South of the Circle Critic Reviews

South of the Circle is a great narrative experience, with a lovely visual style that delivers a heartfelt story in an impactful way.

South of the Circle is a weird and fascinating experience, that mixes poor gameplay with a great script. It's essentially an interactive film, where all we're asked to do is look at the screen.

There was a lot of meticulousness shown in the creation of a story-based game like South of the Circle. Though it’s not perfect, and the gameplay may not be to your liking, the level of interactivity and immersion that emanates from Peter’s life is impressive. Just like a cinematic film, it left me thinking about the experience. the characters, and what I had just witnessed. I felt like I had left a movie theater with a satisfied grin on my face.

South of the Circle uses a unique narrative style and a very artistic way to tell a story about the Cold War that is good for us to savor.

South of the Circle is an emotional narrative experience that manages to engage the player with a series of exciting events.

The ending sequence of South of the Circle is still packed with emotional catharsis and an ambiguous ending the leaves the player wanting more, and that alone makes this game a must-play for narrative-driven players.

South of the Circle is a must play for people who love story-driven games.

With wonderful acting. writing, and striking visuals, South of the Circle is an experience worth seeking out, even if the dialogue options and movement are lacking.

South of the Circle is as good a game today as it was years ago. The PC version improves the graphics slightly and is perfectly playable even without the use of the touch screen or "the mobile approach." It can be played in small bites or as a movie to be completed in one or two evenings. If you do not have access to Apple Arcade and have yet to try State of Play's narrative adventure, you now have no excuse. Avoid it only if you can't stand limited gameplay or if you want every single choice to have a huge impact on the scenes and plot.

South of the Circle is the equivalent of a good book. It's fun to sit down, experience, relax, and have the story drift over you. It isn't particularly interactive, and the ending feels a little unsatisfying, but beyond that, it's well told and well executed. You shouldn't pick it up if you're looking to decide who lives or who dies. You get to experience the story as it is told, with a few button prompts for flavor. If that sounds good to you, then you'll enjoy South of the Circle.

I really enjoyed the Lost-esque flashbacks that Peter has throughout the game, and how beautifully the game transitions between them. I also loved how natural the romance between Peter and Clara felt in developing slowly, over time, and how well the two work together. If you’re looking for a stellar story experience, South of the Circle has it in spades.

South of the Circle has beautiful story moments complimented by a striking art style that is clean, minimal and stylish. There are some amazing set pieces, terrific highs and lows, and plenty to sink your teeth into if walking-simulators are your thing. The pace is slow, but appropriately so, giving you time to soak in the visuals and stew in the more meaningful moments. It leaves something to be desired with its ending and interactivity, but still packs a punch and won't be soon forgotten. This game moves forward with the proud traditions of narrative-driven games in small steps.

South of the Circle, an artistically vibrant narrative-based game, deals with the maladies of the academic milieu amidst the 60's Cold War paranoia. It features a wonderful pastel palette and minimalist style but be forewarned that player input is also kept on the minimal side.

South of the Circle tempts gamers with pretty, stylized graphics, a promise of a movie-like experience, and an emotional storyline. And it delivers.

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".

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.

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.

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.

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.

In confronting Peter's regrets, it leaves us with one of our own - that we didn't stop 15 minutes sooner.