South of the Circle

 PC
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 21 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 21
  3. Negative: 0 out of 21
  1. Adventure Gamers
    Sep 27, 2022
    70
    Although it gives the false impression of being a “choices matter” game, South of the Circle is still an excellent narrative experience for those who enjoy games without puzzles. Even if the ending might be disappointing, the stunning graphics and fantastic soundtrack make it a game worth playing.
  2. TrueGaming
    Aug 15, 2022
    70
    South of the Circle has a captivating story and intriguing characters, but the end falls flat and feels rushed, leaving us confused as to what happened.
  3. WellPlayed
    Aug 14, 2022
    70
    South of the Circle beguiles with its polished presentation and top-notch performances but often forgets to make itself a compelling game in the process.
  5. JeuxActu
    Aug 4, 2022
    70
    With such an imbalanced gameplay/narrative ratio, South of the Circle clearly won't appeal to everyone. The few gameplay mechanics are really anecdotal, so much so that even the choice system does not lead to different ends as tradition dictates. It is imperative to approach this production from the angle of the essentially narrative adventure, or even squarely to place oneself in the spirit "I am watching a nice animated film of 3h30".
  6. Softpedia
    Aug 1, 2022
    65
    South of the Circle is barely a video game and would have probably worked better as a movie. Players who don’t quickly become engaged with the story will have a tough time finding reasons to push on. And even for those who want to see how the narrative ends, some sequences drag on with limited payoff. Titles in the walking simulator space can make for impressive video games but they need to establish a solid emotional connection quickly. South of the Circle does have great moments and narrative threads that coalesce in an interesting way. But the development team at State of Play needs to work on pacing to make sure that players stay engaged.
  7. Edge Magazine
    Sep 8, 2022
    60
    In confronting Peter's regrets, it leaves us with one of our own - that we didn't stop 15 minutes sooner. [Issue#376, p.121]
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  8. Games.cz
    Aug 23, 2022
    50
    A good-looking game with great voice acting and interesting characters. Your own choices, however, don’t matter at all, there’s no gameplay to speak of and the story itself is rather bland.
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  1. Rock, Paper, Shotgun
    Aug 9, 2022
    Even if the game’s final moments lacked the emotional wallop, South Of The Circle’s story, presentation, and visual direction hit every mark for me with the biggest surprise being the nuance and the way it handled its themes. It's a shame about the ending - but it’s about the journey, not the destination, right?

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
6.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 19 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 19
  3. Negative: 5 out of 19
  1. bokarsh-z
    Aug 15, 2022
    3
    not worth it watch it on youtube-qte walking simulator choices don't matter and bad ending
  2. Acedia23x
    Sep 16, 2022
    3
    he game has a nice art style and a good artistic presentation The voice acting is good as well. Unfortunately the gameplay is almosthe game has a nice art style and a good artistic presentation The voice acting is good as well. Unfortunately the gameplay is almost non-existent, in some instances the game plays itself. The story is well presented but filled with a ton of 1960s cliches. And the game is not subtle about it either. It reemphasizes the same points all over again, without providing a balanced view on certain cultural aspects of that era. This is unfortunate because the game has a good start, but looses it with its plot fast. I sadly cannot recommend… Full Review »
  3. Skyyfall
    Jan 23, 2023
    5
    The game is a visual novel with minimal gameplay and choices that don't decide anything at the end. I did not find any obvious problems withThe game is a visual novel with minimal gameplay and choices that don't decide anything at the end. I did not find any obvious problems with the game, it was pleasant to play. This game can be called a movie with a running time of 3-4 hours. Important questions are raised in the world after World War 2, but in the end they are not fully disclosed. Another open ending game with no choice. You can walk in 4 hours and think a lot at the end, but no more.… Full Review »
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