Posted April 15, 2025
South of Midnight (PC Game Pass)
First of all, this game was on the ropes even before it launched thanks to that doofus of an art director (or was he an animator?) publicly stating how all white males should be eradicated from gaming. You know, the demographic that spends the most the money on games. The last thing a small company needs is saboteurs working within them. Anyway, I hope Compulsion got the poor guy therapy or counselling, a prostitute, or whatever he needed.
Anyway, it's unfortunate because the game is actually an awesome game. It is basically an action adventure that plays a bit like a God of War style game but more linear and no Metroidvania aspects. It's a game that is paced near perfect, runs well, looks great, has its own art style and music and songs made specifically for the game and its levels. The characters are memorable and very well voiced- especially the Hazel as lead, but also some of the supports like poor Itchy.
The story is like a deep south Cajun fairy tale and the characters fit perfectly. The detractors are complaining about DEI...but this is where it is really well done- using another culture to make a game and story around it is DEI done perfectly. Despite the idiot art director, it is not some anti-white person game. I wish there were more games like this. DEI done wrong is where Ubi makes a Viking game and just drops in a black Viking leader for no particular reason other than to tick a box. Or race swapping an established character like Doctor Who, or the way Avowed inserted fake "strong modern women" into every single position of power to the point it became too predictable.
I really enjoyed it...I always try to think of any negatives as well, but I cannot really think of any- the closest I can come up with is the way that some enemies can just blindside you from off screen...but you quickly learn to handle it and it's just part of the combat in the end. The game isn't even being sold as a full price game.
It's going to be one of my games of the year...in a year where I've already enjoyed Sniper Elite Resistance, STALKER 2, Atomfall and even Avowed.
First of all, this game was on the ropes even before it launched thanks to that doofus of an art director (or was he an animator?) publicly stating how all white males should be eradicated from gaming. You know, the demographic that spends the most the money on games. The last thing a small company needs is saboteurs working within them. Anyway, I hope Compulsion got the poor guy therapy or counselling, a prostitute, or whatever he needed.
Anyway, it's unfortunate because the game is actually an awesome game. It is basically an action adventure that plays a bit like a God of War style game but more linear and no Metroidvania aspects. It's a game that is paced near perfect, runs well, looks great, has its own art style and music and songs made specifically for the game and its levels. The characters are memorable and very well voiced- especially the Hazel as lead, but also some of the supports like poor Itchy.
The story is like a deep south Cajun fairy tale and the characters fit perfectly. The detractors are complaining about DEI...but this is where it is really well done- using another culture to make a game and story around it is DEI done perfectly. Despite the idiot art director, it is not some anti-white person game. I wish there were more games like this. DEI done wrong is where Ubi makes a Viking game and just drops in a black Viking leader for no particular reason other than to tick a box. Or race swapping an established character like Doctor Who, or the way Avowed inserted fake "strong modern women" into every single position of power to the point it became too predictable.
I really enjoyed it...I always try to think of any negatives as well, but I cannot really think of any- the closest I can come up with is the way that some enemies can just blindside you from off screen...but you quickly learn to handle it and it's just part of the combat in the end. The game isn't even being sold as a full price game.
It's going to be one of my games of the year...in a year where I've already enjoyed Sniper Elite Resistance, STALKER 2, Atomfall and even Avowed.
Post edited April 15, 2025 by CMOT70