El Paso, Elsewhere 2 is bringing Strange Scaffold’s stylish supernatural shooter back for another round. A free PC demo is available now ahead of Steam Next Fest, offering an early look at a sequel planned for Windows PC and Xbox Series X in 2027.
A bigger world for James Savage
The story continues several years after the original game. James Savage, a vampire hunter who previously tried to stop his former girlfriend’s dangerous ritual, is facing a new crisis. He has moved beyond the pill dependency that once shaped his healing system, but a betrayal leaves him buried alive and trapped in the monster-filled Void, where an Eldritch God awaits.
The first El Paso, Elsewhere became a breakout success for Strange Scaffold in 2023. Its low-poly presentation, slow-motion gunplay and Max Payne-inspired style helped the independent studio reach a much wider audience. A film adaptation involving LaKeith Stanfield was announced in 2024, adding to the game’s growing profile.
Classic style, new movement
Strange Scaffold is retaining the sequel’s deliberately low-poly look, drawing on the PlayStation 2 era and its habit of refining existing assets rather than rebuilding everything from the ground up. One notable change is the removal of Savage’s trench coat, which proved too troublesome technically in the first game.
The core formula remains familiar: shoot monsters, trigger bullet time and dive through encounters while lining up spectacular kills. The setting is no longer restricted to the cramped corridors of a budget motel, however. The demo moves into a grimy swamp with more room to explore and fight.
Vertical combat is also more important. Savage can perform a vampire-style double jump, allowing him to reach airborne enemies such as gargoyles. The team describes the sequel’s faster, more open combat as closer to Quake, while the first game leaned more heavily towards Doom.
More monsters and more useful weapons
The sequel expands its enemy roster with zombies, witches stirring cauldrons, mafioso vampires and other creatures. Its influences also include Castlevania and Resident Evil 4, with one sequence taking place during a tense gunfight in an abandoned town.
Savage’s expanded arsenal is designed to make each weapon and ability matter more. Among the new options is a Tommy gun modified to fire stakes. Healing has changed as well: instead of taking pills, Savage can use a glass stake to transform monsters into drink-like “Capri Suns”, giving the game another macabre resource mechanic.
Fewer levels, more distinct ideas
The original campaign contained 50 levels. The sequel will reduce that total to 20, with Strange Scaffold concentrating on making each stage introduce a fresh concept rather than repeating familiar shootouts.
That narrower scope also reflects the studio’s focus on sustainability. The first game was described as a last-ditch project that could have been Strange Scaffold’s final release. Its success revived the team, while a long-term partnership with publisher Frosty Pop helped make a more focused sequel possible.
Pill Cop returns
One element that is definitely coming back is Pill Cop, the fictional radio programme that satirised hard-boiled police stories in the original game. His next story involves a hostage situation on the ledge of a building.
The writing initially struggled to find the right satirical angle before the team arrived at an idea involving a “Victorian orphan”. Players will have to discover the full meaning of that phrase when the finished game arrives.
Release details
The free El Paso, Elsewhere 2 demo is available now on Steam. The complete game is scheduled for release in 2027 on Windows PC and Xbox Series X. Fans building a dedicated shooter-focused arcade setup may also enjoy exploring how modern action games reinterpret classic arcade gunplay.
For more gaming coverage, browse the RETROCADE arcade blog, watch the latest arcade videos, or compare options in the arcade machine buying guide. A compact bartop arcade can also provide a practical way to add classic-style gaming to an Australian home.
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