Combat is not a simple case of button mashing in South of Midnight. Rather, a balance of melee attacks and well-timed blasts of Weaver magic is the key for success. Enemies called Haints lurk across the land of Prospero, and like everything else here, they are hewn together by invisible strands of the Grand Tapestry. These anomalous Weave tangles are borne of human pain and suffering, manifesting as malevolent spirits that protagonist Hazel must unravel to smooth the Tapestry, restore peace, and uncover hidden stories on a quest to rescue her mother. But in order to unravel these spirits, she first has to fight them.
Much like the folklore-infused, stop motion animated world itself, South of Midnight's combat system is a lot more complex than first meets the eye – especially given the litany of unique terminology – as Hazel grapples with her newfound powers over the course of a single day. Floofs, for example, are what Hazel calls the little wisps of residual energy she collects to fuel her upgrades. Don't worry if you're already lost – we have a sweeping South of Midnight hands-on preview to check out if you're looking for broader impressions. But after playing the third chapter twice through, I'm here to explain South of Midnight's combat system and give you a taste of how the game feels to play ahead of its April 8 release.
