Xbox Game Pass is one of the best things going in gaming right now. Not just in deals, as $20 a month grants you access to decades worth of the industry’s biggest and most interesting hits, but because it gives Xbox’s in-house developers room to deliver some of the most unique experiences that would otherwise be considered a risk in today’s crowded gaming market.
Few games showcase this underrated strength of Game Pass as Compulsion Games’ latest title, South of Midnight does. This action platformer, which pulls inspiration from moody animated classics like Coraline, an underrepresented part of the American South’s history, and classic 3D platformers from the 2000s, is unlike anything else you can play right now. And for Game Pass Ultimate subscribers, this experience is the most imaginative thing you can play this month.
South of Midnight follows a 19-year-old woman named Hazel Flood in her quest to find her mom in the aftermath of a hurricane. What starts as a grounded story about a mother and daughter separated by disaster quickly turns into a deeply emotional and fantastical odyssey across the American South about empathy and overcoming trauma.
South of Midnight’s charismatic lead may have a positive outlook throughout her adventure, but the events she learns about and witnesses are steeped firmly in tragedy. The game’s story is dripping with Southern Gothic flair and folklore. The legendary creatures of myth you meet, befriend, and fight (all of which are based on real folkloric figures and stories from the South) are each the victim of some horrific event. And it’s up to Hazel and her newfound magical powers to right those wrongs as best she can along the way.
Despite the subject matter, seeing these events play out is a treat. South of Midnight’s art direction emulates the stop-motion style of films like A Nightmare Before Christmas and ParaNorman. All of its characters and locations are rendered as if they were built with real-life materials (because they were) and painstakingly animated frame-by-frame. The result is a truly unique video game that looks as unique as its subject matter.
Playing South of Midnight is also fun. The game is made up primarily of platforming across 14 chapters. Hazel can double jump, glide, run on walls, and more, creating nice flow when navigating the open levels. During the game’s many chase sequences, these elements shine as some of its best parts. While I didn’t find the combat as fulfilling as the platforming, it has some undeniable cool elements (I loved possessing enemies to fight alongside me) worth checking out. Even if you don’t find the combat as intriguing as many of my colleagues did, it serves as a great way to break up the hard-hitting story beats and the fun level traversal across its 10 to 12-hour campaign.
At a time when mainstream big-budget video games can feel more homogenized than ever, South of Midnight deserves its flowers for breaking the mold. Between its imaginative visuals, its memorable cast of characters, and heartfelt narrative, you owe it to yourself to check out one of 2025’s freshest and most vibrant video games.
