I've played a lot of games. I've been gaming since the 80s, and it's rare these days for a game to make me care about the characters. South of Midnight played me like a fiddle. I cared about every character. I was invested in every story. I stressed about whether they'd be ok. This is using the power of games to tell a story the way it should be done.
The gameplay is fun. It's not groundbreaking, but I didn't have a problem with it like some. The traversal mechanics are varied enough to be interesting but not so complicated that you won't remember it if you have to take a couple days off for real life. I enjoyed the comabt more than I expected, given what others have said abouit it. There are dedicated spaces for combat, so you'll always know when you're about to fight. I think that put some people off, but I enjoyed it. There's not a ton of enemy variety, but what there is is well executed (as was I, on occasion). The skill upgrade system is generous enough that I managed to fully level up without finding everything, but I still had to work for it enough to earn the rewards.
The art style is lovely. It's distinctive without feeling forced, and gives the game a strong sense of self. I've never seen a game that looks quite like this, but it's not so out there that it is jarring. There is a stop-motion effect enabled by default, which I liked, but I can see how some might not like it. It can be disabled in options. The music is almost all amazing. There was one track that didn't speak to me as much, but almost all of it works not just to set a scene, but to tell a story and push the emotion. It all feels distinctly southern, but has a wide range within that, depending on the story and setting.
There is a main quest, but also a number of sub-plots based on southern folklore/mythology. It is, at times, funny, tragic, hopeful, frightening, and bizarre. The one thing it never is, is boring. This could so easily have gotten dumbed down by corporate decisions, but it feels like a game made by creative people with a vision. There's no live service crammed in. No DLC costumes. No battle passes. No product placement. No bland story designed to be accessible to everyone, and therefore made for no one.
South of Midnight was crafted by a team with a vision. I don't know how they managed to get Microsoft to let them do it. Maybe they have dirt on someone high up. Whatever the reason, they made something special here. If you're interested, you definitely should play it. If you look at this and wonder if you can get new weapon skins or BB-8 as a pet, look elsewhere.
