We’re ready to explore South of Midnight in all its spooky folklore-infused glory. Officially announced during the Xbox Games Showcase 2023, we’re still thinking about it one year later as we look ahead to all the new games for 2024 and beyond that lie ahead. The announcement trailer for Compulsion Games’ upcoming adventure gave us our first little snippets of the world setting and story, but a substantial gameplay trailer revealed at Xbox Games Showcase 2024 has us more excited than ever to explore all the magic of the Deep South when the game launches in 2025.Said to take place in a magic realist version of the American South, the trailers do well to establish the tone, with some fantastical elements thrown in for good measure. Follow that up with punchy third-person combat and exploration, and it’s certainly shaping up to be among the most intriguing upcoming Xbox Series games to keep on your radar. For now, read on below as we take you through everything we know so far about South of Midnight.Recent updatesThis South of Midnight hub was updated on June 10, adding the new gameplay trailer following its reveal at the Xbox Games Showcase 2024.South of Midnight release date South of Midnight has been given a release window of 2025, as of June 9 2024 when a gameplay trailer was revealed as part of this year’s Summer Game Fest weekend. Vague as this estimation might be, though, it puts the game among the likes of GTA 6 on the stacked list of new games coming in 2025, which is cause enough to celebrate.South of Midnight platforms Compulsion Games is among the developers that are a part of Xbox Game Studios. As such, South of Midnight is an Xbox exclusive set to come to Xbox Series X and PC. The new adventure will also be coming to PC via Steam and Xbox Game Pass. South of Midnight trailer
South of Midnight | Official Gameplay Trailer – YouTube
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The most recent South of Midnight trailer, shown above, gives us a taste of what to expect from its gameplay and combat. We see Hazel marvelling at a gigantic gator named Two-Toed Tom, wielding magical abilities to fly, jump, and deal damage to another brute after soaring across the swampy bayou. The world changes around her as she flies across a body of water to confront a brute foe, seamlessly transitioning into a cinematic cutscene that shows off South of Midnight’s gorgeous claymation-esque art style in full force – courtesy of Unreal Engine 5.It seems we’ll also have melee weapons at our disposal, the trailer depicting Hazel dual-wielding a set of silver blades to hack and slash the enemy between dodges and dashes as she evades its attacks. Her finisher move is to “unravel” the brute after whittling down its health bar, reinforcing the concept of magical threads that Hazel weaves to fuel her magical abilities and alter the world around her, revealing a beautiful flowery meadow in place of the barren earth she once stood on.South of Midnight story South of Midnight’s story sees protagonist Hazel searching for her mother, meeting all manner of folklore creatures come to life as she navigates the mysterious American South. The first trailer introduces us to a figure known as Shakin’ Bones strumming away at a guitar. Hazel then asks about a big creature, before using magic. Following the trailer reveal, Xbox published an interview with creative director David Sears and narrative producer and creative specialist James Lewis, which shed more light on the story of South of Midnight. Hazel, who is the heroine of the adventure, is said to be on a quest to repair a broken world by putting a stop to supernatural creatures who are all based on real-life folklore. Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter