When Adriyan Rae first auditioned for Compulsion’s South of Midnight, she didn’t know the story’s themes or the cultural traditions that underpin it. She arrived with only a few lines and no understanding of the project’s deeper intent — and yet, the game would come to resonate with her on a profoundly personal level. Rae believes its message is vital not just to hear, but to embody.
Her initial read was for a part that ultimately didn’t appear in the final game, so Rae began without any context beyond the pages she performed. Through callbacks and chemistry reads she gradually learned more about Hazel and immediately felt a kinship with the character.
“I kept falling in love with her story — her relationship with her mother and the echoes of my own life,” Rae told Polygon.
As Rae learned Hazel’s backstory, the character’s arc began to mirror Rae’s own discovery. Hazel conceals much of her pain — even from her mother — and hides the absence of a father figure from friends. The fracture between Hazel and her in-laws is something her mother doesn’t fully grasp. Outwardly Hazel appears sharp, capable and sometimes brusque — a “know-it-all,” in Rae’s words — but the reasons behind that exterior reveal who she really is. In South of Midnight Hazel confronts her past, works through trauma, and helps others heal along the way.
“I wanted people to see her evolve from judgment to compassion — to learn from those she meets and to lead with empathy,” Rae says. “She extends grace, recognizing that everyone is doing the best they can with what they have.”
To make Hazel authentic, Rae immersed herself in the Gullah Geechee traditions woven into the game’s folklore and drew on personal memories — from her aunt Rita’s voicemail cadence to stories told by her mother and grandmother. Those small details were stitched together to give Hazel emotional nuance and relatability.
Rae views South of Midnight as a story with broad relevance, one whose core themes transcend race, gender and the polarized atmosphere of our times.
“Our cultural moment is marked by a shortage of empathy,” Rae observes. “We lack community, unity, and genuine compassion. People retreat into themselves and often judge others quickly. Hazel’s lesson is to lead with kindness, to step beyond one’s own perspective, and to give others the grace you hope to receive.”
While games that prioritize spectacle and violence remain popular — and have their place as escapism — Rae argues there’s a crucial role for titles that encourage introspection. Experiences that invite players to reflect on mental health, family history and ancestry can be profoundly necessary on a larger scale.
Equally important, Rae says, is the scarcity of respectfully rendered Black stories in mainstream gaming. When those narratives are told with care, they broaden understanding rather than reinforce misconceptions.
“The world is diverse, and art should reflect that. Storytelling shouldn’t keep centering the same person or perspective,” Rae says. “South of Midnight speaks to universal themes — family, love, unity, compassion, community — while also portraying a Black experience with honesty. That perspective fosters insight and empathy.”
“Everyone deserves to have their voice heard. No single story should eclipse the rest.”
Source: Polygon
