South of Midnight’s Art Style Might Be at Odds with its Combat

When the first trailer for South of Midnight debuted as part of the Xbox Games Showcase in 2023, many viewers were taken aback by its unique setting and striking art style. Though no gameplay was revealed at the time, the unique stop-motion aesthetic of South of Midnight immediately made it stand out from other titles. But now that developer Compulsion Games has provided the first glimpses of gameplay as part of the latest Xbox Games Showcase, it remains to be seen if South of Midnight’s distinctive art style may end up clashing with its combat.

Though still largely comprised of scripted sequences, the most recent trailer for South of Midnight gave players their first good look at the game in action. While the Into the Spider-Verse-style animation looked to work well with the platforming sequences on display, it could serve to complicate combat in the game. Depending on the level of precision expected from players during enemy encounters, South of Midnight’s stylish stop-motion aesthetic could even make combat become an exercise in frustration.

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South of Midnight’s Impressive Animation May Not Work Well in Every Situation

South of Midnight’s Stylistic Frame Rate Could be a Double-Edged Sword

Although it was initially unclear whether its distinctive animation style would carry over to the full game or was just an aesthetic choice for the 2023 teaser trailer, the first gameplay video for South of Midnight shows that the full release retains the same stylish, stop-motion look. The game’s gorgeous animation style is shown off to great effect throughout the trailer, with protagonist Hazel climbing, jumping, and flying through the game’s swampy setting. These platforming sections represent only part of the overall gameplay loop, though.

South of Midnight’s platforming sections showed off a surprising level of fluidity given the purposely lower frame rate of the animation compared to most games, but a brief combat section raised more questions than it answered. After her progression is blocked by a monstrous, glowing creature born from the bayou, Hazel is shown leaping and dodging around a swampy arena as she whittles down its health. While this sequence will likely feel familiar to fans of other third-person action-adventure games, South of Midnight‘s animation style could make the combat system’s seeming reliance on deftly evading enemy attacks more complicated.

The Stop-Motion Aesthetic in South of Midnight Could Complicate Combat

Seasoned Gamers Might Have a Hard Time Adapting to Intentionally Lower Frame Rates

While the combat on display in South of Midnight’s gameplay debut doesn’t appear to rely on the same sort of split-second precision demanded by the countless Soulslikes that have come to dominate the gaming industry in recent years, its battles could still be bogged down by the game’s animation style. Avoiding the massive monster’s attacks required Hazel to constantly bob and weave throughout the fight, often dodging out of danger at the last second, and this sort of tricky timing might be difficult for some players to pull off thanks to the game’s unorthodox animation style.

This is because, even though the player-controlled sections shown off in the South of Midnight trailer appear to animate at a faster clip than the game’s highly stylized scripted sequences, learning how to correctly time combat moves could come with a steep learning curve. Particularly for players who’ve honed their reflexes on the fast and fluid action found in games like Ghost of Tsushima and Elden Ring, the slower pacing of South of Midnight’s animation could potentially leave its combat sequences feeling clunky and sap some of the fun out of the overall experience.

Thanks to its gorgeous graphics, distinctive animation, and a supernatural story influenced by Gullah and Creole culture, South of Midnight promises to deliver a truly unique experience for players. And while it could be easy for Compulsion Games to fall into the trap of emphasizing style over substance given the game’s stop-motion aesthetic, hopefully, South of Midnight’s combat feels as good as it looks when the game arrives in 2025.

From the creators of Contrast and We Happy Few, South of Midnight is a spellbinding third person action-adventure game set in the American Deep South.

As Hazel, you will explore the mythos and encounter creatures of Southern folklore in a macabre and fantastical world. When disaster strikes her hometown, Hazel is called to become a Weaver: a magical mender of broken bonds and spirits. Imbued with these new abilities, Hazel will confront and subdue dangerous creatures, untangle the webs of her own family’s shared past and -if she’s lucky – find her way to a place that feels like home.

A DARK MODERN FOLKTALE: When a hurricane rips through Prospero, Hazel is pulled into a Southern Gothic world where reality and fantasy are interwoven, and ancient creatures from folklore emerge. In this coming-of-age adventure, Hazel journeys forth to rescue her mother and delves into a haunting web of folklore and family secrets, untangling her own identity.

CONFRONT MYTHICAL CREATURES: Wield an ancient power to restore creatures and uncover the traumas that consume them. Cast weaving magic to fight destructive Haints, explore the diverse regions of the South, and reweave the tears in the Grand Tapestry.

Released

2025-00-00

Developer(s)

Compulsion Games

Publisher(s)

Xbox Game Studios