(Photo : Compulsion Games / Screenshot taken from Steam)
Xbox shared a new preview for its upcoming game South of Midnight that reveals more details about the fantasy reimagining of the American Deep South.
The game features a Black teenage girl named Hazel as its protagonist as she goes on an epic journey. South of Midnight is set to release sometime in 2025 and is an action-adventure title made by Compulsion Games.
South of Midnight Documentary
The latest update shows fans a bit more information about what to expect with some gameplay footage and parts of the plot. This was done through a new documentary known as "Weaving Hazel's Journey."
Creative director David Sears described South of Midnight as a supposed "love letter" to the South. The development team also admitted in the documentary that this was a complicated thing to work through.
It seems like the efforts required them to bring in several outside consultants and rely on the personal experiences of several members who were actually from the American South, according to Variety.
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Art director Whitney Clayton said that it was important for the team they get as much perspective as possible for South of Midnight. This was so that they could show their own version of a fantastical Deep South that has both darkness and beauty.
She added that the story of the game still focuses on Hazel's journey and is a much more personal touch by the developers. They needed to stay true to their fantastical alternate version that revolved around the game's protagonist.
The game also had a hands-off demo where some people observed flooded wetlands following a storm, swamps, and Antebellum manors. All of these were given some elements of fantasy that they had not seen anywhere else, IGN said.
A Unique Perspective
The areas that were shown also seemed to fit perfectly with the game's unusual art style that seems to emulate stop-motion animation. Another noteworthy thing about the hands-off demo was the game's music.
South of Midnight was seen, or heard, to have an amazing soundtrack that constantly changes. In every level, players will encounter a cryptid from deep south folklore. These battles are done with the backdrop of southern-inspired blues and jazz music that intensify a player's immersion.
Sears added that every region in South of Midnight has a distinctive creature that rules the region in its entirety. He noted that the game tells players how such a creature became a monster in the first place, according to Vice.
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