Is South of Midnight a souls-like game?

South of Midnight is a brand new action-adventure experience set in a fictionalized version of America. The story follows Hazel Flood as she embarks on a journey to save her mother. You will encounter a handful of powerful enemies in your adventure, and they can be a pain to handle.

While the game has its fair share of intense combat encounters, it is not a souls-like game. The combat mechanics in the game share a few qualities with other games like Elden Ring or Demon's Souls, where you must time your attacks and avoid all incoming attacks at all costs. However, the game is much more forgiving.

Disclaimer: Some aspects of this article reflect the writer's subjective opinions about the game.

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South of Midnight is not a souls-like game

The gaming community should give this game a shot (Image via Xbox Game Studios)

South of Midnight can be challenging, especially if you haven't learned the ropes of fighting enemy variants. While these enemies are not impossible to defeat, they require a mighty effort to decimate with your starting weapons. Hazel Flood isn't imbued with power, but she will gain access to magical artifacts to help her defeat enemies.

You fight with magical hooks and attack your enemies with a flurry of light and heavy attacks, similar to most souls-like games. However, these enemies aren't tanky or durable enough for a prolonged fight. You can take down Haints one at a time, and they will be downed after a few hits, especially on an easier difficulty.

On the other hand, traditional enemies in souls-like games are much more aggressive and will not go down without a fight. Even the most generic and basic enemy will put up a good fight against your character, and it can take a while to advance. Compulsion Games didn't design the enemies to be overpowered, and you can defeat them with enough practice and effort.

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Compulsion Games has one feature that souls-like games never had

South of Midnight has a feature that most souls-likes don't: multiple difficulty settings. FromSoftware has built a reputation for inspiring the souls-like games, and there is no way to increase or decrease the difficulty setting in most titles that fall under this genre.

Hazel Flood will not be bombarded with powerful attacks if you're playing it safe (Image via Xbox Game Studios)

While South of Midnight is much easier, enemies can punish you if you keep relying on the same strategy. The artificial intelligence can somewhat learn your attack patterns and adapt, especially during late-game chapters. Avoid spamming and get creative. Hazel will unlock new abilities throughout the adventure, which can be upgraded with enough floofs.

The souls-like genre is renowned for creating competitive players and memorable experiences through trial by fire. While several players love the genre, not everyone is up for the challenge.

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South of Midnight is available on Xbox Series X/S, PC, and GeForce Now. For more related articles, check these out:

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• Is South of Midnight available on GeForce Now?
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