South of the Circle tells the story of Peter, a Cambridge University scientist. Set in the early 1960s, the game makes heavy references to the social and cultural movements of the time. With deep-rooted fears of Russian spies and multiple references to the Cold War, the story, explored through Peter’s research partner and romantic interest Clara, also has an underlying gender equality focus.
The game begins with Peter having a plane crash in Antarctica, then hops back and forth between the current scenario and the events that led to that moment, skipping back and forth through various points in Peter’s life. Playing the game, especially the moment in Antarctica where Peter desperately seeks salvation, feels like you’re on the brink of a mystery that will never come true.
South of the Circle is a linear game with very little to explore. Peter can interact with specific items in each scene, but these don’t seem to be relevant to the story itself. It’s up to the player to remember correlations with reacting attitudes, but these don’t seem to really have an impact.
Between the Cold War storyline and Peter’s focus on research, South of the Circle’s story is so insipid and serious that it leaves little chance for salvation. The game lasts for several hours (about 4 hours), so there’s not much chance of getting bogged down in all the intricacies of the plot. to the main story. For example, how does a university professor’s unwillingness to credit Clara in Peter’s paper intertwine with his story of Survival?
To be fair, the game is visually appealing, with a minimalist art style that does a good job of conveying the atmosphere of the time. It’s an interesting experience and has its own premise (how many other Cold War disaster games are you planning to play this year?), but ultimately that doesn’t stop the title from falling flat a bit.
