South of Midnightis one of the prettiest games of 2025 so far, and its style is reminiscent of a high-budget animated film, with clear roots in the world of stop-motion animation. Every frame is a picture, no matter the angle, which is impressive given how well it runs, and more games should be looking to the title’s visuals for inspiration.
However, while it occasionally tries to implement the stop-motion technique directly, the presence of this style inSouth of Midnightleaves a lot to be desired. Many press previews made noise about the stop-motion animation style of the game, implying it would play a large role or, at least, inform the title’s overall aesthetic. However, the game drops the ball with what should be a key aspect of its direction, restricting this playful stylistic choice to one cutscene and a few character animations.
South of Midnight Should Have Leaned Into Stop-Motion More
The opening sequence sets the scene forSouth of Midnight, introducing players to Hazel in a delightful, and slightly uncanny, stop-motion cutscene. With its contemporary style and slightly spooky atmosphere, the scene draws natural comparisons toCoraline, another modern fantasy that invokes similar themes of weaving, family dynamics, and an unseen other-world.
But after this opening sequence,South of Midnight’s presentationremains fairly standard. Outside a couple of animations, which can sometimes feel more like low frame rate quirks rather than artistic choices, the stop-motion never really lands. This is unfortunate, as while the game is definitely beautiful, leaning into a stop-motion style would have only strengthened the visuals and helpedSouth of Midnightstand out among similar titles.
This is not to say that everything in the game had to be in stop-motion. Taking aCoraline-esque approach, where the more disturbing elements of the story were rendered that way, could have been very beneficial, as it would have allowed the game to appeal to players who find a lot of stop-motion uncomfortable. Additionally, a deeper contrast between the two styles from scene to scene could have better portrayed the different emotional states of the already expressive characters.
Stop Motion Could Have Made for Some Unforgettable Mechanics
As a video game,South of Midnighthas an advantage thatCoralinedid not: there is a player controlling the flow of the story, which leaves windows open for interactivity.South of Midnightcould have taken a leaf out ofSuperhot’s book, where time moves only when the character moves. A system built on stop-motion that tied frame-by-frame action to a player’s inputs could have transformed the game’s combat, turning it into a pseudo-turn-based system that encouraged more tactical play.
The game’s puzzle solving already relies on timing to pull off, and perhaps it could have leaned into this more heavily with stop-motion. For example, a puzzle that tasked Hazel with manipulating objects could have required players to work out which frames were the best to pause on, or they could have even needed to arrange the objects so that a certain sequence played out. Having stop-motion embedded in the mechanics would have been an excellent way to separate the game from its contemporaries, including titles likeKena: Bridge of Spirits.
South of Midnightis undoubtedly a gorgeous game, and there is plenty to love about it. However, the game could have made stop-motion a truly important aspect of both its art style and gameplay. By minimizing this approach, the title misses a chance to pioneer something new that has rarely been done in other action platformers.
In the future, Compulsion Games should double down on what makes the studio unique and use these lessons to create a truly unforgettable experience.South of Midnightis a beautiful tale of loss and forgiveness, and it is also a perfectly fine platformer, even if it could have pushed the envelope further. Wherever the developer goes with its next game, there are plenty more tales that could come out of the bayou, and a sequel would do well to build onSouth of Midnight’s strong start.
