Five years ago if you’d told me I’d play a game that essentially fuses Elden Ring and Fortnite together, I’d have called you crazy. Even less if you’d said I’d actually enjoy it.

But that’s exactly what Nightreign is, a complete inversion of the Elden Ring formula that clearly draws inspiration from the battle royale genre — but still manages to feel uniquely Souls-y. It’s a fascinating take on FromSoftware’s trademark style, and feels like it could end up being a genuinely innovative multiplayer game that breaks out of the endless cycle of same-y shooters that we can’t seem to escape. After playing just a few hours, I can’t stop thinking about it.

Nightreign is a game built on the bones of Elden Ring — it uses the same assets, the same map, enemies, etc. But what’s truly remarkable is how utterly different it feels, it’s literally the complete opposite of how you’re supposed to play Elden Ring.

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South Of Midnight has had an air of mystery to it ever since its reveal two years ago. It’s a game set in a fantastical version of the American South that adds a modern twist to the Southern Gothic genre, and, like Compulsion Games’ previous titles, 2018’s We Happy Few and 2013’s Contrast, it looks like nothing else in the medium.

Publisher Xbox Game Studios has shown off the game’s gorgeous, claymation aesthetic a few times, but the question of how it actually plays remained. After spending two hours with the game, I’m pleased to report it handles as well as it looks. While it's not doing anything groundbreaking, South Of Midnight’s reliable mechanics and compelling story make it the kind of can’t-miss single-player adventure the Xbox catalog needs more of.