South of the Circle

 Switch
South of the Circle Image
Metascore
69

Mixed or average reviews - based on 7 Critic Reviews What's this?

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  • Summary: Antarctica, 1964.

    A crashed aircraft, tail to the sky. Cambridge academic Peter stumbles from the wreckage in search of help, fighting the cold. As his attempts to escape the ice grow more desperate, the lines between his past and present begin to blur. A love story between colleagues    Antarctica, 1964.

    A crashed aircraft, tail to the sky.

    Cambridge academic Peter stumbles from the wreckage in search of help, fighting the cold. As his attempts to escape the ice grow more desperate, the lines between his past and present begin to blur.

    A love story between colleagues Peter and Clara, set against the backdrop of the Cold War, South of the Circle is a narrative adventure game about memory, survival, and the consequences of not dealing with the past.    … Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
  1. Digitally Downloaded
    Sep 2, 2022
    90
    South Of The Circle is a beautiful game that tells a wonderful little story, and is backed up with a genuine effort by the developers to explore cinematic techniques for dramatic effect. When the alternative in video games is typically the equivalent of bland, rote Hollywood productions, South Of The Circle stands out as something different. Different is and always will be interesting. I’m just glad the developers backed the interesting techniques they used with a fascinating story.
  2. COGconnected
    Jul 29, 2022
    72
    South of the Circle is a bold title that deals with mature themes. Its approach to storytelling is refreshing as it interweaves flashbacks to assemble a larger narrative. In addition to this, State of Play also respects its audience. They don’t oversimplify elements and allow you to interpret aspects. While the gameplay lacks substance and can cause some passive moments, the lovely design and spectacular score help make this a memorable experience.
  3. GAMINGbible
    Jul 29, 2022
    70
    South of the Circle is a thought-provoking narrative adventure that fans of this genre of low-interaction-but-high-storyline-satisfaction will adore, and like Firewatch I would absolutely read the novelisation of it. (Can someone make that happen, please?) I took so many screenshots, so gorgeous is this game at times, and any release that has me seeking wider context for its setting and events is a good one. But it has enough fiddliness, enough tiny faults, for the overall impression to be of excellence fallen just short of.
  4. Hey Poor Player
    Aug 24, 2022
    70
    South of the Circle definitely looks and feels like it was made by a BAFTA-winning team, which means that players should know they’re walking into an artistic endeavor instead of an action-packed adventure. Sure, there’s action, and there’s adventure, but it’s more of a passive movie than an active experience. As long as you set your expectations accordingly, South of the Circle will thrill (and chill!) anyone looking for a unique setting and exciting story.
  5. Gaming Age
    Sep 15, 2022
    67
    To be sure, there are worse ways to waste three hours than in the presence of very good voice actors doing their thing over gorgeous visuals. And, like I said, the game always tries to make you feel like you’re in the presence of something great. But the reality is, no matter how much South of the Circle aspires to greatness, with a story like this, it’s never more than merely okay.
  6. Gamer Escape
    Aug 1, 2022
    60
    All in all, I wouldn’t completely label this game as not worth playing, but I do suggest tempering your expectations so that there is minimal disappointment as you progress through the story. That isn’t to say I regret playing it, but I don’t think I would’ve missed much if I hadn’t.
  7. Pure Nintendo
    Aug 5, 2022
    55
    If it interests you, South of the Circle is a game worth playing at least once. But while I can tell that some heart was put into it, it does feel like one of those artsy games trying to seem deep. Other than a few instances, South of the Circle made me feel empty, thinking of how it could have been meatier. It’s also priced a bit high for what essentially is a movie with little gameplay.

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 2
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 2
  3. Negative: 0 out of 2
  1. SolomonSquek
    Dec 9, 2022
    9
    Artstyle and animations, story, music and voice acting were totally amazing. Transitions from a scene to another are so cinematic and wellArtstyle and animations, story, music and voice acting were totally amazing. Transitions from a scene to another are so cinematic and well done, I wish more games did them this way. The lack of any actual gameplay would keep many away from this gem and that's a shame 'cause they would skip an original, emotional and deeply involving story that handles really well themes like deeply rooted discrimination based on gender and age in academia and the love vs career dilemma. Masterful storytelling and really, the voice acting was top notch.… Expand
  2. heybranny
    Jan 29, 2023
    7
    Interesting story, excellent voice acting and nice artwork. Most of the gameplay is just choosing what to say without affecting the story.

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