Compulsion Games' South of Midnight returned a year after its announcement in 2023 to wow those watching the Xbox Games Showcase. Its gorgeously rendered mix of gothic fantasy and deep-south US folklore make South of Midnight a treat for the eyes, and fans of animated cinema will immediately recognize why.

Steeped in the world of deep-south folklore, South of Midnight sees protagonist Hazel swept into a fantasy realm. The game's setting sees this ancient folklore becoming interwoven with the mundane, forcing the conventional to face off with the macabre and the whimsical. Both the game's original 2023 trailer and its latest gameplay reveal emphasize this fairytale aspect, with the magical creatures displayed taking on a distinctly fey-adjacent disposition.

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South Of Midnight's Artstyle Will Appeal To Fans Of Spider-Verse, Puss in Boots 2, TMNT: Mutant Mayhem, And More

The most immediately gripping thing about South of Midnight is its art style, one that applies handrawn textures and a reduced frame rate to its animation. The direction on display is very effective, mimicking the stop-motion animation of the game's first trailer while leaning on the uncanny qualities of the game's gothic setting. However, though the direction is its own, the core concepts at play with this design wear their influences proudly. Those keeping up with animated cinema since 2018 will have noticed a shift in direction, one spurred by Sony's groundbreaking Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse—and it's this shift in philosophy that has clearly impacted South of Midnight.

South Of Midnight's Art Will Excite Fans Of Spider-Verse And Other Similar Films

The art of Into the Spider-Verse and its sequel have been major influences on the animation zeitgeist, with the trilogy-in-waiting being something of a pioneer in this regard. Into the Spider-Verse used not only a lower frame rate and 2D textures, but a heavy helping of other drawn effects that all work together to resemble its comic book roots. The immensity of detail used in every frame of this style flows in tandem with the reduced frame rate to make every shot look like a comic panel—both stunning and visceral.

The consistent use of a low frame rate is definitely applicable to South of Midnight, but its fantasy genre is closer to Puss in Boots 2. That film was one of 2022's biggest surprises, taking the medium by storm with its gorgeous visuals, gripping story, and memorable villains. Puss in Boots 2 makes lighter use of a reduced frame rate, rolling it out only during action sequences. This serves to show off one of the style's biggest benefits, that being how it makes each action sharper and faster, giving scenes a jolt of energy.

There is a huge fandom for this style in the animation scene, with works like TMNT: Mutant Mayhem and Entergalactic making use of it. Even Disney gave the look a shot with 2023's Wish, to mixed results. The crown jewel of this design philosophy has to be Across the Spider-Verse, albeit with an asterisk. While the film is undeniably a visual masterpiece, one that blends 2D and 3D in a way that is beyond brilliant, the allegations of excessive crunch and directorial mismanagement made against the picture somewhat tarnish its title.

South Of Midnight Is Also Taking Heed Of Films Like Coraline And The Nightmare Before Christmas

On the other hand, South of Midnight has other inspirations beyond modern classics like Spider-Verse and Puss in Boots 2. Given that the original trailer for the game was done in stop-motion, it's likely that the game's final look was made with the goal of resembling that medium. To that end, South of Midnight certainly draws on the works of Henry Selick, whose animation direction for projects like The Nightmare Before Christmas, Coraline, and Wendell & Wild has cemented the reputation stop-motion has for macabre whimsy.

South of Midnight

Compulsion Games' South of Midnight is an action-adventure game inspired by the United States' Deep South and Gothic imagery. Along with a sidekick, Hazel has to take on creatures ripped right out of folklore.

Platform(s)

PC , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S

Released

2025-00-00

Developer(s)

Compulsion Games

Publisher(s)

Xbox Game Studios

Genre(s)

Action , Adventure