South of the Circle reminded me a lot of my experience with Disco Elysium – more or less. It was a game I didn’t know existed, one I purchased entirely on a whim, and one whose story was largely a mystery to me. But, just like Disco Elysium, I was won over by South of the Circle’s engaging writing and lifelike characters. And while it may not reach the same thematic or philosophical heights as Disco, South of the Circle manages to provide an affecting, captivating story about love and survival (among other things).
South of the Circle centers on Peter, a Cambridge academic who, following a plane crash, finds himself stranded somewhere south of the Antarctic Circle (hence the title). While Floyd, the plane’s pilot, is far too injured to venture into the frigid wastes in search of help, Peter is not. What follows is a narrative journey that oscillates between Peter’s attempts to survive the harsh Antarctic conditions, and his time as a bright-eyed, plucky student at Cambridge. It’s a narrative division that works remarkably well, allowing Peter’s characterization to unfold twofold, painting a picture of the person he was, the life he led, the people he met… and his struggle for survival amid the snowy expanse he’s now trapped in.
One half of South of the Circle’s stories is steeped in academia, as much of the writing concerns university politics, researching and writing papers, socializing with your lecturer peers, and hoping to be taken seriously among your contemporaries as an eminent scholar in your field. The other half, the survival half, is arguably more minimal; howling winds and crunching snow dominate the soundscape as the bitter silence and crushing loneliness pervade the air around you. Both stories are set against the backdrop of the Cold War and its insidious ability to invade school politics, personal relationships, and individual freedoms. The narrative expertly weaves between these stories, knowing exactly when to cut and what to cut to, along with how to pace each moment across its 3-4 hour story. This game had some of the best smash and match cuts I’ve seen in any media, some of which truly heightened the intensity and emotion of the scenes in play. As well, every dialogue scene is presented as a single shot, keeping you in the scene and with the characters and allowing the dialogue to drive the “action,” not just the editing. This all gives South of the Circle a decidedly cinematic feel, which fits its story very well.
South of the Circle’s writing, dialogue, and voice acting are marvels unto themselves. The dialogue feels natural and flows effortlessly, with much of its impact owed to the skillful performance of the voice cast. Though the game’s art style belies the characters’ deeper facial expressions, the motion capture work more than makes up for this as they animate and gesticulate according to the scene’s respective energy. This allows every character, major or minor, to be properly characterized and feel authentic. Without revealing spoilers, the game’s writing can, at times, be fiercely critical of the social norms and mores of its 1960s setting, but this only serves to make the characters feel more lifelike and realized. Rounding this out is a beautiful, touching score composed by Ed Critchley that, like the narrative, swings between soft and placid one moment, and dark and brooding the next.
Choices are perhaps one of the more interesting – yet ultimately disappointing – elements of South of the Circle. Most of the narrative is a series of conversations you have with other characters and, while the game gives you the option to respond how you wish, the system it uses to implement this is a bit clunky and underdeveloped. Peter’s replies are non-textual, instead being limited to a series of floating, circular icons that represent different emotional states that he can imbue his words with. You also won’t have long to make your choices, as if you take too long to decide how to respond the game will make the choice for you. Some of the options allow you to reply in an excited, forthright, or scared manner. Sort of like Fallout 4’s (controversial) dialogue system, you’ll never really know the specific words Peter will say, but you at least know how he’ll say them. Your responses don’t have any bearing on how characters react to or perceive you, but at certain points in the story you’ll make choices that the game indicates will be “remembered.” However, none of these “remembered” choices alter the narrative in any major, meaningful ways – which is unfortunate, given how much I agonized over some of them and, again, how little time you have to make them.
South of the Circle is, in my opinion, an incredible achievement in video games as a storytelling medium. Through a minimalist gameplay style that prioritizes characters and dialogue, the developers at State of Play were able to craft an emotionally affecting story whose ideas and themes are as relevant now as they were during its 1960s Cold War setting. While I do wish its choices had more impact and its ending had more clarity, I was nevertheless rapt with interest, excitement, dread, and sorrow at how its story unfolded. Truly a work of art.
