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.
Get caught up
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.
Latest South of Midnight trailer
Need a reminder of what South of Midnight is all about? The latest story trailer is designed to give you a glimpse into the unique world Compulsion Games is crafting, and how the American Deep South inspired this otherworldly descent into folklore and superstition.
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.
