Friends on the Other Side
As a child, mythology and folklore were two subjects that captured my imagination. Even fictional ones (was it only me diving through Wowhead trying to read about the intracies of troll culture on Azeroth? No. Just me? Cool). Even as a grown woman, I cannot help but be fascinated at seeing how urban legends grow and inform beliefs. Be they cultural or even societal. While Greek myths and European folktales have domianted the current zeitgeist, when I saw the trailer for Compulsion Games new title back in 2024, my attention was immediately arrested. A game about the Deep South with an emphasis on cryptids taken from southern Gothic stories? Count me in!
Now, it should be said, I never did play We Happy Few. Nor did I play their other game: Contrast. But that does not mean they weren't on my radar. Especially when it comes to the themes and concepts they look to explore.
In the end, though, there was something about South of Midnight that drew me in. In South of Midnight, you play as Hazel. A track star in her small town of Prospero, players are first introduced to her as she is prepping for a hurricane. It is not long before her mother, Lacey, returns to their home overlooking the river. After a fight, Hazel heads out to check in on their neighbours. When she heads back home, however, their house is washed away as the floodwaters rise.
So begins Hazel's journey to find and reunite with her mother. Along the way, she learns the tales she was told as a child were not fanciful make-believe stories meant to scare her but are actually true. More importantly, she discovers she has magical abilities to see the strands of the Grand Tapestry and put to rights the trauma scarring it.
While the narrative beats of South of Midnight follow a rather simple arc, with the occasional setbacks to ratchet up the tension, I found it was the side stories and the lore of the worlds that truly piqued my interest. In fact, I would say the overall story never truly capitalised on Hazel's grandmother's pain or possibly villanous potential. Instead, we have Kooshma who, while hinted at as a more terrifying foe when Hazel manages to collect the various different negative emotions and past hurts of the main creatures in the area, fails to truly encapsulate the big bad evil guy energy I was hoping for. Yes, he feeds on dreams and painful memories but so what?
What's more, even AFTER you defeat Kooshma, South of Midnight realises the daggling thread of Bunny Flood still needs to be addressed and Hazel returns to the manor. Only, of course, for Bunny to take the offer provided by Roux as she is unable to move past the loss of her sweet baby Cherie.
On a side note, it is VERY telling that the precious daughter Bunny holds nearest and dearest to her heart is named 'Cherie.' Definitely not playing favourites when you call your daughter, 'My Dear/ Darling/ Sweetheart' and call your son 'Trey' in comparison.
The main story aside, I very much enjoyed all the various crpyids Compulsion Games put in. From a giant alligator, Two-Toed Tom, to the Rougarou and Huggin' Molly. But what I especially liked were the personal touches they made to the lore, and even their own creations like the Benjy Tree or Altamaha-ha. The stories, told primarily by the Catfish - also a creature from Cajun folklore - were all very heartfelt and played into the culture of the Deep South.
What I also liked, too, was the music and how they played into each creature's backstory. The effort Compulsion Games put into the worldbuilding was immaculate and pulled me along to game's end.
And though I'm not from the Deep South (which I think is highly debatable considering I live in Australia - which is located in the southern hemisphere), all these small and tiny additions to the world were greatly appreciated in making Prospero come alive. After all, back in 2016, I did visit Louisiana and very much enjoyed my time in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Learning more about the unique cultures only makes me more curious about its people and the stories they share.
In fact, I am very disappointed Australia does not have as many famous cryptids as I would like. There is, of course, the bunyip and yowie, but they've become so commercialised as chocolate chocolate toys, much of the power that comes from being mysterious creatures stalking the outback of Australia has been lost.
Gameplay-wise, South of Midnight is very by the numbers though it is one of the few more recent titles that does not have a block or parry button. Hazel Flood, instead, can only dodge the attacks of her enemies (and occasionally jump over them). Her moveset is also fairly simple and involves a few magic spells to help control the various haints she ends up fighting in designated arenas.
Though I initially found it clunky - mostly due to how long it took for spells to cool down - I soon found my footing when it came to dashing across the battlefield and giving most enemies a three-hit combo before darting away again. That said, the long cooldowns meant there was little in the ways of experimenting when it came to fighting the various enemies. By the time I was able to string together spells together more often, the game was almost over.
The only times I truly struggled were during the gimicky natures of boss battles and the fact Hazel has limited healing options. Worse, despite attacks being telegraphed ahead of time, getting out of the way was still difficult due to the size of the battle area. This was especially irritating in my fight against Two-Toed Tom as the alligator was able to take up large swathes of the measly islands Hazel was fighting him on though the others were much more manageable - albeit, I wasn't able to finish those fights unscathed for the sake of the platinum trophy.
South of Midnight released in 2025 for Xbox and on Steam. To my utter delight, it was released on PlayStation 5 in March this year. Admittedly, I did consider potentially purchasing it for PC but my patience was ultimately rewarded. And in the Weaver's Edition I got, there was significant digital content including a comic featuring Hazel going toe-to-toe with a boo hag. But what I enjoyed the most was the documentary that shed some light on how Compulsion Games made such a heartwarming video game - from the research they conducted to the challenges in composing faithful songs akin to what one might hear should they go gallivanting around the Deep South.
That said, Donna Washington, an author they tapped for assistance, was shown reading Andrea Stewart's Boneshard series in the video. Having finished reading those books last year, I could not help but delight in the fact others in the world will occasionally read the same books I do (and enjoy them).
Now if only more love can be shown to the Rook and the Rose trilogy by M. A. Carrick (thankfully, youtuber Elliot Brooks has it on the shelf behind her when she's discussing tropes, new releases, and whatever else her audience demands.
Video games are complicated conglomeration of various different parts. While some can be built by one person, others require huge teams to come together. South of Midnight is no different. While I had a few gripes with elements of the gameplay and the main narrative, I very much fell in love with the characters and the mystical world Hazel found herself in. There are so many mysteries in the world and, through sharing the stories of what we know, we make it all the richer. In many ways, Compulsion Games were able to create their own Grand Tapestry by shedding light on a part of the world most only ever associate with beignets, gumbo and jazz.
Oh, and how could I forget about Crouton?! A patchwork plushie who helps Hazel out? 10/10. No notes.
