The moment I first stepped into the combat arenas of South of Midnight, I knew I was in for a challenging ride. There's this jarring transition that happens when you move from the serene exploration segments to those clearly marked battle zones—it's like the game flips a switch from peaceful stroll to survival horror. As someone who's played through countless action games, I've got to say this design choice creates one of the most dramatic difficulty spikes I've experienced recently. The combat begins with what the game calls Haints—these spectral enemies that materialize out of nowhere, and just when you think you've got a handle on things, additional waves join the fray after you clear the initial group. What makes these encounters particularly brutal is how hard Haints hit and how lightning-fast their attacks come at you. Unless you're playing on the easiest setting, and let's be honest, who wants to admit to that, the shift in tone is so abrupt it feels like the game suddenly decided to punish you for having fun earlier.
Now, here's where things get really interesting from a game design perspective. Our protagonist Hazel has this whole arsenal of abilities that sound fantastic on paper—telekinetic shoves, tether pulls, all that good stuff—but in actual combat, about 60% of these moves feel practically useless until you've invested significant time hunting down upgrades. I spent my first five hours primarily relying on her standard melee attacks because nothing else seemed to make a dent in the enemy health bars. There's this fundamental imbalance between the damage Hazel dishes out and what she takes from opponents—her attacks feel like gentle taps compared to the sledgehammers coming her way. What's worse is her defensive options are limited to dodging, which wouldn't be so bad if the lock-on mechanic actually worked properly when you're surrounded. I can't count how many times I've faced a game-over screen because the camera decided to focus on the wrong enemy while three others were charging their attacks behind me.
The most frustrating aspect, and I'm saying this after putting roughly 45 hours into the game, is the lack of clear attack indicators for most Haints. They'll glow bright yellow when preparing their special moves, which is generous, but their standard attacks come with little to no warning. This creates situations where you're constantly on the backfoot, reacting rather than strategizing. I've developed this twitchy playstyle where I'm always ready to dodge, even when there's no immediate threat, because the punishment for mistiming a single evasion is so severe. The game almost trains you to be paranoid, which honestly detracts from the otherwise beautiful world they've created. There were moments where I found myself rushing through exploration segments just to get the inevitable combat encounters over with, which is a shame because the environmental storytelling is genuinely compelling.
From my experience, the combat system improves dramatically once you've collected enough pick-ups to upgrade Hazel's abilities. That telekinetic shove I initially dismissed? It becomes an absolute game-changer once you've poured 15 ability points into it. The tether pull transforms from a situational gimmick to a crucial crowd-control tool. But here's my main critique: why make players suffer through 8-10 hours of clunky combat before the system actually opens up? I understand the desire for progression, but the initial experience is so punishing that I worry many players will drop the game before reaching that satisfying power spike. I nearly quit myself during that brutal swamp area with the flying Haints—you know the one if you've played it—where the lock-on system completely falls apart against fast-moving aerial targets.
What fascinates me about South of Midnight's combat is how it contrasts with the exploration segments. The peaceful moments are genuinely some of the most atmospheric I've experienced in games this year, with rich environmental details and subtle storytelling. Then combat hits and it's like someone switched the disc to a different, much harder game. This isn't necessarily bad—I actually appreciate games that challenge players—but the execution feels uneven. The difficulty doesn't ramp up gradually so much as it spikes violently each time you enter a combat zone. I found myself employing what I call the "dodge-and-poke" strategy through most of the mid-game: evade constantly, land one or two basic attacks, then retreat. It's effective but hardly what I'd call engaging combat design.
Looking at the bigger picture, I believe South of Midnight's combat system represents both the strengths and weaknesses of modern action-adventure games. There's clear ambition here, with multiple ability trees and enemy types that require different approaches. But the implementation feels rushed in places, particularly regarding defensive options and attack telegraphing. If I were advising the developers, I'd suggest adding at least one more defensive mechanic—perhaps a parry system or temporary shield—and making early-game abilities more impactful from the start. As it stands, the combat often feels like an obstacle to overcome rather than an integral part of the experience. Still, there's something compelling about mastering this unforgiving system. That moment when you finally clear a particularly tough encounter through skill rather than luck? Absolutely priceless. It's just a shame that getting to that point requires so much frustration first.
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