Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 3: two-minute review

The Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 3 is a wireless gaming headset compatible with numerous platforms, thanks to its Bluetooth integration and two USB dongles.

While it’s largely free from the typical gaming accouterments – there’s no RGB lighting, for instance – it still cuts a conspicuous figure thanks to its ultra-wide drivers, so this isn’t exactly a headset you can travel around with. Virtually all of the best PC gaming headsets out there have a lower profile than this.

Thankfully, it’s not as heavy as it looks, although some gamers might prefer something lighter. Personally, I didn’t have an issue with this aspect of the Stealth 700 Gen 3. What bothered me more was the lack of headband padding, which resulted in an achy head even after short sessions.

The comfort around the ears is much better, though. The earcups provide plenty of padding, and glasses wearers shouldn’t have a problem either. My only gripe is that they’re very large, and the fit wasn’t snug enough to secure them in place when I moved around more emphatically. For normal head movements, though, the Stealth 700 Gen 3 stay in place just fine.

The general build quality is good too, even if the materials used in its construction aren’t always the most premium. The foldable microphone is a nice touch, and feels equally well made, with an easy opening mechanism and plenty of stability when down.

There are four buttons on the Stealth 700 Gen 3, allowing for plenty of on-the-fly adjustments. There are also three scroll wheels, with two for controlling the volume from Bluetooth and transmitter sources independently, meaning you can realistically listen to music or take calls on your phone at the same time as receiving game audio from your PC or console.

Further tweaks are possible using Turtle Beach’s Swarm 2 peripheral software (on PC), allowing for some detailed output and input configurations, as well as reassignment options for the Mode button and one of the wheels, although these are limited.

The sound is great for both gaming and other forms of entertainment, including listening to music and watching content. All frequencies are clear and well-balanced, while the Bass Boost mode imparts a noticeably fuller low-end without diminishing overall quality, although small amounts of distortion can intrude with higher volumes. The microphone is less impressive, but it offers enough clarity to get by and the noise gate works well to block unwanted sounds from being picked up.

The Stealth 700 Gen 3 connects quickly via the wireless transmitter and over Bluetooth, and both work in tandem well. However, I did experience occasional dropouts on PC; whether the issue was with the headset or my particular setup is hard to tell, but if the former, hopefully, this is something that can be fixed with an update.

Battery life is excellent and seems in line with Turtle Beach’s 80-hour claim, as after a couple of days of use via Bluetooth and the transmitter across multiple platforms, it only dropped by between 5-10%.

It sits in the middle of the market in terms of price, costing about the same as the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro, which is one of the best wireless gaming headsets around. However, this headset packs in more features than the Stealth 700 Gen 3, as well as excelling in virtually every other area. There’s also the Epos H3, which is one of the best cheap gaming headsets around, although you will have to settle for a wired connection.

While both these gaming headsets might offer better value, the Stealth 700 Gen 3 isn’t far behind. It puts in an admirable effort at this price point, with sound quality that punches above its class. There are a few comfort and usability issues, but I don’t think they’re dealbreakers at this price.

Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 3 review: price and availability

• $199.99 / £179.99 / AU$399.95
• Available now in three color options
• Mid-lane pricing for a gaming headset

The Stealth 700 Gen 3 costs $199.99 / £179.99 / AU$399.95 and is available now in three colorways: Black, White, and Cobalt Blue. There are models with various compatibility options for Xbox, PlayStation, and PC, although all cost the same.

The Razer BlackShark V2 Pro, one of the best wireless gaming headsets in our view, is the same price (and even slightly cheaper in the UK). This headset has great output and input quality, formidable build quality, and more tweaks and customizations than the Stealth 700 Gen 3, such as THX Spatial Audio compatibility. Battery life is also great, making it a tough headset to beat at this price point.

If you want to spend a lot less on a gaming headset, then the Epos H3 is one of the best wired gaming headsets around and can be found at a significant discount from its original price. We think this headset offers superb sound and great levels of comfort for the price. A wireless variant is also available, although this is quite a lot more expensive.

Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 3 review: Specs

Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 3 review: design and features

• Very bulky
• Plenty of physical adjustments
• Some useful features and customizations

The Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 3 maintains a rather muted appearance, steering clear of the gamer gaudiness afflicting some other gaming headsets; there’s not even any RGB lighting. It is, however, quite bulky, with extremely wide drivers – perhaps the widest I’ve seen on a gaming headset – so it still isn’t what you’d call discreet.

It feels well-made, though. It might not employ the most premium materials, but they feel relatively solid and are put together well. The fold-away microphone is also a nice touch, with its hinge mechanism offering a smooth operation, while at the same time providing plenty of stability once done. However, while the Stealth 700 Gen 3 isn’t as heavy as you might imagine, those who are sensitive to weighty headsets should still take heed that it’s heavier than some others in this sector.

The earpads are very thick, which helps make the headset comfortable to wear. Turtle Beach specifically mentions the Stealth 700 Gen 3 as being glasses-friendly, and I can say I found this to be the case, as I experienced no aches or fatigue from wearing them over the arms of my frames.

These pads are also uniquely shaped, vaguely following the contours of an actual ear lobe, which I found worked quite well in my case, although they were perhaps a little too large for me; since the headband is quite wide too, they don’t fit as snuggly as those on other headsets, although this is only a problem with more vigorous head movements. The large opening also means that it should accommodate most ear shapes and sizes.

Driver-height adjustments are easy to make yet hard to move accidentally. The drivers also rotate ninety degrees, allowing you to comfortably hang them around your neck. The headband, however, is less comfortable. While the padding looks soft and plush, it compresses far too easily, meaning the harder material inside pressed onto the top of my head, causing aches even after short periods of time.

There are various buttons on both drivers: the CrossPlay switch is used for toggling between the two transmitters (one for Xbox and one for other platforms), a Bluetooth button, and a Mode button for cycling sound profiles – although unfortunately, the voice prompt doesn’t tell you which mode is currently selected, which some Razer headsets do.

The power button can also be tapped to toggle the Superhuman Hearing mode, although on occasion this failed to work, requiring me to power off and power on the headset to make this button operational.

Oddly, there are three scroll wheels on the Stealth 700 Gen 3: one is for mixing game and chat levels, while two are for volume – one for Bluetooth sources and the other for transmitter sources. This may seem like overkill, but it helps to allow for the Stealth 700 Gen 3 to showcase one of its unique features: simultaneous playback from Bluetooth and transmitter sources, with the ability to control the volume of both independently.

It does mean you’ll have to learn the positioning of each wheel when you want to make adjustments on the fly. Thankfully, though, each wheel is small enough to prevent the layout from feeling cramped, and they’re easy to operate once you’re able to locate them, providing smooth yet controlled adjustments.

Only one of the wheels can be reassigned using Turtle Beach’s Swarm 2 software, with options to adjust the levels of the mic monitoring, chat, bass boost, treble boost, or the noise gate of the mic.

Swarm 2 offers further customizations and tweaks. The aforementioned Mode button can be reassigned too, although the only optional function besides its default is toggling the noise gate.

Various sound presets are available in Swarm 2, including Bass Boost, Bass and Treble Boost, and Vocal Boost. You can tinker with each of these presets – or create a custom preset – by cutting or boosting 10 different points across the frequency band by 9dB, ranging from 32Hz to 16kHz. This means you have plenty of scope to tailor the audio to your preferences.

There’s also a setting called Superhuman Hearing, which is designed to elevate certain in-game sounds, such as footsteps and gunshots. As for mic settings, you can adjust the sensitivity for pick-up, the monitoring level, and the noise gate, all of which are useful input settings to be given.

Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 3 review: Performance

• Impressive sound
• Passable microphone
• Some connectivity issues

I was generally impressed with the audio of the Stealth 700 Gen 3. All frequencies are clear and balanced, while the Bass and Treble Boost mode considerably enhances the low end without being overbearing, and is great for both gaming and listening to music. This mode can introduce distortion when you crank the volume up, but it's easily tamed by lowering the volume slightly. I found the Vocal Boost less usable, as it significantly reduces overall fidelity.

The Superhuman Hearing mode was somewhat useful in certain scenarios, but I ultimately preferred leaving it off. When playing Counter-Strike 2, the footstep setting did make such sounds more prominent, but at the cost of noticeably deteriorating the overall audio quality. The same can be said for the gunshot setting, which also didn’t seem to make gunshots easier to discern either. Having Bass and Treble Boost turned on provided the best experience for me, providing clear audio with plenty of impact and fullness.

For an integrated microphone, the quality is passable, although it doesn’t provide the greatest vocal clarity. The noise gate feature, though, is useful and does indeed block unwanted sounds from coming through.

Connecting to a PC via the USB transmitter is as simple as plug-and-play. The same is true of when connecting to consoles, being as easy as the best PS5 headsets and best Nintendo Switch headsets. Bluetooth was also easy to set up with my phone, and I couldn’t detect any discernible difference in sound quality. I had no issues playing games on my PC (via the dongle) and listening to music from my Google Pixel 7a (via Bluetooth) at the same time either.

However, the Stealth 700 Gen 3 can take a couple of seconds to reconnect to a PC when powering it back on after sleep, and I experienced a few unsolicited disconnects from my PC after a bleep from the headset that I couldn’t explain.

It’s possible the issue lies with my PC rather than with the Stealth 700 Gen 3, although I haven’t experienced this issue with other gaming headsets. Thankfully, I was able to get the sound back quickly, and hopefully a firmware update will fix the issue if it is indeed a fault with the headset.

On a more positive note, the battery life of the Stealth 700 Gen 3 is great, with the 80-hour claim made by Turtle Beach appearing to hold true, as it only dipped between 5-10% after a few days of varied use.

Should I buy the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 3?

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Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 3 review: Also consider

How I tested the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 3

• Tested for several days
• Used on multiple platforms
• Extensive gaming experience

I tested the Stealth 700 Gen 3 for several days, during which time I used it for gaming, listening to music, and watching video content. I tried it with numerous devices, namely a Windows 10 PC, a PS5, and a Nintendo Switch. I connected to these systems via the wireless USB transmitter and Bluetooth where I could.

I played games such as Counter-Strike 2 and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, where detailed sound and vocal clarity are of the utmost importance. I also recorded my own voice to test how the microphone sounded.

I have been gaming for over 20 years, and during that time I have experienced numerous headsets from a wide range of brands and across various price points. I have also reviewed multiple gaming headsets previously.

• First reviewed February 2025.
• Read more about how we test

Boulies Master Rex gaming chair: One-minute review

The Boulies Master Rex is a relaxed gaming chair with an integrated leg rest and various adjustments for improved comfort and versatility.

It’s a good-looking chair, and the Charcoal Grey finish on my review unit made it appear even smarter, although I found the black suede accents a little jarring and unnecessary. Overall, though, this is a relatively understated gaming chair that wouldn’t look out of place in any environment.

I also had the water-repellent fabric finish which was very nice, feeling as good as the finishes on the best gaming chairs around. The rest of the chair is similarly premium, although the head pillow isn’t quite up to the same standards, with a cheaper-feeling material and lacking plushness – but it’s still sufficiently comfortable and supportive.

The seat is quite soft for a gaming chair, providing plenty of cushioning, and is wide enough to comfortably accommodate various frames and sitting styles. The same can be said of the backrest, and I was especially thankful for the very forgiving side bolsters, which cushioned my elbows nicely whenever they made contact.

The Master Rex also features built-in lumbar support, which is adjustable for both height and prominence. I found it comfortable with plenty of support, although I wish it went a little lower, as it doesn’t really get that close to the bottom of the backrest.

What’s more, the two dials on either side for adjusting the lumbar can be awkward to turn while seated and require too many turns to reach their minimum and maximum respective settings, which can make it a chore to set.

I had no such problem when adjusting the armrests on the Master Rex, however. These are very stable and solidly constructed, yet I still found them comfortable to lean on. Again, though, I wish they had a lower minimum height, as well as a more inward bias. However, these are issues I experience with many gaming chairs.

The tilt mechanism was more disappointing, as it failed to easily rock, requiring some force to rock backward, even on its most amenable setting. Yet again, the adjustment dial for it was too laborious to use, owing to the large range between its two extremes.

Worse, however, was the recline mechanism. There’s plenty of range in its angles, but the mechanism itself felt rough and notchy, and I sometimes struggled to lock it in place. I also had similar issues with the Boulies Elite.

The integrated leg rest failed to impress, too. Sliding it in and out wasn’t the smoothest, and there was a fair amount of wobble to it when retracted. It’s well padded, but it’s a shame it only extended as far as my calves – and I’m not a tall person.

Assembling the Master Rex proved easy enough solo, although lining up the cushion gaskets when attaching the tilt mechanism to the seat base can be frustrating. Also, the rubber washers for the leg rest poles fell off too easily, and the machining on some screws was subpar. Despite these niggles, though, the Master Rex was easy to put together on the whole.

The Master Rex isn’t what you’d call cheap, but the quality and features on offer here help to make it a more reasonable proposition. It’s still less than the Secretlab Titan Evo 2022, although this is the best gaming chair around as far as we’re concerned. If you really want to save money, though, the Corsair TC100 Relaxed is a great pick for budget hunters.

In the main, the Master Rex has enough comfort, adjustability, and quality to make it a gaming chair worth recommending. A few features fall short of expectations, but not by enough to reject the Master Rex entirely from your consideration.

Boulies Master Rex gaming chair review: Price and availability

• $479.99 / £409.99 (about AU$762)
• Available now
• Cheaper than some rivals

The Master Rex costs $479.99 / £409.99 (about AU$762) and is available now with PU leatherette and water-repellent fabric upholstery options. The former comes in black and brown, while the latter comes in Charcoal Grey, Ash Grey, and Como (green).

While it sits towards the higher end of the market, the Master Rex is still less than the regular Secretlab Titan Evo 2022, which we think is still the best gaming chair overall. That chair doesn’t come with a leg rest, but the brand does make an add-on accessory – although this carries a hefty price tag.

If you want to spend a lot less than either the Master Rex or the Titan, the Corsair TC100 Relaxed is the best budget gaming chair around in our view. It doesn’t quite have the same high build quality as its rivals, and the assembly process isn’t the best, but it’s still a comfortable and well-designed seat.

Boulies Master Rex gaming chair review: Specs

Boulies Master Rex gaming chair review: Design and aesthetics

• Solid construction
• Soft, premium fabric
• Integrated lumbar and leg rest

The Master Rex sticks to Boulies’ typical aesthetic, with a more formal approach to traditional gaming chair design. It has a relaxed bucket-style backrest, while the seat base has no bolsters to hem you in – which I’m personally thankful for.

The water-repellent fabric I had on my test unit was smooth to the touch, feeling premium yet durable without the scratchiness that can plague some fabric finishes. Its stitching also appeared executed to a high standard, while the dark grey finish looked smart and sleek. The black suede accents seemed superfluous, though, and didn’t really add much in terms of form or function.

Most aspects of the Master Rex seem very well constructed. The frame and wheelbase are solid yet not too heavy, and the casters glide easily on hard and soft surfaces alike, without any catching on the latter. I was also thankful for the softness of the backrest side bolsters, which made them very comfortable on my elbows.

The 4D arm rests are another highlight, offering plenty of stability while being easy to operate. They have a hard-wearing surface yet are still comfortable, and are wide enough to accommodate most forearms.

The Master Rex also includes a leg rest that slides out from underneath the seat. However, the mechanism doesn’t retract smoothly, catching slightly as you pull, and there’s a fair amount of wobble when it’s out all the way, which doesn’t exactly inspire confidence. What’s more, the leg rest itself is quite thick, which means that when stowed, it gets in the way if you want to sit with your legs bent underneath you.

The Master Rex also comes with integrated lumbar support, so no back cushion is required. A head pillow is included, although this doesn’t feel as premium as the rest of the chair, owing to cheaper-feeling material and lack of plushness. It doesn’t attach magnetically either, relying on an elastic strap instead.

Boulies Master Rex gaming chair review: Comfort and Adjustability

• Useful adjustments
• Integrated lumbar support
• leg rest issues

I found the Master Rex a comfortable chair to sit in. The seat is soft and generously cushioned, more so than the seat on the Boulies Elite, for instance. It’s also pleasingly wide, allowing for various sitting styles.

Combined with the similarly plush backrest, this helps to make the Master Rex one of the most comfortable gaming chairs. The inbuilt lumbar support also provides sufficient back support, although I wish it went further down, as even on its lowest setting, it sat in the middle of my back more than I would’ve liked.

What’s more, adjustments are awkward to make while seated, owing to the positioning on the dials. Neither dial is labelled either, so you’ll have to refer to the manual and remember which one adjusts which parameter. Worse still, there are far too many rotations between their minimum and maximum settings, which only adds to the difficulty of making adjustments. At least the adjustments they do provide are meaningful.

The recline mechanism of the Master Rex doesn’t fare much better in this regard. As I found with the Boulies Elite, it’s too notchy and rough, and I often struggled to lock into position.

The tilt mechanism is a further oddity. I found that no matter how much I loosened the dial underneath, it was still too resistant to allow for easy rocking. And as with the lumbar adjustment dials, it requires far too many turns between each end of its extremes. I did, however, like the lever for toggling the tilt lock, as it moves horizontally rather than vertically, which I found more convenient to operate when seated.

On the other hand, the 4D arm rests on the Master Rex are hard to fault. All manner of pivots, rotations, and slides are possible, so most users shouldn’t have a problem getting a comfortable setup. I only wish they went lower and slightly further inwards, but I have this gripe with most gaming chairs I try to some degree; all things considered, they still offer sufficient comfort for extended periods.

The party piece of the Master Rex, though, is the retractable leg rest. I found this comfortable thanks to the amount of padding it provides. It can be adjusted for length, depending on how far you pull it out. However, it doesn’t extend all that far, and I wish it was long enough to rest my heels rather than just my calves, and a little more width wouldn’t have gone amiss either.

What’s more, despite its thickness, it still doesn’t sit level with the seat, meaning your feet dangle below you somewhat. While it’s nice to have, these drawbacks make the leg rest more of a gimmick rather than a feature you’ll want to use regularly.

Boulies Master Rex gaming chair review: Assembly

Putting together the Master Rex was a relatively quick process. I managed to build it by myself without help, although as with many gaming chairs, it can prove difficult and onerous when installing the seat onto the wheelbase, but this was still perfectly manageable.

There were a few other niggles, though. Firstly, when installing the tilt mechanism to the seat base, you’re required to insert small cushion gaskets in between the two before attaching the bolts. These spacers remain completely loose while you do this, which means they’re all too easy to displace and makes the process very fiddly.

In addition, the small rubber washers for the leg rest poles fell out when I took them out of their packaging – so take care not to lose them. Also, some of the screws had some machining damage to them; they were still perfectly functional, but this doesn’t exactly speak highly of Boulies’ quality control.

Ultimately, though, these are small grievances, and the whole process was relatively quick and easy compared to some other gaming chairs I’ve built in the past.

Should I buy the Boulies Master Rex gaming chair?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it...

Boulies Master Rex gaming chair review: Also consider

Here are some alternatives to the Boulies Master Rex:

How I tested the Boulies Master Rex gaming chair

• Tested for several days
• Made various adjustments
• Years of gaming chair experience

I tested the Master Rex for several days, and used it for gaming and for working. I used it on hard floors and on a large rug, and made every adjustment I could.

I have been PC gaming for decades, and during that time I’ve owned a variety of chairs, including those made for gaming, such as the Secretlab Titan, and office chairs, such as the Steelcase Leap.

I have reviewed other gaming chairs previously, including another Boulies model, the Elite.

• Read more about how we test
• First reviewed: April 2025

In a year packed with big-budget blockbusters and standout indie gems, South of Midnight carves out its own space by delivering the polish of a AAA title while embracing the bold, stylized vision often found in smaller-budget games. Since being acquired by Microsoft Game Studios some years ago, Montreal-based developer Compulsion Games has refined its knack for high-concept mid-tiered AA release through a mythic adventure of the American South. Simply put, there are games released at twice the price point of South of Midnight ($39.99) that don’t provide this well-rounded experience.

Players step into the role of Hazel, a young woman caught in the middle of a magical conspiracy as she searches for her mother following a hurricane while uncovering her family’s legacy. A captivating story filled with rich characters alongside fascinating world-building, South of Midnight stands out thanks to vivid stop-motion-inspired visuals, outstanding music, and heartfelt voice acting stand out in presentation alone. Most importantly, the Game Pass exclusive feels authentic and honest about its point of view.

Thankfully, there’s also an incredibly solid game beneath the audio/visual package and a charming story. South of Midnight doesn’t radically innovate in the gameplay department, nor does it even try to. What matters most in the action adventure is the execution which is led by tight controls during traversal and combat.

Across the 10-15 hours of the single-player game, players will guide Hazel through the Southern town of Prospero as she searches for her mother. Earlier on in the story, our heroine learns of her destiny as a Weaver, magical individuals who battle evil creatures called Haints with enchanted crochet hooks. As Hazel embarks on her hero’s journey, she’ll also find her way by learning about the past of many past and present residents of Prospero besides her own family history. Along the way, she'll befriend a talking catfish(who also serves as the narrator), fight her mother’s bartending ex-boyfriend, who transforms into a monstrous flying creature, understand the mysterious disappearance of a pleasure boat in a swampland occupied by a giant mermaid looking for her lost son and much more.

Tight Combat and traversal

During exploration, controlling Hazel is fairly simple with the left stick used for movement, the left stick used for camera control, A button for jump. As the story goes along, there are layers added to that through double jumps, dashes, wall-running, and the like. Like many of its inspirations like Prince of Persia or Uncharted, there’s plenty of climbing, wall shimming, and balancing as well. All of these feel fantastic when used, even if the core mechanics aren’t necessarily new. However, the way it's used to push the story keeps things moving along without getting boring. For example, the early moments of Hazel learning about her powers in the earlier chapters (there are 14 chapters in total) is through the last Weaver who helped Black slaves escape captivity.

Once the third chapter comes along, this is where the main gameplay loop comes into play where players collect spirits in blue glass bottles that relate to a local legend within a specific location. This is done through combat sections that have players enter an arena and fight the Haints. Destroying the dark creatures wreaking havoc on the land of Prospero is a fluid, accessible, and visually rewarding experience. Using those magical crochet hooks, players attack and initiate combo-based attacks via the X button and dodge with the B button which if done at the right time can turn into a parry. Later on, players can also manipulate enemies using trigger and bumper inputs to push and pull them, adding depth to encounters. Many of those powers have cooldown moments in order to avoid exploitation while also serving as a tool for fairly simple puzzles.

Once enemies are weakened, purifying them with the Y button finishes them off while also restoring a bit of health. A lock-on system enhances targeting precision too by clicking on the left thumb stick. Defeating all enemies in a combat scenario transforms thorn-covered corrupted areas into vibrant, flower-filled landscapes—an eye-catching reward that enhances the game’s visual appeal. Combat is relatively simple and doesn’t necessarily get complex until the narrative’s midway point where Hazel can face six or seven enemies at once. During the later combat scenarios, it does get a bit difficult for the camera to keep up with Hazel which can lead to some light moments of frustration. Even in death, checkpoints are generous with a really silly respawn animation.

The stand-out moments of combat does come in the form of big boss fights that will challenge players' understanding of Hazel’s powers with some offering some light puzzle elements. One surprising boss battle even features a clever twist during its conclusion and defines the real antagonist of South of Midnight even if that character is fairly obvious during the first couple of chapters. That final confrontation with the antagonist definitely goes left into a finale that does somewhat come off as anti-climactic yet well-meaning.

Following combat, players also begin to learn more about the mystery of a particular area they’re trying to get through such as how a boy transformed into a tree or how a mysterious giant spider got attached to several missing children among others. After Hazel collects enough spirits for the bottle and begins to discover the mystery of a particular area, this leads to a chase sequence from a mysterious creature as she makes her way to the bottle tree.

The flow of the game usually consists of traversal looking for spirit bottles and other collectibles later down the line, combat scenarios, and the big chase sequence after all the required spirits are collected. Though the game is incredibly linear, players can get a guide on where to go next with the press of a button. Interestingly enough, there are some beaten paths where players can upgrade an incredibly light combat skill tree or enhance their life bar.

A nice switch-up roughly halfway through the game comes in the form of an overwhelmingly cute stuffed crochet doll named “Crouton.” The cuddly individual serves as a companion one can control during exploration by hitting the right bumper. Crouton can also be thrown into other areas to explore where it can be controlled directly by the player. It can also get through spaces Hazel is too large to crawl through to activate different switches and can even be used in combat. When fighting the Haints, Hazel can use the doll to possess enemies to attack others. This later addition does a better job of keeping combat and traversal somewhat fresh.

Art and audio that doesn’t miss

With an incredibly cool story and lore alongside solid gameplay, holding all of those elements together is the presentation. Visually, South of Midnight is one of the best-looking games of the year so far when it comes to art direction. The first introductory stop-motion animation before the start screen sets a fantastic tone that transitions well into the real-time gameplay and cut scenes.

The game embraces a distinctive stop-motion aesthetic, enhanced by rich art direction and clever technical choices. Its animation style features intentional frame skips, giving it a handcrafted, cinematic feel reminiscent of Coraline, The Nightmare Before Christmas the Spider-Verse films. This unique approach blends artistic flair with modern performance, running smoothly at a consistent 60 frames per second. Other more technical highlights of the visuals include great lighting, texture work without any noticeable pop-in, and shadow work. The result is a game that looks like a beautifully animated film coming to life, setting it apart visually from a lot of games released this year.

South of Midnight’s audio is just as captivating as its visuals, delivering a rich, immersive soundscape that elevates the entire experience. The soundtrack, already praised for its deep-fried charm, consistently maintains a high standard of quality from start to finish. Drawing from American roots genres like blues, jazz, and country, the music is layered with a sweeping orchestral touch that adds emotional depth.

This sonic blend is the result of recordings done in both Nashville and London’s legendary Abbey Road Studios, merging Southern soul with cinematic grandeur to create a sound that’s both grounded and transcendent. That doesn’t even count moments during gameplay and most boss fights where music features lyrics that move the narrative along in a major way. Then there’s fantastic voice acting that truly brings these characters to life. In addition to the magnificent script writing, every single character from lead to supporting cast is perfectly cast including Adriyan Rae as Hazel. The Southern accents can get really thick too.

South of Midnight is a rare gem that seamlessly blends imaginative storytelling, satisfying gameplay, and top-tier presentation. Compulsion Games delivers a title that feels as if it punches above its weight, offering a visually stunning, emotionally rich journey through a myth-laced Southern gothic world. From the moment Hazel begins her search for her mother to the last climactic battles against haunting enemies both big and small, the game constantly surprises with its heart rooted in deep respect for American Southern culture. While it may not reinvent the wheel, South of Midnight executes its vision with precision and flair, proving that a thoughtfully crafted experience can rival—and even surpass—many of its higher-priced contemporaries.

Should you play South of Midnight?

Play it if...

Don't play it if...

Accessibility

South of Midnight offers a robust suite of accessibility features. Players can expect customizable menu narration, detailed subtitle and caption options, and adjustable fonts to support those with audio or visual needs. This even extends to removing the animation frame skip in favor of smoother animation. While the game is relatively approachable on its default difficulty, it also includes a variety of gameplay tweaks designed to accommodate players with different disabilities. Some of these include help from in-game navigation and combat tweaks to exploration help.

How I reviewed South of Midnight

I played a finished build of South of Midnight on Xbox Series X and my playtime lasted nearly 15 hours. After completing the game on normal difficulty, I spent additional time exploring its harder modes and diving into the rich lore woven throughout the experience.

The game was played on a Gigabyte M32UC 4K monitor with an Xbox Wireless Controller. Sound came through FiiO FT1 Pro Open-Back Planar Headphones.

First reviewed April 2025