Discover Why South of Midnight is the Must-Play Game This Year!

Black voices are loud, joyful, and passionate. We express ourselves through laughter, love, and protest. Yet, when we truly approve of something, our response often turns to a heartfelt silence—a moment of appreciation before the joy erupts. This idea struck me right away when I began playing South of Midnight. The game opens with powerful imagery, including artwork that pays homage to Annie Lee’s Blue Monday. It sparked a wave of emotion in me, making me pause my gaming before I dove deeper into this vibrant world.

South of Midnight, created by Compulsion Games—a studio known for We Happy Few—follows Hazel, a young woman on a quest to save her mother after a hurricane devastates their home. Along the way, she discovers her powers as a Weaver, a group of guardians who mend the connections of life, represented in the game as the Grand Tapestry.

The gameplay involves Hazel using her abilities to heal an injured landscape while combating haints, or Southern ghosts. She’s accompanied by Crouton, a stuffed toy brought to life through magic. Crouton offers unique abilities, such as taking control of enemies and accessing areas Hazel cannot.

What struck me most was the representation of Black culture and traditions embedded within the game. The dialogue between Hazel and her mother mirrors real-life dynamics—full of sass, love, and complicated feelings. It offers a glimpse into the essence of Southern Black family life that feels genuine. For instance, when Hazel mutters something disrespectful, her mother promptly calls her out with “I thought you was grown,” a phrase that many Black folks will recognize.

Ahmed Best, the voice actor and director for the game, emphasized the importance of authenticity in every aspect of the characters’ actions, even down to how Hazel fans herself to cope with the Mississippi heat—something that instantly reminded me of my own family rituals. This level of detail enriches the narrative and makes each interaction feel truly relatable.

The game also includes poignant cultural references. In one chapter, a title nods to Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God. Such connections hit deeply, turning moments of discovery into emotional experiences—tears flowed as personal memories flooded back.

Not only does South of Midnight communicate through dialogue and visuals, but it also uses gameplay to reflect Southern tradition. Instead of using the common “yellow paint” for climbable surfaces, it adopts a specific shade of blue—known as haint blue—that Southern Black families traditionally use on porches to ward off evil spirits. Discovering this brought a smile to my face as I navigated the world, finding power-ups through leaps of faith inspired by this ancestral knowledge.

However, some elements of combat felt repetitive and formulaic. Each enemy encounter tends to follow a predictable pattern, which can become tiresome. The game’s strength lies in its storytelling rather than its combat mechanics; it often feels like combat was included as an afterthought.

South of Midnight tackles a delicate balance between representing trauma in Black experiences and celebrating the richness of those stories without focusing solely on pain. So often, Black media faces scrutiny for either depicting trauma excessively or avoiding it entirely. This game navigates that tension seamlessly, providing a fuller picture of Black culture.

In a time when systemic erasure of Black history is prevalent, South of Midnight serves as a much-needed affirmation of identity and legacy. Its creators crafted a love letter to a culture that is often overlooked in video games, providing representation that is not only necessary but powerful.

As I played, it became clear how timely this game is. In a world where Black voices can struggle to be heard, South of Midnight amplifies them in a beautiful way. It’s not just a game; it’s a love song to the culture and people it portrays.

South of Midnight is available now on Xbox, Xbox Game Pass, and Windows PC, providing a vibrant escape that resonates on many levels.

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Entertainment,Games Review,Gaming,Xbox