Strange Scaffold is a developer I can’t quite figure out. On one hand, it releases games like Sunshine Shuffle, a cutesy game that has cute animals playing cards on a boat (though it isn’t a adorable as it seems on the surface). On the other hand is El Paso, Elsewhere, a neo-noir shooter where reality has reached its breaking point. I suppose being unpredictable isn’t the worst thing in the world. Sunshine Shuffle has already been released (DDNet’s review here), while El Paso, Elsewhere’s launch date has just been revealed to be in late September.
James Savage has learned that his ex-girlfriend, AKA the lord of the vampires Draculae, is conducting a ritual that will doom the world. He rushes back to his hometown of El Paso, Texas to stop her. Draculae won’t just stop for anyone, though, and continues her foul work. As a result, Savage’s journey becomes a desperate rush to prevent the end of the world.
The game’s new animated release date trailer features “Stay Awake,” a song from the game’s soundtrack that is a collaboration between developer Xalavier Nelson Jr. and musician RJ Lake. Nelson does the song’s vocals; he also voices the game’s self-loathing protagonist.
Savage is haunted by his memories with the undead queen. The werewolves, mummies, and biblically-accurate angels are only some of the man threats awaiting him. He’ll fight them off with a wealth of weapons, take pills to keep the pain and bay, and encounter some bullet time that lets players pick and choose their shots or deftly dodge attacks while also countering.
El Paso, Elsewhere is described as a third-person love letter to classic shooters like Max Payne. Players will fight their way through a reality0shifting motel, floor by floor, trying to save Draculae’s victims while also destroying the villain. Even if it means Savage himself dies.
Developed and published by Strange Scaffold, El Paso, Elsewhere will be released for PC via Steam, Xbox Series, and Xbox One on September 26.
