South of the Circle, our test of this surprising and unusual adventure game

Cold War, 1960s. Peter, a young Cambridge academic, crashes his plane inAntarctica. The researcher has to brave the snowstorm and the icy immensity to find help. During this expedition full of surprises, Peter recalls key moments from his past. How did he get here?

BAFTA award-winning developer State of Play takes us on an unusual and intimate narrative adventure: South of the circle. Peter's life unfolds before our eyes, scene by scene. A life impacted by harsh parents, a complicated job, a world on the brink of war, convoluted love affairs...

Each chapter allows us to learn more about this character stuck in his everyday life. It's up to us to make the most judicious choices to make him a good person, to enable him to succeed in his love life, to get that long-awaited promotion at work... But beware: these choices are decisive, and we'll have to take responsibility for them, whatever the consequences. The end of the game doesn't change radically as a result of these choices, but you may see slight variations if you play the game several times, choosing different answers.

This intriguing tale leaves us wanting to know more and more, to discover the truth behind the memories and stories that unfold piece by piece. Three or four hours are all it takes to finish this game, which offers a lovely adventure for just ten euros.

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Although character design is not very advanced, each individual is easily recognizable. A few graphical bugs are to be regretted, but they don't prevent the game from being played and the story from progressing. The great strength of this game lies in its beautiful landscapes and worlds . We'd love to wander endlessly through this vast snowy desert, strolling through the towns Peter visits...

The gameplay system is very simple: the plot unfolds before your eyes, and you must react to events and dialogues by making response choices .

These choices appear in the form of symbols: press the triangle key to express your doubts, choose the cross to show your joy... At the start of the game, the different symbols are explained, each representing a different emotion ("shy, pessimistic, depressed" or "enthusiastic, interested, curious", or "frank, fervent, affirmative"...). You need to remember these symbols and their meanings, which is a bit tricky, as the tutorial isn't necessarily self-explanatory. Fortunately, you can refresh your memory in the game options, in the "Help" category, which reminds you of the functions of each symbol.

South of the circle is a surprising, dreamlike game that makes for a wonderful afternoon. Give it a try!