Peter and Clara, feelings and secrets, successful careers and happy love - South of the Circle from developer State of Play is about more than just a simple relationship or life simulation. The academics, caught up in a political dispute, go to the cold end of the world in the game distributed by publisher 11 bit studios: to a place where any decision seems illusory and old promises take on significantly more weight in their own conflict of conscience.
This almost cinematically staged gem places a very captivating focus on emotional actions as it progresses. With its alternating views of retrospective and future perspectives, it often advances into a philosophical masterpiece. Life decisions and their consequences for the private environment as well as the professional path are examined very intensively over the next few hours of play.
The cold wasteland promotes self-awareness
South of the Circle captivates gamers with the Plane crash of Cambridge academic Peter during the Cold War right from the start. But where exactly did he fall? Where is he and how does he get the help needed to survive? In search of helpful support, his surroundings soon turn out to be the icy Antarctic. On the way to civilization, or at least a lively hut, the player is faced with a few meters of snow-covered scenery. But instead of simply taking the often described step forward, there is plenty of time during the trip through the shivering landscape - time to think about yourself and the world and, in particular, your own piece in the great game of chess.
In the process, the player gains various insights into the The past Peters and reveals the small pieces of his life's secrets piece by piece. His own career ambitions, the pull of status and power - all this has driven him to make decisions that have caused his inner crisis. With these memories of his life so far, the tender love story with his colleague Clara also comes to light.
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And thanks to this parallel story, there is also a lot more to think about. If you have time to think - and Peter has plenty of that in the Antarctic - then you often realize late on how heavily things that have happened before and paths you have taken can weigh on you. The academic recognizes the weight of promises and how they haunt him like childhood memories. After these insights, the view into the future is of course not left out. After all, there are still a few hours left on an Antarctic crossing to think about possible solutions to this personal dilemma.
South of the Circle - Character-based gaming in a masterful movie setting
The wonderful aesthetics and a movie-like dimension of the storyline, rarely achieved in the gaming sector, give the player an exciting highlight on the screen. This is accompanied by strategically placed The nuanced writing style is also supported by a fabulously intense voice cast from well-known series such as Downton Abbey or Game of Thrones. The world of Peter's thoughts also creates plenty of other plus points for the part-time therapist at home. For one thing, the immersive narrative structure is incredibly captivating. But it is only the significant stubbornness for space and time transforms South of the Circle into this milestone of emotional experience gaming.
The level of detail of all Life decisions of the avatar and the motion capturing of the characters creates impressive realism in terms of emotional depth. On the other hand, the authentic backdrop of the Cold War era also lends itself to an exciting adventure game. The brilliant embedding of small Stories of Peter's surroundings on his tour through the snowy landscape further enhances this psychological masterpiece. And amidst all the emotional confrontation, the view of the rescue from the wasteland in South of the Circle must not be lost.