"South of Midnight": Melancholic monster slaughter
In "South of Midnight" by Compulsion, players take on creepy monsters in the deepest south of the USA – framed by a grandiose soundscape.
(Image: heise online)
The branches crackle, the ghosts whisper and the band sings its blues in the background. "South of Midnight" by Compulsion delves deep into the mysterious world of Southern Gothic in the US South. In keeping with the soundscape, it is about grief, loss and loneliness. It's a shame that there is a huge gap between the mood and the game's framework.
A storm is brewing
Hazel's world is in ruins. The young woman has to watch as a storm sweeps away her mother and her home. In this chaos, she discovers her magical abilities as a mysterious "weaver", which are deeply rooted in her family. As she sets off in search of her mother, she encounters a strange world of ghosts and monsters that only lose their horror at second glance.
"South of Midnight" angespielt (5 Bilder)
heise online
)If games were only judged on atmosphere and style, "South of Midnight" would be the game of the year. Compulsion delves deep into the world of Cajun folklore. Hazel encounters mythical figures such as the shape-shifter Rougarou or the night demon Kooshma in a world full of secrets. The weaver travels from the swamps of the south to bizarre dream worlds, fights giant human spiders and dances in a nightclub. Everything is framed by a soundtrack of blues and folk music, the rhythm of which immediately casts a spell.
Original Southern Gothic scenario
The game also deals with profound themes such as loss and grief. Hazel is plagued by self-doubt, like her Nordic companion Senua from "Hellblade". She experiences the fate of outcasts who have been cursed or have lost their way in the grotesque mythical world of the Southern Gothic. All of this is excellently set to music, even if there is only an English voiceover.
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Why so many words about the atmosphere and none about the game? Because the game concept cannot keep up with the audiovisual realization. "South of Midnight" is a classic hack & slay from the shoulder perspective, with repetitive patterns. Hazel ends up in a kill arena, fights the creepy but not very varied monsters and cleans areas of so-called "blemishes". A few boss fights provide variety.
Gameplay lacking in variety
Where a Kratos from "God of War" has his chaos blades or a Dante from "Devil May Cry" uses pistols and swords, Hazel as a weaver has magical needles. She fends off enemies or draws them towards her with thread pokes. As usual, she strings together one simple punch combo after the next. She finds magical "fluff" everywhere in the world, which she can use to upgrade her abilities.
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Hazel's magical abilities also help her outside of combat. She can transform ghostly objects into solid objects in order to climb over them or swing from a hook to remote places. Later, she summons the small cuddly toy Crouton, which walks through tunnels to flip switches. In between, Hazel can also climb up a few walls or glide over chasms.
This mix becomes increasingly monotonous over the 12 or so hours of play. Doing the same monsters over and over again in the same arena? Climbing sections that are more of an exercise than a game? South of Midnight doesn't need so much artificial "play". The art design and soundscape alone make for one of the most impressive gaming experiences of the year.
Conclusion
"South of Midnight" by Compulsion Games is a game with two faces. On the one hand there are the monotonous and unimaginative monster battles and on the other there is an impressively atmospheric game world. This is what makes the game so appealing. The Southern Gothic scenario is original and the story is macabre and melancholy at the same time. If you want to enjoy "South of Midnight", you should reduce the difficulty level to a minimum, forgo the upgrades and concentrate fully on the story. A game for interested explorers and less for action fans.
"South of Midnight" will be released on April 8 for Windows and Xbox Series. USK from 16 and costs approx. 40 €. For our test, we played through the game on the Windows version.
(mack)
