force. We learn later on that Hazel’s mother is a social worker, a job which puts an abundance of pressure on here, and has led to the divide between Hazel and Lucy. It's an interesting contrast between Hazel’s paranormal-like powers to mend the past, and Lucy’s real life equivalent. In Chapter Two, Hazel picks up the Weaver Spool and sees visions of ghosts and a past Weaver. It is inferred here that the ghosts the Weaver's helping are escaping slaves, again showing the driving force of the story of that being the aid one can provide people, as well as the pain others go through, and how we can assist.
I will admit that I feel ill-equipped to talk further on the deeper details this story, and Hazel’s character, have in connection to Southern US folklore, and the Southern Black Community. It is clear however, that this story has heart, a passionate tale of a mother daughter bond, interwoven with the pain of the past of not just people, but the black community, and having the strength to overcome that pain. Titokker Valere.Lucis made a fantastic video speaking on the negative reception of South of Midnight and reviewers insistence on not touching the story, and the damage this can do to the industry as a whole. You can watch this here .Stories from all communities deserve to be heard, especially South of Midnight, I cannot wait to finish the game in full and experience the full story of Hazel Flood.
Gameplay flair, combat mare, Hate it? I do not dare.
The game’s flair continues into its gameplay. Though the game gives the look of a stop-motion epic, the gameplay is anything but rigid. When following the past Weaver, you begin to unlock more traversal abilities, including a double jump, glide and wall run. Altogether, these design choices render Hazel’s movements full free flowing and a joy to execute. It is also just satisfying to double jump and glide your way between areas, dodging the water and perilous drops. However, for me, the same cannot be said about the combat, the games seemingly biggest criticism,which I dislike being a part of, but cannot shake that something is missing. South of Midnight’s combat comes ever so close to a rewarding experience that never takes hold. When you receive the strand pull/push, as well as the ability to tangle enemies, combat does suddenly feel fresh and enjoyable compared to its Chapter One counterpart. This however quickly becomes monotonous and dry, a ‘go here and do this’ design to the combat experience which leaves a lot to be desired, and with the ‘Haints’ posing little to zero threat for the player, and a skill tree with slim pickings of combat customization, it becomes clear that for South of Midnight, the combat is just a vehicle for the story. Not a bad thing if the combat is fun, sadly here however, it loses its vigor as quickly as it gains it. But yet, I cannot call this game bad or not worth playing, because it just oozes with creativity and love. From the stop-motion animation style, to the aforementioned character designs, each brimming with so much personality, you know how x character will act just on their clothing or body shape, to the Southern Folklore and mythological themes, Compulsion Games poured their souls into this. The level design, though linear, provides ample opportunities for the smooth gameplay to shine, whether this be a chase sequence through a dream-like world, or climbing up a Tree-Man whilst his brother sings about trapping him within said tree, before you clear his ‘wound’ and heal his soul. It is a beautiful game, in story, and in design.This can be said about the Haints too, and the mythological creatures that abide within the game. Though they do not provide much of a challenge combat wise, Haints move in janky, bone-cracking ways which put you on edge, waiting for them to jump at you. Or the Nest, which looks like a blackened heart that spits mosquito-like enemies through its almost valve-like holes. I know there is more for me to see, the famous Floridian Alligator ‘Two-Toed Tom’ to Alabama’s ‘Huggin’ Molly’, but what has been provided so far is a look into a set of folklore that rarely is delved into within the video game industry, and i am happy that Compulsion games took the plunge.
Conclusion
South of Midnight so far for me has proven it deserves to exist, however, it should not need to do this. From its stunning visuals to the heart gripping story, the game should be on everyone’s radar regardless of its combat miscomings. But it extends further from this. The gaming community has become more toxic as the years have gone on. I have seen great titles be turned down or fail financially due to the colour of the protagonists skin, or their gender identity or sexuality. I can only ask why? Why do this? Why disallow the world a view into the lives of other communities, into other cultures and histories? It is a sad reality that racism, homophobia and all-round hatred still exist inside both the political, and gaming worlds, to the point where games like South of Midnight must fight to exist. It is a sad reality that we must fight against, so more games like this can be made.
Because from my experience so far, South of Midnight deserves to be heard.
