In 2023, there’s been a wealth of games that honor the classics. Warhammer 40K: Boltgun honors DOOM, Viewfinder honors Myst, and now, El Paso, Elsewhere honors Max Payne. The latter hasn’t picked up much steam and is currently quite under the radar. That’s a crying shame, as Max Payne is the unsung hero of third-person shooters and did so much to advance the genre more than two decades ago. To attempt to capture the psychological tremors whilst crafting an enjoyable TPS is a tall task, but El Paso, Elsewhere is up for it. Can they seal the deal in this title?

The premise for El Paso, Elsewhere has an immediate hook. You’re James Savage, a vampire hunter who must hunt down his ex-girlfriend, the vampiress Draculae. The vampiress is beginning the end of the world, and only James can stop her. On your way there, you’ll traverse 50 floors of supernatural enemies.

You can slow down time, dive, and heal up with pills in a pinch. Ammo is low, so if you run out, you can instant-kill with a stake melee attack. Slo-mo is your best friend as you can easily be overwhelmed. You’ll need to prioritize high-damage and unpredictable baddies to make it to the next floor. Tack on a badass hip-hop soundtrack, and this results in a recipe for success in every level.

In-between levels in El Paso, Elsewhere, you’ll be treated to monologues from James. These are presented so compellingly and grippingly that they really feel like a reward. They advance the narrative whilst being stylish and are delivered with astounding voice acting. To have almost 50 of these monologues with them never getting old is a massive feat.

In a sense, I never wanted it to end. However, I played in short bursts since the combat (as great as it is) can feel repetitive after an hour or so. Nevertheless, when I did play, I was glued to the screen. For once, I didn’t care how short or long the game would be.

More than just an honor to Max Payne, I believe El Paso, Elsewhere captures Remedy Entertainment as a whole. Past the gunplay, the psychological aspect gets so engrained into the gameplay that bits and pieces of Alan Wake and even Control sneak their way into the player’s mind. While presented like a PlayStation 1 or 2 title, this game knows its source material and does enough to transform it into something special without delving into copycat conversations at all. It’s nothing short of need-to-play territory for fans of Remedy.

El Paso, Elsewhere is an absolute delight. This is not just a recommendation for Max Payne fans, but anyone into third-person shooters who craves flair, immersion, and well-balanced gameplay. More than once, I leaned forward in anticipation of what would come next in this game, which is rare. El Paso, Elsewhere is so good that I have the rest of Strange Scaffold’s titles in my scope for playthroughs thanks to it. I can’t say enough good things about El Paso, Elsewhere. Go enjoy it as soon as you can.

A PC review code for El Paso, Elsewhere was provided by Strange Scaffold for this review.

El Paso, Elsewhere

19.99

9.5

Score

9.5/10

Pros

• Amazing Gunplay
• Immaculate Presentation
• Stellar Combat Loop
• A Must For Max Payne Lovers
• Banger Soundtrack

Cons

• Reused Voice Lines
• Gets A Little Redundant