GamesRadar+ Big Preview reveal: This month, we are diving deep into South of Midnight

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Join us on February 11 to find new details and impressions of Compulsion Games' South of Midnight, one of the most ambitious Xbox exclusives of 2025

South of Midnight Big Preview GamesRadar
(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

Compulsion Games is best known for its ability to cultivate distinctive vibes, rather than developing a particular style of video game. The studio's mission is, after all, to "build hallucinatory adventures in worlds strange but provocatively familiar." You see shades of this in Contrast, a smart puzzle-platformer with an evocative art style, and in We Happy Few, a survival-horror, which leveraged roguelike elements to transform its approach to storytelling.

But with its first release following the 2018 acquisition into the Xbox Game Studios group, Compulsion is getting closer than ever before to achieving its dream of "building experiences that feel handcrafted." This is South of Midnight, the most ambitious experience in the studio's history, and one of the most unique productions out of Xbox in a generation.

You'll take on the role of Hazel, exploring the mythos of southern folklore in a macabre and fantastical world. This third-person action-adventure casts you as a Weaver, where you'll learn to wield ancient magic to subdue legendary monster kings roaming the swamplands of the American Deep South and work to uncover the traumas that consume them. South of Midnight caught our attention with its spellbinding visual design when it was revealed in 2023, and with the countdown to its 2025 release now on, we finally know how it plays.

GamesRadar+ travelled to meet Compulsion Games to get its hands-on with South of Midnight, and speak with members of the development team bringing this ambitious project to life. On Tuesday, February 11 at 8 a.m. PT/ 4 p.m. GMT you'll find our impressions of the game and exclusive details on how it came together – including more information on the world, the characters, and the combat experience that you'll encounter in the final game come April 8.

We'll have coverage going live all week as part of the GamesRadar+ Big Preview of South of Midnight, so check in with us starting Feb 11 for more.

South of Midnight: The Big Preview

South of Midnight Big Preview hero image showing Hazel looking out across a vast landscape with the Benji tree drawing central focus

(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)
Cover Story

After playing 2 hours of South of Midnight, I'm convinced that it has the sort of off-kilter energy that can define Xbox's 2025. I sat down with Compulsion Games to discuss the most ambitious game in the studio's history, and explore how its mystical vision of the American Deep South came to life. One thing is clear above all else though: this may well be the sort of adventure game that the Xbox platform has spent a generation chasing after.

South of Midnight gameplay

Don't want to read our South of Midnight hands-on preview? That's okay, because this video preview will take you through the highlights and showcase some brand-new direct capture gameplay footage that we took on Xbox Series X. Here you'll get a better sense of the world Compulsion is building, the way combat works, and hear our impressions on the game itself.

South of Midnight combat

South of Midnight Big Preview: combat mechanics

(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)
Explainer

South of Midnight splits its time between having you explore these pretty wondrous slivers of the American Deep South and diving into challenging combat encounters against manifestations of pain and sorrow which haunt the land. Battling foes has this unique push and pull mechanic, as Hazel attempts to unravel the blights to progress. From weaving to unravelling, here's how combat works in South of Midnight.

South of Midnight interview

South of Midnight hero image for Big Preview showing the character Rhubarb looking surprised

(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)
Interview

Every inch of South of Midnight's handcrafted world tells a story. It's pretty incredible to explore and so we were desperate to learn more. We speak with Compulsion Games to learn more about the studio's attempt to make you feel like you're existing "inside a miniature". And honestly, even after playing just one chapter of the game, we're pretty sure that this is a world we want to stay in forever.

South of Midnight news

South of Midnight hero image for Big Preview showing Hazel looking at a Bottle of contained memories

(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)
News

South of Midnight has this pretty incredible visual design, which weaves bright, otherworldly sights together with this pretty sensational stop-motion inspired effect – giving the entire experience this lovely handcrafted feel. Thankfully, this isn't coming at the cost of performance, with Compulsion Games confirming that South of Midnight will still run at 60fps despite its stop motion animation: "you're still in this crafted world without making it, you know, too nauseating."

News

South of Midnight has an exceptionally distinct creative vision, but there was some concern that its playful stop-motion inspired style may grow a little tired over time. In this exclusive interview, developer Compulsion Games confirms that it is putting forward a tightly-woven adventure with a very moderated structure. With the studio confirming that South of Midnight is "10 to 12 hours" long because its story unfolds within a single day: "There's a kind of urgency to it".

Everything you need to know

South of Midnight Big Preview screenshot

(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)
Explainer

While you wait for our Big Preview of South of Midnight to land on February 11, take some time to get caught up with all the latest South of Midnight news. That article will get you up to speed with all of the info you need to know about the upcoming Xbox Series X exclusive – from first story and gameplay details, to release date and platform information.

New South of Midnight trailer

Join us on February 11 for the GamesRadar+ Big Preview of South of Midnight, a week-long deep dive into one of the most anticipated Xbox games of 2025.

Josh West
Josh West
Editor-in-Chief, GamesRadar+

Josh West is Editor-in-Chief of GamesRadar+. He has over 18 years of experience in both online and print journalism, and was awarded a BA (Hons) in Journalism and Feature Writing. Josh has contributed to world-leading gaming, entertainment, tech, music, and comics brands, including games™, Edge, Retro Gamer, SFX, 3D Artist, Metal Hammer, and Newsarama. In addition, Josh has edited and written books for Hachette and Scholastic, and worked across the Future Games Show as an Assistant Producer. He specializes in video games and entertainment coverage, and has provided expert comment for outlets like the BBC and ITV. In his spare time, Josh likes to play FPS games and RPGs, practice the bass guitar, and reminisce about the film and TV sets he worked on as a child actor.