Review: South of Midnight (PS5) – The Most Beautiful Simple Game

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South of Midnight is exactly the type of game Microsoft needs to consistently release to make Xbox Game Pass a real success.

South of Midnight is a solid 12-hour game, but it doesn’t really offer anything new in terms of gameplay. What does make it special is its incredible visual and audio design – it’s so beautiful and well-crafted that it’s still a compelling experience, even with familiar gameplay.

This PS5 version of We Happy Few is the same as the game already available on Xbox Series X|S and PC. It doesn’t include any new content, expansions, or features, so players who have already experienced it don’t need to buy it again.

If you’re new to the game, you’ll discover a story inspired by the legends and folklore of the American Deep South, filled with characters like Two-Toed Tom and Huggin’ Molly. You play as Hazel, who loses her home and mother in a hurricane and must journey into a mysterious world to find them, a world where the old Southern tales are actually real.

The game takes you through its story in a straightforward way, chapter by chapter, mixing fighting, jumping challenges, and a bit of simple exploration. While it’s fun to play, the gameplay doesn’t really change or introduce new elements as you progress.

The main strength of South of Midnight lies in its story and visuals, as the gameplay itself might become repetitive after a while. It’s these elements that will really keep you engaged until the credits roll.

After arriving in this new world, Hazel gains the ability to manipulate objects with her mind – she can push, pull, and move things telekinetically – becoming a ‘Weaver’. However, despite these powers, the close-combat fighting style isn’t very enjoyable.

The combat involves basic melee attacks and special abilities, but both have cooldowns. Unfortunately, the attacks feel separate and don’t connect smoothly, making it hard to build momentum. The animations are stiff, preventing natural combos and resulting in a combat system that feels clunky and inflexible.

In fact, there’s very little flexibility to the entire game.

South of Midnight guides players through combat areas with noticeable bubbles, and outside of these fights, you follow a fairly linear path through the game world. It evokes a similar feel to early PlayStation 3 games like the original Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune.

Each level has a main path you follow. Sometimes, you’ll find a side path offering an extra item or currency, but these paths always lead back to the main route.

Although the game occasionally features larger areas to explore, these are rare and mostly serve as transitions between goals. Abilities like double jumping, gliding, and wall-running do add a bit of polish to the platforming, but they aren’t developed enough to make playing South of Midnight truly engaging. The gameplay is functional, but ultimately unremarkable.

We still recommend this game because its presentation, style, and visuals are truly impressive.

Compulsion Games has done impressive work with its latest game. The team used stop-motion and claymation to give it a distinct visual style, where the characters move in a way that feels separate from their environment.

Instead of blending in, these elements really pop against their surroundings. The game features a classic Southern setting with swamps and old mansions, and this contrast creates a visually stunning and immersive experience.

Sometimes, details will suddenly appear or change quality, which can break the immersion. While this isn’t a major issue in many games, it’s particularly noticeable in this title because the game relies so much on its impressive visuals, making it a flaw in an otherwise beautiful experience.

The game’s soundtrack is a real highlight, perfectly capturing the atmosphere of the deep south with catchy, singable tracks. It’s particularly effective during boss battles, where the music dynamically reflects the enemy you’re fighting. Even when you’re not in combat, the soundtrack consistently enhances the game’s overall tone and truly embodies its Southern influences.

South of Midnight is at its best when exploring the culture of the Deep South, clearly fueled by genuine affection and respect. The game beautifully captures the region’s folklore through memorable characters, and features a protagonist you’ll quickly find yourself supporting. While the story isn’t groundbreaking, it’s solid and made even better by the compelling cast.

This PS5 version is very basic. You can’t adjust the graphics settings – it runs at a consistent 60 frames per second on the PS5 Pro, and that’s the only way it plays. It also doesn’t take much advantage of the DualSense controller, offering only standard controller vibrations and no advanced haptic feedback.

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2026-03-31 18:07