There is a chapter select!
1 Like
Dang going to have to look harder. Didnât see it on first glance so that is great to hear. And just realized it didnât count for my 8 pack yesterday. I knew the early access didnât count but figured yesterday would at least o well maybe going through for collectable will count.
I can easily see how someone might find this a bit simple - even if no single part is super basic, as a whole the rhythm (fight stigmas > collect the bad stuff in a bottle > repeat) and flow (explore > deviate > return > fight/story beat > repeat) is quite simple. So if the great bits - the aesthetics, the sound, the tone etc - donât grab you, itâs going to be fairly forgettable. Fortunately I am enjoying the great bits! And if the game isnât too long (I hear not?) I suspect the rhythm wonât outstay its welcome.
I believe if you choose to load game after completing it you are allowed to choose which chapter you want.
1 Like
Itâs a gem. An 8/10 because it could have been much much more but itâs close to that Psychonauts 2 perfect blend of story-driven-platforming for me. The environments are gorgeous, the characaters are charming, everything is so well crafted. It could have been a bit less on rails but thatâs a small nitpick. We are so spoiled right now !
3 Likes
Things like the chases feel extraneous but so much else works. Near the end now, a very enjoyable and memorable game. Could have been much more, aye, but itâs still a thing worth experiencing.
1 Like
Up to Chapter 7. People were making 6 sound worse than it was. I was really bracing for something graphic. It sucked, but it wasnât quite what people were making it out to be.
1 Like
Finished. The story/characters were the strongest point, which is rare for me in games. Those and the aesthetics and sound. Such a lovely game.
Gameplay all solid, nothing weak, other than the whole: itâs less than the sum of its parts, in that it feels very, very familiar. But itâs fun to play nevertheless.
2 Likes
Finished the game. This game had all the potential and it could have been amazing but it doesnât reach it full highs.
It had many good points for the plot and I wish we get to see more of the trauma especially hazels family (her dad) rather than the small titbits we got from unraveling.
There are few chapters where it felt amazing and I felt like it truly went magical. Especially Chapter 9, 12 are the best in the game.
The combat is serviceable at best. Nothing wrong but nothing great and by chapter 12 it felt like a chore and it was only coming in the way of experiencing the story and the world. Another factor that hurts combat is how predictable it is and also all the enemys just overwhelm with attacks and there is no breathing space (did it in the hardest difficulty). I wish combat moves had flare for being in such a magical world.
The music is amazing and voice acting was great. Catfish voice actor deserves an award. The interactions between catfish and hazel were amazing and I wish I got more of that and also get in depth look in to catfishâs story.
Boss fights designs are really good, though simple it really did sell the theme. The final boss was a huge disappointment
Overall a good game and it could have been GOTY for me if story and themes were explored more and combat was revamped. If i have to put a number it will land around 7.5 or 8.
4 Likes
Finished the game, the story/cast was good, the artstyle, voice acting and music were all s-tier, combat was good but lacking variety esp. with enemies being only heints and black in colour.The boss fights were easy but visually interesting and unique enough. The weakest point of the game was definitely the cloud chase sequences, those were really poorly balanced, never felt the rush or the danger.
If they were to make a sequel thereâs areas they could easily improve to take the game from a 8 to 9. More flashier combat with better variety, move away from the set structure, maybe let enemies be present in the open world instead of solely being in the enclosed areas.
Iâd give it an 8-8.5, enjoyed my playthrough, one of the more chill, fun games.
2 Likes
Wow, this game is beautiful! I love the way it looks and moves. Iâve only played a little bit, but I am vibing with it so far!
5 Likes
âMama will be there in the morningâŚâ I wasnât ready for that shitâŚ
That music video they released is hitting hardâŚ
2 Likes
I know Iâm a bit late to the party but Iâm really digging this. The soundtrack is really awesome too, I typically turn off music in games but this is epic.
2 Likes
Finished this last wee and itâs so far my GOTY. The only slight letdown/disappointment was the last boss fight.
I hope Xbox allows the team to make a sequel, and Xbox does not take its trademark approach to a new IP that doesnât sell multi-millions and kills it
2 Likes
Really enjoyed my time with this one. It wasnât quite in my top tier, but itâs a nice concise game thatâs easy to recommend for telling some unique stories, showcasing a different setting, and being good-to-great across every element.
Definitely recommend playing on hard though, it was much more fun with some tension to the fights and needing to think more about maximizing the abilities.
5 Likes
Totally agree on recommending the hard difficulty, it makes combat much more engaging plus hunting down the Floofs is more meaningful since you need those upgrades on hard. Platforming could be more complex/challenging design wise because the feel and mechanics are very good but I guess keeping the challenge low in those parts was most likely a deliberate design decision.
That being said I really like the game overall! visuals/art direction, music, the setting and the story are enough reasons to keep me hooked. Definitely a game thatâs a big upgrade for Compulsion when compared to their previous efforts, hopefully we will see a sequel in the future! a new game with improvements on some areas has the potential to be something really amazing IMO.
6 Likes
For their 1st major studio funded game, itâs a remarkable achievement! I love how the game has a feel, look and sound of all its own.
Hope Xbox allows the team to make a sequel and smooth out the combat and other small issues and do another RECORE and drop a very promising IP because it didnât sell 2 million in the 1st week
1 Like
ReCore 2 is my dream game
:'((((
2 Likes
And now Iâm sad againâŚ
Seeing where ReCore was headed with the new content in definitive edition really hurt. Coulda been something very cool along the lines of a faster paced, more open/customizable Zelda type game.
So anyway yes, +1 to hoping that Compulsion gets to take a shot at a sequel (if they want to). South of Midnight could easily work as first in a series of related titles that werenât directly connected but told these kinds of stories. Or we could see whatâs next for Hazel. Either would be cool to me.
1 Like
Me too. RECORE was such a good game, where a change to a new engine and faster gameplay could have made a sequel a winner.
Itâs classic XBox style, though they invest big in a new IP if it doesnât sellmillions in the 1st week, drop it like a stone Sadly, we saw it that a couple of years with HiFI Rush 
I hope South Of Midnight doesnât fall into the same Xbox trap door remember back in the old days how Xbox had big plans for Brute Force and Sudeki only to drop them stone dead when they didnât sell