Many games are set in America, but few truly capture the essence of being American. This isn't about lacking patriotism or the absence of red, white, and blue motifs. While numerous games may incorporate the country's landmarks, stars, and cities, and even touch upon its politics, they often fail to delve into the core of American culture. South of Midnight, a fresh Xbox action-platformer available now, stands out in this regard.

Created by Compulsion Games, South of Midnight intricately weaves elements of American culture, Southern myths, and tales in a manner rarely seen in games. It's not all rosy; much of it is steeped in sorrow and hardship. This is the stark reality of American history. South of Midnight doesn't shy away from these truths. Instead, it brings to the forefront issues of race, slavery, poverty, generational trauma, and mortality. Due to its rich, intricate, and frequently painful history, the South has cultivated a distinctive and beautiful folkloric tapestry of tall tales, heroes, and monsters. South of Midnight allows you to weave and unravel this tapestry through a 12-13 hour single-player journey set in a mystical yet grounded version of the American South.

In South of Midnight, you step into the shoes of a young Black woman named Hazel Flood. She is an accomplished athlete with a mother deeply devoted to aiding abused children. This dedication causes some tension between them, yet Hazel remains deeply caring towards her mother. When a hurricane sweeps their trailer down the river, Hazel pursues it, finding herself in a peculiar and magical iteration of the South, filled with sinister ghostly creatures known as haints, who linger in our realm after enduring great suffering.

Fortunately, early in the game, you discover that Hazel possesses a unique gift. She is a Weaver, someone capable of perceiving the threads of reality and manipulating space and time using magical tools like sewing needles. The previous Weaver was a former slave who aided others in escaping to freedom. Throughout the game, Hazel explores her powers and her connection to the world through this woman's story and her mission to help a family escape slavery.

Being a video game, Hazel's newfound weaving abilities also allow her to excel in combat, perform double jumps, and solve puzzles. However, this is where South of Midnight starts to fray a bit.

The game's combat takes place in confined, arena-like spaces where enemies spawn until defeated, allowing you to "pop" a cursed segment of the world and escape the encounter. This sequence repeats often in South of Midnight, quickly becoming monotonous, partly because each battle feels similar and the combat is adequate but not exceptional. You can dodge, charge attacks, and have access to a stun and some upgrades. If you've played a video game in the past decade, this won't feel particularly thrilling or unique. It's not terrible, just somewhat stale and arguably the weakest element of South of Midnight.

Hazel's Weaver abilities become more engaging during platforming and puzzle-solving segments, and I wish these elements were more prevalent in the game, as opposed to the numerous arenas you must battle through to reach the finale, which is another large combat arena that left me feeling discontented.

Multiplatform

South of Midnight

• BACK OF THE BOX QUOTE

  "Save your mother while learning that monsters and magic are real!"

• TYPE OF GAME

  Linear third-person action-platformer with RPG-like upgrades.

• LIKED

  The world, visuals, music, writing, main character, creatures and critters.

• DISLIKED

  Repetitive combat encounters, early levels aren’t as good as later ones.

• DEVELOPER

  Compulsion Games

• PLATFORMS

  Xbox Series X/S (Played), PC

• RELEASE DATE

  April 8 (Early access April 3)

• PLAYED

  About 13 hours. Finished it.

Ultimately, here's the thing: despite the combat being merely adequate, the rest of the game is so impressive that I'm willing to overlook the less exciting parts.

The world of South of Midnight is stunningly crafted. The stop-motion-like animations of characters and creatures enhance the painted, hand-crafted aesthetic of each level. Every location in South of Midnight is meticulously detailed, adorned with small touches like distant animals or the sound of cicadas, creating a lively, stylized portrayal of the deep South. And it's not just swamps.

South of Midnight offers a diverse range of settings, from unsavory places like a town inundated with pig waste-filled water to serene forests dotted with abandoned company towns and slave quarters. Throughout the journey, remarkable lighting distinguishes each area, from sunlit levels that feel hot and muggy to eerie swamps that are claustrophobic and shadowy. I spent considerable time in South of Midnight, capturing screenshots of every level, and I'm certain I'm not alone.

An integral part of South of Midnight's charm is its exceptional Southern music. Many levels feature songs with lyrics directly tied to the mythical or supernatural entity or creature you're encountering, all rooted in authentic Southern folklore.

Some songs, like a twangy Dolly Parton-esque tune about a colossal gator named Two-Toed Tom, lingered with me long after playing. These tracks range from country to blues to jazz, featuring banjos, acoustic guitars, lyrics about heaven and hell, and folk singers delivering sometimes melancholic allegories of the past. It's unlike any video game soundtrack I've heard this year, and it will remain with me long after I've moved on to other games.

South of Midnight is likely to be a game that some players might abandon after just a few hours. A significant reason will be that the combat doesn't particularly stand out. The initial levels, though visually stunning and accompanied by fantastic music, aren't as thrilling as what follows once the game grants you additional abilities, like a double jump.

Yet, if you can persevere through these challenges, you'll uncover a remarkable and heartfelt journey through American history and Southern folklore, unlike any game I've played before. Much like the South itself, South of Midnight is a complex, messy, yet often beautiful and passionate experience worth exploring.

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