South of Midnight is a magical realism take in a world based on Deep South folklore. It is slated to release in 2025, as shown in the 2024 Xbox Showcase. An action adventure game developed by Canadian studio Compulsion Games (founded by ex-Arkane developer Guillame Provost) and published by Xbox Game Studios, the story follows a girl named Hazel trying to rescue her mother from a Southern Gothic world they were both transported to after a hurricane.
With music and visuals inspired by the American South, the game also boasts a storybook presentation for the narrative – each chapter according to the official site is “guided by a dynamic narrator”. The narrative gameplay is described as “wide-linear”: there is a distinct beginning and end, but there are events that players can encounter while traveling to their leisure throughout the game world.
Additionally, each region in said game world has its own biomes which will affect gameplay. Specific effects have not been shared at this point in time.
The players – and Hazel – encounter monsters in which Hazel will be able to dispel using her Weaving powers (a synthesis of tools and magic). She “unravels” the dark psychic energy in the monsters, and as a result, she has fixed a broken soul. Hazel uses three main abilities in the game for both ‘combat’ and puzzles: Weave, Push, and Pull. Weave ‘fixes’ objects and solidifies transportation, while Push and Pull moves objects in the physical game world. Instead of honing abilities just for the destruction of attacking, Compulsion has crafted gameplay skills with the intent for them to be applied dynamically.
South of Midnight is slated to be released on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC (Steam), as well as be released on Xbox Game Pass on the first day.