Video games can take us anywhere, but many are set in familiar surroundings. That’s why South of Midnight Review’s novel premise, a novel exploring the mythology of the American South. Luckily, this addictive PC and Xbox Series X/S title offers a compelling world full of stories and characters. Southern’s no-frills late-night therapeutic performance coach, combined with an affordable price, makes it a 2025 favorite and Editors’ Choice winner.
A Rich, Southern Gothic Tale
South of Midnight on Steam is essentially a coming-of-age mystery. You play as Hazel Flood, a professional actress who lives with her widowed mother. When a heated argument drives the two apart, Hazel must reconcile with her mother before it’s too late. Along the way, she discovers the power of art as a weaver, someone who can see and plan for the future.
The game begins in one location, in this case, the Deep South. However, Hazel’s introspection soon leads her to a quaint Southern Gothic think tank, where various myths and traditions of the region are reinforced. You travel with a talking shark and battle creatures like the multi-armed pedophile Huggin Molly and the Dream Monster. The first compulsive game title, We Happy Few, combined a lot of influences from 1960s British paranoia. South of Midnight Review does the same, offering a refreshing mix of myths that feel like they have a real history.
Hazel is a young African-American Southerner who brings deep meaning, cultural weight, and unique appeal to Southern nights. He is not embarrassed by the long history of mistreatment of black people in the South. Hazel has visions of her ancestors enslaved and grieves for those affected by generational poverty. She has a different relationship with her wealthy white grandfather, who also lives on a farm. It’s not just a story of a black man, it’s a story of a black man on the front lines. The volunteers were French Canadians, but they passionately addressed race issues. The story is enriched by authentic performances from the black cast, including Adrian Ray as Hazel.
Platforming, Puzzles, and Combat
I think playing South of Midnight Review at a table against a left-handed player presents the game differently compared to her. I was looking for something like The Tale of Kenzara: Zou , where the genius of Afrofuturism proposed a different kind of metroidvania. As a game, Middle South is a massive iteration of the action-adventure from Seat 2, reinterpreted as Kana: Bridge of Spirits. It’s a 10-hour adventure with a nice mix of gameplay, puzzle-solving, and combat.
It is a global and national phenomenon. You can unlock various mobile apps and waterproof apps that also allow touch control. Run, double jump, wall jump, and space fly with a Jedi in Respawn’s Star Wars game. The best sequences, like climbing a vertical clock tower straight out of a Tomb Raider game, force you to stop and think about how to proceed. Each level ends with a race that easily tests your strength.
As a fashion designer, you may have the power to solve social problems. For example, you can rename an existing product or move an existing product to a new location. One mind-expanding activity is lighting a large fire that creates enough steam to warm you up. Corellus also performs magic tricks, and the toy, Croton, goes a long way to reach key locations.
The South of Midnight Review competition can be pretty tough, but even at its worst, it’s still fun. Hazel’s fierce battle against the dark enemies of the Hunts. Of course, he has a massive crime, a crime, and a massive murder to relive. But even without the puzzle, this is where your weaving powers come into play. You can grab enemies, pull them in, push them away, or order Croton to befriend them temporarily.
Carpentry skills and accuracy, and gain levels that improve your technique and tactics. However, he is not good at fighting. Also, there are multiple types of enemies, and they appear in the same area in close combat.
Midsummer works well with a wide range of products and stands out from the new AAAs. It has a good pace with realistic visuals (like Senua’s Sacrifice: Hellblade II). But the technology serves as the backbone of the story, and the presentation is excellent.
Graphics: Tremendous Visual Style
The world of South of Midnight Review Sun shines like no other game. The iconic locations are rich in detail and character, from small towns to a unique Mardi Gras celebration. While the game is expensive, the execution is excellent.
Speaking of the production side of the game, the game’s soundtrack is stunning. Written by Olivier Derivière, who also worked on Streets of Rage 4, the score is full of fast-paced rhythms and jazzy beats, with melodious strings and ragtime piano.
Similarly, the aforementioned narrative of black misery becomes a message of encouragement with numbers that almost brought me to tears. I also love that South of Midnight Review isn’t photorealistic. The intricate, doll-like designs evoke that dreamy, fantasy feel. The expression and structure allowed me to empathize with the characters in the human realm. The game has a wonderful aesthetic, like Preschool or James and the Giant Peach. I just want to play that perspective. You see it in cutscenes, but it’s easy to miss during gameplay. You can block it, but you can’t increase it. Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales proves that obstacles can play a big role in entertainment, even if they’re made of a single-piece suit.
I played South of Midnight Review on an Xbox Series. The frame rate was difficult to gauge due to the aforementioned intentional lag, but the game ran smoothly. That said, there were some failed textures, and I encountered a few crashes, one of which was particularly annoying, and I had to replay a major battle before it ended.
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