Opinion: South Of Midnight Dev Could Become An Xbox Game Studios Gem
By So, just prior to a recent time off work to mark a birthday milestone I’d prefer not to discuss, I had the joy of playing and evaluating South of Midnight – which has become one of my favorite releases from Xbox Game Studios in ages. In fact, if we exclude the remarkable yet ultimately evolution-focused Forza Horizon 4, South of Midnight may very well be my leading XGS release since 2014’s Sunset Overdrive. Yes, it’s been that long!
It’s truly a bit of an enchanting experience, isn’t it? SOM isn’t the most innovative, intricate game out there – yet it takes us back to a period before explosive growth and games-as-a-service completely overtook the gaming scene. South of Midnight is simply a game, one featuring a captivating narrative, stunning graphics, memorable characters, and lively performances – essentially everything you desire from a single-player journey on Xbox.
In that regard, it genuinely feels like Compulsion Games leveraged all its insights from Contrast and We Happy Few to craft South of Midnight – and I believe this studio has the potential to become something quite extraordinary within the Xbox Game Studios portfolio. Microsoft has larger teams with greater significance to its financial success – yet after consolidation, numerous studio closures, and an eventful few years overall, a developer like Compulsion is vital to Microsoft’s gaming identity.
As dedicated followers of Xbox Game Studios for many years, we have been eager to see more teams have the opportunity to showcase their creative talent. We witnessed the Halo, Gears & Forza era — which was still thrilling by the way — followed by a dry spell and numerous acquisitions. One of those pickups was Compulsion Games back in 2018; a buy that has finally delivered precisely what we want from Xbox.
However, I can’t honestly claim that I’m completely unconcerned about the studio’s future. At the time of the team’s acquisition and the greenlighting of SOM, the industry was vastly different – indeed, the world was in an entirely different situation. Microsoft has acquired Bethesda, Activision and intensified its blockbuster games strategy since then, along with its multiplatform approach to revenue generation as well. The gaming landscape appears to be more cautious than ever; I genuinely hope Xbox continues to permit creative teams like this to develop unique games akin to this one.
In conclusion, we may not know what lies ahead for the South of Midnight studio – but whatever they embark on next, I hope it embodies the same level of freedom, creativity, and sheer joy that its recent Xbox Game Pass release showcases. I hesitate to suggest that I’d like to see a sequel, as honestly, something entirely fresh would also be fantastic – yet SOM could serve as an excellent launching point for Compulsion and its future endeavors. Microsoft, turn this team into an XGS treasure and grant them the liberty to create another remarkable game – we deserve it!
What are your thoughts on South of Midnight and what lies ahead for the team? Share your views in the comments.