I don’t think I’ve ever before been in a game preview event where the words, “I’m SO excited about the Victorian orphan” were uttered. But there’s a first time for everything, and the first time for that was in the preview event for El Paso, Elsewhere 2.
No, I will not be giving the context for why it was said. I think that shall remain a surprise for the game’s final release. The demo for El Paso, Elsewhere 2 is currently available to play on Steam as part of its Next Fest. At the moment, Strange Scaffold is eyeing a 2027 launch.
What I will say is that, during the preview event, creator Xalavier Nelson Jr. gave some insights into the design process that guided the sequel’s development, and the ways in which the sequel is different than its predecessor. The biggest difference, he said, is the number of levels. El Paso, Elsewhere 2 cuts down on the number of levels compared with its predecessor, scaling down from 50 to 20-ish.
What’s next for James Savage?
During the preview, I got a glimpse of the game as Nelson played. There are too many gameplay eccentricities to discuss here, but I think the gist of what I saw was that protagonist James Savage is no longer billeted in a dismal motel in El Paso as the site of his tangle with the paranormal. No, after the betrayal of an ally, he finds himself transported directly to the Void itself.
In-game, this means that his environments have a verticality and variety they didn’t have before. James finds himself going up against Frankenstein monsters, cackling witches stirring cauldrons, vampire mafiosi and apparently “biblically accurate angels,” which I didn’t see in the preview but I felt honor-bound to include. The environments include a Gothic European forests (where the demo takes place), nightclubs, libraries and other non-motel locales.
James himself also has a new kit of abilities at his disposal. He’s now a vampire, like his ex-girlfriend from the previous game, which gives him supernatural agility and healing. He’s got several new weapons, including an M16. According to Nelson, he’s a healthier person than he was in the previous game, which fundamentally changes his approach to conflict. His story is now one of grief and recovery.