‘South of Midnight’ Pulled Me in With Its Visuals and Platforming — And Kept Me With Its Excellent Characters and Story (Preview)

I hate to say it (I really don’t), but I told y’all. Sometimes, you can look at a trailer for a game, and deep in your heart, you know it’s going to be a great experience. If what I played of the South of Midnight preview build is any indication? The game’s set to be one of the best Xbox “exclusives” in quite some time. So, let’s start with the setup!

the trailers for ‘south of midnight’ pale in comparison to the real deal

By the time you read this, you’ll likely have seen the gorgeous Stop Motion Trailer for South of Midnight. That trailer served as the cold open I saw before the main menu, and let me tell you. I’ve been playing video games for a long time — of many different budgets, genres, and ambitions. That trailer is one of the most jaw-dropping sequences I’ve ever seen. Zero hyperbole. And, that trailer isn’t all hype and bluster, as the rest of the game is equally stunning. (I’ll post it below since some of you are allergic to links.)

Desolate, drowned shacks that serve as the homes of some of the game’s residents, hauntingly beautiful swamps, and serene nature all combine to serve up a unique setting. The U.S. Deep South is woefully underrepresented in games, but South of Midnight incorporates so much of that cultural nuance and flair delicately without creating a spectacle to be gawked at. You can explore people’s abandoned homes, and each one is painstakingly distinctive, carrying a strong, tragic sense of enduring desperation and suffering.

But, the top-notch world-building and environments are one piece of the bigger puzzle. Hazel, our South of Midnight protagonist? She’s so charming. There’s a lot I won’t say about her as a character, but for anyone expecting an obnoxious Quips McGee? Perish the thought! Hazel is organically funny and refreshingly empathetic, making her interactions with other characters nothing short of delightful. You get to discover Hazel’s Weaver powers alongside her, witnessing the joy of having new abilities while reckoning with the newfound weight of that sudden responsibility.

since i refuse to fawn over what i saw of the story, let’s talk about traversal

One of my early South of Midnight fears centered around how the game would feel and look in motion. There were parts of some trailers where it looked like some light chugging and quick stutters were taking place. I’m happy to report that the moment-to-moment platforming and traversal (and combat, which I’ll get to in a second) are effortlessly smooth. Not a chug or stutter present! Now, I will say that I encountered some mild screen tearing. However, I fully expect that to be ironed out in time for the full release!

As Hazel’s Weaver abilities expand, her traversal options become more complex. You have a double jump and a glide ability that makes it easy to reach some Floofs. (Floofs are the currency for South of Midnight — shut up, I promise it’s cooler than it sounds!) You can rush to the main objective — which is simple to track by pressing in the right thumbstick — but I found myself frequently going off the beaten path to grab Floofs for upgrades and also indulge in some lore. Basically, there’s nowhere you can go in this game that doesn’t have an express purpose. Maybe it’s something informing you of the residents and how they live, a Floof detour, or both!

but hazel also has hands in ‘south of midnight’

So, South of Midnight‘s characters and story? Stamp of approval. Traversal? Big check! (Although there was a bit of wall-running imprecision in certain spots.) Combat? …It’s good! I hope there’s more depth in the full game, though. You have an attack button, a dodge, and a host of abilities. One ability allows you to stun enemies so they can’t move or attack while you smack them around. Two others involve pushing enemies away or closing the gap between yourself and an enemy who wants nothing to do with you.

The modest combat system is heightened by the enemy variety — and their ruthlessness. The South of Midnight preview build automatically set the difficulty to Normal, and I was getting my ass kicked. Fortunately, I didn’t go down, but it was damn sure close enough. If you’re beating one enemy in a corner, another could ruin your day if you aren’t paying attention. They aren’t waiting their turn — they want Hazel to suffer. But, the devs considered this and included a handy indicator that lets you know when an off-screen enemy is about to strike. I greatly appreciated that small QoL feature.

in conclusion

From the preview I played, I feel confident in calling it now. It would shock me if South of Midnight wasn’t in the 2025 Game of the Year conversation. Sure, the combat could be deeper, and I also had mild screen tearing and wall-running issues. However, these are gripes either limited by the fact that I was playing a preview build or something the devs can fine-tune by the time the game comes out in April.

Y’all have been dunking on the Xbox Series X/S for quite some time now. “It doesn’t have any games — all it has is Game Pass!” Apparently, the Xbox team heard everyone and decided to drop what will undoubtedly be one of the year’s most compelling, gorgeous, and kinetic titles. The South of Midnight preview makes one thing abundantly clear. Xbox has much more gas in the tank than most gamers expected!