El Paso, Elsewhere: A Mixed Review of Gameplay and Narrative

James Savage battles his ex-girlfriend, Draculae, in a frenetic neo-noir shooter filled with introspective narrative and repetitive gameplay.

### El Paso, Elsewhere: A Mixed Bag of Neo-Noir Action
* 🔫 El Paso, Elsewhere is a neo-noir third-person shooter where players take on the role of **James Savage**, a character with a tumultuous past linked to the **vampire lord Draculae**, who is also his **ex-girlfriend**.
* 🏨 The game features a journey through a motel in El Paso, involving a **descent of 46 stories filled with monsters and werewolves**, reminiscent of Max Payne's aesthetics but leaning more towards the **frenetic action of Hotline Miami**.
* 💥 Players can utilize a diverse arsenal of weapons, including shotguns and Tommy guns, with stakes providing **instant takedowns**, ensuring a **steady supply of healing items and ammo** throughout the gameplay.
* ⚠ However, after 4-5 hours, the gameplay can become **repetitive and less challenging**, with an abundance of resources and predictable AI detracting from the overall experience.
* 🗣 The plot stands out with James' **introspective monologues**, which, despite initial skepticism, **deepen the narrative** and explore the **complex dynamics** of his relationship with Draculae.
* 🎨 The visuals and level design are commendable, transitioning from **simple layouts** to **more intricate and engaging environments** as players progress.
* 🎶 While the instrumental tracks enhance the atmosphere, the original rap songs **disrupt immersion**, leading some players to **mute the audio for a better experience**.
* 💸 El Paso, Elsewhere is set to launch on September 26th for **$19.99** on Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC, despite its shortcomings in **gameplay and soundtrack**.

El Paso, Elsewhere is a neo-noir third-person shooter developed and published by Strange Scaffold. You step into the shoes of James Savage, a gun-toting, pill-popping badass. His mission? To thwart the sinister plans of Draculae, the vampire lord who is on the verge of unleashing a world-ending ritual. The twist? Draculae happens to be James' ex-girlfriend, and their past is far from ordinary. As you embark on this journey, you'll make your way to a motel in El Paso and magically descend 46 stories, killing monsters, werewolves, and much more. The game may evoke memories of Max Payne with its slow-motion dives and PS2-era aesthetics; however, its gameplay takes a different route.

It leans more towards the frenetic action of Hotline Miami with maze-like levels. As you advance, you gain an arsenal of weapons, including a shotgun, a Tommy gun, Molotovs, and much more. Each performing as expected, allowing seamless gunplay transitions. Running low on ammo? Well, stakes provide instant enemy takedowns. If you look around, you're always well-stocked with healing items, ammo, and stakes, ensuring you're never left in a tight spot. However, this is where the gameplay might lose some of its appeal for me. After 4-5 hours, the action falls a bit flat due to some repetition and less challenging difficulty. While it's true you can tweak the modifiers to your liking, it doesn't fully address the issue when there's an abundance of ammo, healing items, and predictable AI foes. Another aspect that didn't quite hit the mark for me was the slow-motion feature.

While it certainly adds some flair to the game, it often feels unnecessary. Dispatching enemies with regular speed and employing dodge rolls often proves more efficient than relying on the slow-motion mechanic altogether. Fortunately, I found the plot to be a real highlight of the game, thanks in large part to James' introspective monologues. It's a dark and cryptic narrative that gradually reveals its authenticity. Initially, I was skeptical of these moments, finding them somewhat cheesy and forced. However, as I played on, the execution grew on me. These intermissions between levels provided a welcome change of pace, especially when the gameplay started to feel a bit repetitive. These monologues not only injected narrative depth but also offered a glimpse into the complex dynamics of the former lover's relationship, which I thoroughly appreciated. While the gameplay can become repetitive, I must commend the game's visuals and level design. The levels have a set layout, transitioning from simplicity to complexity seamlessly.

without causing any confusion. As you descend further, the levels evolve into edgier and more interesting environments, which add significant value to the overall experience. While exploring El Paso, Elsewhere, I had mixed feelings about the soundtrack. On one hand, I appreciated the instrumental tracks, which effectively contributed to the mood and theme of each floor. However, I couldn't quite get on board with most of the original songs featuring rap vocals. They felt out of place and disrupted my sense of immersion, often bordering on cringe-worthy. Eventually, I resorted to muting the audio to regain my focus and fully immerse myself into the gameplay. Outside of the plot, El Paso, Elsewhere falls short of making a significant impact. The AI and its accompanying modifiers are underwhelming, making the slow-motion feature seem somewhat redundant. The gameplay gets repetitive and dull, and the less said about the original soundtrack, the better. The game launches on September 26th on Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC for $19.99.

El Paso, Elsewhere | Review in 3 Minutes

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The Escapist

El Paso, Elsewhere is a neo-noir third-person shooter where you play as James Savage, tasked with stopping his ex-girlfriend Draculae, the vampire lord, from unleashing a world-ending ritual.

The game features frenetic action, maze-like levels, and a diverse arsenal of weapons, with a focus on seamless gunplay transitions and abundant healing items.

However, the gameplay can become repetitive and less challenging after a few hours, with predictable AI and an overabundance of resources diminishing the overall appeal.

The slow-motion mechanic in the game feels unnecessary, with regular speed and dodge rolls being more efficient.

The plot, driven by James' introspective monologues, is a highlight, adding narrative depth and exploring complex relationship dynamics.

While the game's visuals and level design are commendable, the soundtrack's rap vocals feel out of place, disrupting immersion.

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