El Paso, Elsewhere looks like a Max Payne spiritual successor

El Paso, Elsewhere official screenshot
(Image credit: Strange Scaffold)

El Paso, Elsewhere has been announced, and it gives off heavy Max Payne vibes.

Announced during the Guerrilla Collective show on June 5 - marking the start of the E3 2021 line up - El Paso, Elsewhere looks to evoke the mood of slow-motion shooter titles like Max Payne. Developed by Strange Scaffold, the game includes werewolves and vampires that hunt you down in a reality-shifting motel. And yes, you're wearing a badass trench coat.

You'll be able to jump through the hallways in slow motion as you progress through multiple levels. According to the game's Steam page, the motel was originally only 3-stories, but overnight developed an additional 46 levels going deeper underground. The announcement trailer is below, and shows off a game with almost retro-looking graphics that comes packed with destructible physics props. It's also incredibly stylized and with lots of gore splattering all over the place, making it truly feel like a spiritual successor to Max Payne.

El Paso, Elsewhere has been funded on Patreon, as revealed by game director Xalavier Nelson Jr on Twitter, and doesn't just involve killing supernatural beings. The game explores a love story that has ended, as Nelson Jr told NME in an interview, "But that still carries weight for both of the parties involved. Falling in love with the Lord of the Vampires will fuck you up. And being honest about fundamental pieces of how that works, including the fact that even in the midst of that abusive relationship, even having experienced that, there’s still a part of you that loves that person.”

With a release date set for 2022, El Paso, Elsewhere looks like a third-person shooter we'll have to wait for. But when it does launch, there will be a hip-hop soundtrack to go with it and a fully voiced story.

Max Payne 3 launched back in 2012 but back in April of this year received a surprise update. While Remedy has been busy with Control and its Alan Wake-themed expansion for Control, it hasn't announced that it's working on a new Max Payne game. However, it is working on the "next big Remedy game" whatever that may be. 

Excited to see more games being announced this month? Here's our E3 2021 guide to help keep you in the loop.

Ben Bayliss

I'm partial to an action adventure RPG such as Skyrim and Cyberpunk 2077. I enjoy the occasional open-world driving games and even those skateboarding titles. But really, if any game I'm playing has a photo mode, I'll likely be found snapping pictures of anything and everything.