How South of Midnight Nails Its Storybook Aesthetic

South of Midnight tackles some really serious subject matter during the course of its 10-12-hour journey, not being afraid to explore various forms of abuse and victimhood that are sure to resonate at least somewhat with many players. But that doesn't mean South of Midnight is a totally grounded game.

Though South of Midnight can get pretty dark very quickly, the game takes place in a world that constantly blurs the line between fantasy and real-life. Players might be uncovering a tragic tale of fratricide, but they're doing so by magically diving into physical manifestations of trauma. This blending of tones gives South of Midnight an almost dream-like feel, which is something South of Midnight's art style routinely cements, with it making the game feel like a storybook come to life.

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By Cameron Swan

How South of Midnight Achieves its Storybook-Like Aesthetic

South of Midnight's Lighting Gives The Game a Dream-like Feel

One of the most impressive aspects of South of Midnight's presentation is its lighting effects, and specifically its state-of-the-art ray tracing. In each one of South of Midnight's varied biomes, players will be able to see some form of light shining down upon their location. This light acts as an immediate and consistent moodsetter for the chapter.

For instance, when players are first starting out on their journey, the sun's rays can be seen beaming through the dense foliage they find themselves surrounded by. This sunlight feels calming and real, signifying that player-character Hazel is still only at the start of her magical adventure. Towards the end of South of Midnight's story, the warm, golden rays turn into ominous white shrouds of light concealed by fog, representing the increased otherworldly danger Hazel finds herself in.

South of Midnight's Cel-Shading Makes Characters Look Like They've Been Pulled From the Page

South of Midnight uses cel-shading sparingly. Rather than highlight every single line on a character's face or body, or every line of the environment, South of Midnight chooses to only highlight a few distinct creases here and there. This subtle cel-shading gives South of Midnight's environments and character models the feeling that they've not just been taken from a book's pages, but brought to life, and given extra detail in the process.

Though stop-motion animation isn't used too much during South of Midnight's moment-to-moment gameplay, its use during cutscenes helps to reinforce the game's distinct storybook-like aesthetic by continuing to distance it from reality.

Little Details Go a Long Way in Cementing South of Midnight's Aesthetic

But while South of Midnight's lighting and cel-shading do most of the aesthetic's heavy-lifting, it's the smaller details that really seal the deal. One of the best examples can be found when looking at almost any of South of Midnight's rocky surfaces.

On most cliffsides, ravines, and mountains in South of Midnight, players will be able to notice a light smattering of color flicked across the rocks that highlights the surface's natural edges and creases. This dash of highlighting feels akin to the drybrushing technique used in model-making, where painters dab their model with a tiny bit of dried paint to give it more texture. This subtle technique makes South of Midnight's world feel like a sort of diorama, which again feeds into this wider dream-like feeling.

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