South Of Midnight Is Exactly The Kind Of Game Xbox Needs Right Now

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Xbox is on track to have one of its best years yet with the likes of,, and, among many others, coming out. Fans are naturally overjoyed to see Xbox finally hit its stride, especially when the competition from both Nintendo and PlayStation has been so fierce. One of the reasons this phenomenal year has been made possible is the vast variety of titles Xbox is releasing.

One of Xbox's most unique exclusives coming in 2025 is. Developed by Compulsion Games, the folks behind, is a third-person action game unlike anything else on the market. Its plethora of unique selling points makes it a draw for players both playing it via Xbox Game Pass on day one and paying full price when it launches. However, most importantly, marks a much-needed change in approach when it comes to the type of games Xbox is publishing.

Xbox has a track record of favoring gritty, photorealistic, and oftentimes exceptionally dark titles over stylized releases akin to what Nintendo fans often get. That's not surprising, as much of the AAA space has been dominated by these kinds of games, including by Xbox's direct competitor, PlayStation, with the likes of and. That's not to say that neither publisher releases fantastical games, but rather, when it comes to visual style, Xbox in particular places a lot of value on high-fidelity photorealistic graphics.

Xbox does have a handful of other more stylized games releasing in 2025, including and. However, fits more into the indie category, and is closer to Xbox's typical visual aesthetic than .

This is further evidenced by Xbox's 2025 lineup, which features the likes of,, and alongside the annual release, all of which sport similar realistic art direction that makes it almost look like they're from the same universe.It's understandable why Xbox is prioritizing realism over style, as it better illustrates the immense strides in graphical fidelity, as well as the capabilities of its flagship console, the Xbox Series X. Perhaps this is why it is all the more