South of the Circle is an emotional narrative experience exploring the relationship between Peter and Clara, Cambridge academics caught up in the political conflict of the Cold War. The story focuses on the weight of life choices - between career, true love and the desire to keep our promises.
About the story
The main plot asks questions about the consequences of life choices, of pursuing either career or true love, manoeuvring between now and the past. You play Peter, a Cambridge academic who crashlands in Cold War Antarctica. As he searches for help, his past unwinds before him, revealing how the pressures of power and his own aspirations have led him into this crisis he must somehow escape. A love story between him and fellow academic Clara develops, and Peter learns the weight of all the things he has promised. Like memories from childhood, some promises stay with us forever.
Platforms
iOS Mac Switch PC PS4 PS5 XONE Series X|SGenres
Adventure Point-and-clickThemes
Drama Romance Warfare
Languages: English and 15 more
| Interface | Audio | Subtitles | |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | |||
| Italian | |||
| German | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal) | |||
| French | |||
| Japanese | |||
| Turkish | |||
| Portuguese (Brazil) | |||
| Spanish (Spain) | |||
| Arabic | |||
| Dutch | |||
| Korean | |||
| Russian | |||
| Chinese (Simplified) | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | |||
| English (UK) |
Media
Critic Reviews
Rapid Reviews UK
By Sophie HuntAt the world’s most southern point, wrapped around the south pole, you will find Antarctica. Also known as the world’s fifth-largest continent. It may not be the biggest, but it is most certainly the coldest in the world. You wouldn’t think that a land mass being 98% of thick ice, would hold many tales that are worth telling. However, developer State of Play has taken this beautiful blank snowy canvas and created one of the greatest stories of 2022.
Gaming Age
By Matthew PolleselThere 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.
VGChartz
By Lee MehrSouth of the Circle feels akin to frostbite: it's difficult to feel anything for the characters after continued exposure to suffocating game design & mismanaged narrative.
Digitally Downloaded
By Matt SainsburySouth 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.
Push Square
By Jade SayersTo be fair, the game is visually appealing, with a minimalistic art style that manages to convey the feeling of the time. It's an interesting experience and a unique premise (how many other Cold War disaster games are you going to play this year?), but ultimately that can't save the title from falling a bit flat.
