El Paso, Elsewhere trailer is steeped in surreal Max Payne vibes

If you wish to experience something a little more off the wall than your average game, then you may want to pay attention to developer Strange Scaffold’s latest title. This game, dubbed El Paso, Elsewhere, recently received a brand-new trailer that fully showcases its surreal imagery. Although the third-person shooting and slow-motion diving take clear inspiration from Max Payne, the visuals deviate quite heavily from that franchise. They both share a blocky, low-poly aesthetic, but El Paso, Elsewhere sets itself apart by forgoing any sense of groundedness.

The Steam page gives a brief description of what players can expect from El Paso, Elsewhere, which it calls a “supernatural neo-noir third-person shooter.” You assume the role of James Savage as he navigates a motel filled with bizarre, reality-bending rooms and imagery. Along the way, he will encounter werewolves, fallen angels, vampires, and other supernatural foes that he must take down using his stylish action movie skills. Apparently this motel sports at least a whopping 46 stories that are all buried underground, so don’t expect a breezy romp.

Don’t get blinded by love

James has to go through this motel to rescue the victims of none other than Draculae, his ex-girlfriend and the current vampire lord. As the Steam page puts it, you have to “destroy the villain you loved–even if it means dying yourself.” While fighting through each floor, you can enjoy messing around with the game’s myriad destructible physics objects and listen to the title’s hip-hop soundtrack. The game also provides “Molotov cocktails filled with holy blue flame,” which apparently counts as a selling point.

All in all, the trailer for El Paso, Elsewhere certainly grabs your attention, if nothing else, and it has the potential to be an incredibly interesting game. The end of the trailer shows a release window of Fall 2023, so look forward to then.