Embodying the noir-ish surreality introduced so intriguingly in the Max Payne games of the 2000s, El Paso, Elsewhere leans further into the fantastical as you take control of James Savage, a man essentially on a death drive to try and stop his ex-girlfriend from obliterating humanity - she is a vampire, by the way.
While it's narrative is rich in complexity, fueled by the straining toxicity of the two former lovers as they navigate their own identities, the game design is a bit simpler. It's less focused on a gradual development of environments as you descend into the dimensionless void since the they repeat, remix with each other, and altogether reflect a cyclical trajectory of angst, sorrow, and longing. It makes sense, but one of the many issues with this game is in its repetition in its world building. It's almost more similar to a game like Robotron - the same level over and over but populated by more and more enemies - than Max Payne.
The gameplay, at its core, is fun - its action aggressive, tinged with traces of survival and psychological horror. Fighting your way through armies of vampires, werewolves, and other creatures provides a rush in part because of its Max Payne-influenced bullet time. However, I wasn't expecting it to be predictably linear, the intractability with the world and the enemy variants limited. It feels that the amplified melodrama of not just the story and its narration but in the aesthetics (the big, bold names of the levels as you start, for instance) provide a veneer to a design that could have been a bit more ambitious, matching its narrative musculature.
And that narration is delightfully discomforting. Savage, voiced by the game's creative lead Xalavier Nelson Jr., reeks of an elusive regret, coaxed by a decomposing sense of self-worth. Paralleling the dizzying world also falling apart, it's almost as if the narration describes a deep dive into Savage's own soul. Even if the arch-nemesis is trying to destroy humanity, it's still someone he used to love. Compounded with the cinematic flair of cut scenes and other stylistic sensibilities, El Paso holds itself together firmly with tonal viciousness. You continue through this adventure no matter your inclination towards its repetition because there is a confidence brimming from the developers that this story is worth exploring. And it is.
While it's narrative is rich in complexity, fueled by the straining toxicity of the two former lovers as they navigate their own identities, the game design is a bit simpler. It's less focused on a gradual development of environments as you descend into the dimensionless void since the they repeat, remix with each other, and altogether reflect a cyclical trajectory of angst, sorrow, and longing. It makes sense, but one of the many issues with this game is in its repetition in its world building. It's almost more similar to a game like Robotron - the same level over and over but populated by more and more enemies - than Max Payne.
The gameplay, at its core, is fun - its action aggressive, tinged with traces of survival and psychological horror. Fighting your way through armies of vampires, werewolves, and other creatures provides a rush in part because of its Max Payne-influenced bullet time. However, I wasn't expecting it to be predictably linear, the intractability with the world and the enemy variants limited. It feels that the amplified melodrama of not just the story and its narration but in the aesthetics (the big, bold names of the levels as you start, for instance) provide a veneer to a design that could have been a bit more ambitious, matching its narrative musculature.
And that narration is delightfully discomforting. Savage, voiced by the game's creative lead Xalavier Nelson Jr., reeks of an elusive regret, coaxed by a decomposing sense of self-worth. Paralleling the dizzying world also falling apart, it's almost as if the narration describes a deep dive into Savage's own soul. Even if the arch-nemesis is trying to destroy humanity, it's still someone he used to love. Compounded with the cinematic flair of cut scenes and other stylistic sensibilities, El Paso holds itself together firmly with tonal viciousness. You continue through this adventure no matter your inclination towards its repetition because there is a confidence brimming from the developers that this story is worth exploring. And it is.
De alguna manera, esto es una historia de amor. Un amor cruel, amargo, frío y abusivo. Uno que te arrastra a un infierno de recuerdos y autoconsciencia.
Y si vas a meterte en ese jardín, qué menos que aprender de los mejores, que para algo está ahí Remedy. No ha habido caras con texturas planas tan expresivas desde MGS ni bandas sonoras mejores desde Hotline Miami.
Y si vas a meterte en ese jardín, qué menos que aprender de los mejores, que para algo está ahí Remedy. No ha habido caras con texturas planas tan expresivas desde MGS ni bandas sonoras mejores desde Hotline Miami.
This review contains spoilers
"the thing that i am is broken"
I love this line, despite being surrounded by monsters and vampires, James can't accept his humanity, despite being the only human he's come close to in years...
the writing is incredibly, fantastic music and genuinely a scarily deep story surrounding abusive relationships and vampires...
I love this line, despite being surrounded by monsters and vampires, James can't accept his humanity, despite being the only human he's come close to in years...
the writing is incredibly, fantastic music and genuinely a scarily deep story surrounding abusive relationships and vampires...
Combat can be occasionally frustrating, but this game has a great, impactful story about toxic and abusive relationships.
Too much wasted potential on a repetitive and boring Max Payne inspired game that i had to leave because it wasnt well optimized. Even though, the story and voice acting is incredible and its the only thing that made me keep playing it.
BTMC 1k any day now.
the writing is excellent and the gameplay is fun, would recommend for someone who is obsessed with this as a speed game
A bizarre, funny, well acted story in an interesting setting, with some of the best writing in the medium, mechanically and visually feels like playing a mixture of Max Payne and Control except with frequently boring repetitive gameplay and a length that has it stay long past its welcome.
El Paso, Elsewhere is visually similar to a Playstation era title with the movement and controls of the first two Max Payne titles with some of the colors and environment styles that can feel like you are playing Control. The story involves your character entering a motel to stop his ex, the lord of vampires, from destroying the world. He believes his addictions as well as the battles themselves will lead to his death. As you enter an elevator you are transported to the void and are slowly lowered down where floor after floor you must fight through an area while attempting to rescue people who have been captured to be used as sacrifices. As you your journey goes on the environments shift from the motel to areas that were important to your ex's life and some by extension important to your life. Memories of both your lives are discussed with entities you meet, each other, and can be further expanded on by finding projectors in stages themselves. Radios are also scattered around with often humorous stories or references to noir style monologue filled with increasingly ridiculous metaphors. The visual style and writing are the highlights of the game and can make it worth playing on their own merits. Though another issue is that it takes about 1/3 of the game for that writing to go beyond just being entertaining to reaching that next level.
The problems with the game come from the dull enemies that don't fit with the Max Payne bullet time style gameplay. That there are 50 stages and you only start to see more interesting things around 20 stages in. You are only given enough enemy variety for combat to be interesting and a bit varied, if the enemies were even fun to fight (which they typically aren't), around stage 26. Nothing interesting is ever done with the hostages you want to save, they are just sitting around waiting to be saved, there is no threat to them, no timed deaths, no real issue even if they do die from you killing them other than a slightly different ending. Even when the enemy variety is better and the stages become more interesting you are still doing the same thing over and over and with how long it took to get to the second half of the game I was just wanting it to end, keeping the slightly higher quality of the gameplay from making much of a difference at that point. As there can often be points where something narrative wise might only happen over other level it would have felt like a much better experience if about 1/3 of the stages had been cut.
There is a dull weightlessness to the combat where bullets hit enemies until they die and rarely feel like they did anything until that moment, you can take a massive hit that takes off 60+% of your health and not even know you got hit unless you look at your healthbar, the stake melee attacks are powerful damage wise but there is no visceral satisfaction for hitting an enemy with one. The entire Max Payne style gameplay of using a slow-motion toggle, diving, rolling, etc is almost entirely pointless due to the boring melee focused enemies and how you move with where the reticle is in relation to your body always makes aiming a bit awkward. Rolling becomes more useful about 27 stages in when there are some enemies with AoE attacks you can try to roll out of the way off but you never really want to dive into a room in slow motion shooting things because it isn't practical with these kinds of enemies and isn't even fun due to lack of any real response to your shots and lack of things like the killcam Max Payne games had. The only positive thing I can say for the gameplay is that there are great difficulty settings where you can alter anytime you start a new game or continue your current one, you can give yourself infinite ammo and stakes, change the speed, change how much slow motion time you have, change enemy and weapon damage, enemy health, etc and from playing on the base settings for 35 stages when I realized it was never going to become remotely enjoyable and I gave myself infinite stakes and ammo so I at least wouldn't be bothered with picking up supplies or needing to melee objects to try to find more stakes.
It's a game that I am glad that I played and will continue to think of in the future, especially now that the gameplay is over.
Has the annoying frequently found problem in PC titles where it doesn't disable your controller when using a keyboard and has no ability to turn off controller rumble, so if you keep a controller plugged in you will likely want to unplug it.
Screenshots: https://twitter.com/Legolas_Katarn/status/1784465308822237639
El Paso, Elsewhere is visually similar to a Playstation era title with the movement and controls of the first two Max Payne titles with some of the colors and environment styles that can feel like you are playing Control. The story involves your character entering a motel to stop his ex, the lord of vampires, from destroying the world. He believes his addictions as well as the battles themselves will lead to his death. As you enter an elevator you are transported to the void and are slowly lowered down where floor after floor you must fight through an area while attempting to rescue people who have been captured to be used as sacrifices. As you your journey goes on the environments shift from the motel to areas that were important to your ex's life and some by extension important to your life. Memories of both your lives are discussed with entities you meet, each other, and can be further expanded on by finding projectors in stages themselves. Radios are also scattered around with often humorous stories or references to noir style monologue filled with increasingly ridiculous metaphors. The visual style and writing are the highlights of the game and can make it worth playing on their own merits. Though another issue is that it takes about 1/3 of the game for that writing to go beyond just being entertaining to reaching that next level.
The problems with the game come from the dull enemies that don't fit with the Max Payne bullet time style gameplay. That there are 50 stages and you only start to see more interesting things around 20 stages in. You are only given enough enemy variety for combat to be interesting and a bit varied, if the enemies were even fun to fight (which they typically aren't), around stage 26. Nothing interesting is ever done with the hostages you want to save, they are just sitting around waiting to be saved, there is no threat to them, no timed deaths, no real issue even if they do die from you killing them other than a slightly different ending. Even when the enemy variety is better and the stages become more interesting you are still doing the same thing over and over and with how long it took to get to the second half of the game I was just wanting it to end, keeping the slightly higher quality of the gameplay from making much of a difference at that point. As there can often be points where something narrative wise might only happen over other level it would have felt like a much better experience if about 1/3 of the stages had been cut.
There is a dull weightlessness to the combat where bullets hit enemies until they die and rarely feel like they did anything until that moment, you can take a massive hit that takes off 60+% of your health and not even know you got hit unless you look at your healthbar, the stake melee attacks are powerful damage wise but there is no visceral satisfaction for hitting an enemy with one. The entire Max Payne style gameplay of using a slow-motion toggle, diving, rolling, etc is almost entirely pointless due to the boring melee focused enemies and how you move with where the reticle is in relation to your body always makes aiming a bit awkward. Rolling becomes more useful about 27 stages in when there are some enemies with AoE attacks you can try to roll out of the way off but you never really want to dive into a room in slow motion shooting things because it isn't practical with these kinds of enemies and isn't even fun due to lack of any real response to your shots and lack of things like the killcam Max Payne games had. The only positive thing I can say for the gameplay is that there are great difficulty settings where you can alter anytime you start a new game or continue your current one, you can give yourself infinite ammo and stakes, change the speed, change how much slow motion time you have, change enemy and weapon damage, enemy health, etc and from playing on the base settings for 35 stages when I realized it was never going to become remotely enjoyable and I gave myself infinite stakes and ammo so I at least wouldn't be bothered with picking up supplies or needing to melee objects to try to find more stakes.
It's a game that I am glad that I played and will continue to think of in the future, especially now that the gameplay is over.
Has the annoying frequently found problem in PC titles where it doesn't disable your controller when using a keyboard and has no ability to turn off controller rumble, so if you keep a controller plugged in you will likely want to unplug it.
Screenshots: https://twitter.com/Legolas_Katarn/status/1784465308822237639
A sort of boomer shooter take on Max Payne, though actually the graphics are even more of a throwback than its inspiration. But the diving and slow motion mechanics are definitely from MP. However this game is much, much more focused on melee enemies, which means you never really need to dodge enemy projectiles. It's more that you slow down time so you can assess what kinds of enemies you're up against, prioritize accordingly and then select appropriate weapons. e.g., angels and witches/brides are a priority because they do ranged, area of effect damage. Automatic weapons or the rifle are good for the former, but a headshot with the handgun suffices for the latter. Then you want to deal with the werewolves, because their leap attack lets them swiftly close the distance. Then you deal with the ghoul/vampires, who will get into range much more slowly, and finally switch to the shotgun to dispatch the animated suits of armor, who do huge damage but often will stay perfectly still until you trigger them.
So all very fun, but finally not very difficult except for rare scenarios where you are up against large numbers of enemies. And even then, it's only challenging the first time, because the second time through you know the enemy placement and can prioritize better.
Still, the feeling of mastery from slowing down time and then efficiently dispatching a roomful of enemies with a half-dozed perfect headshots doesn't really get old. Also, kudos on good monster design that makes the enemy weakpoints easy to target, even in poor lighting. It also helps that the levels are so short, which keeps the pace fast and stops the game from dragging. And it's impressive that at 50 levels, the game doesn't quite outstay its welcome, though I was about done with it.
The visuals are extremely cool, and it's impressive what they can achieve with the low poly count and not excessive visual effects. The music works, too, getting your blood pumping for particularly exciting rooms.
The boss fights are a mixed bag. You repeatedly fight one enemy type where you have to shoot down 1/3 or 1/4 of their health bar and then stake them. That's clever, because it forces you to take some risks with melee combat, as staking is otherwise an "oh shit", get-out-of-jail-expensively card you play when you messed up and get cornered. But in practice, there's usually a narrow or low doorway nearby that the huge boss model will get stuck on, so it's easy to cheese about 3/4s of the Burned Man's appearances.
The boss midway through (on level 25 or 30 or so) is a HUGE difficulty spike (or maybe I'm just terrible and failed to learn its attack patterns). Even the endboss was not nearly as hard.
Last thing I'll note is that while I admire the game's commitment to its tone and themes, I did find that the slightly overwritten melodramatic style was wearing thin by the end. Also, the bulk of the game is about a bad relationship, and the theme of addiction that emerges in the last few cutscenes and levels is somewhat underdeveloped.
So all very fun, but finally not very difficult except for rare scenarios where you are up against large numbers of enemies. And even then, it's only challenging the first time, because the second time through you know the enemy placement and can prioritize better.
Still, the feeling of mastery from slowing down time and then efficiently dispatching a roomful of enemies with a half-dozed perfect headshots doesn't really get old. Also, kudos on good monster design that makes the enemy weakpoints easy to target, even in poor lighting. It also helps that the levels are so short, which keeps the pace fast and stops the game from dragging. And it's impressive that at 50 levels, the game doesn't quite outstay its welcome, though I was about done with it.
The visuals are extremely cool, and it's impressive what they can achieve with the low poly count and not excessive visual effects. The music works, too, getting your blood pumping for particularly exciting rooms.
The boss fights are a mixed bag. You repeatedly fight one enemy type where you have to shoot down 1/3 or 1/4 of their health bar and then stake them. That's clever, because it forces you to take some risks with melee combat, as staking is otherwise an "oh shit", get-out-of-jail-expensively card you play when you messed up and get cornered. But in practice, there's usually a narrow or low doorway nearby that the huge boss model will get stuck on, so it's easy to cheese about 3/4s of the Burned Man's appearances.
The boss midway through (on level 25 or 30 or so) is a HUGE difficulty spike (or maybe I'm just terrible and failed to learn its attack patterns). Even the endboss was not nearly as hard.
Last thing I'll note is that while I admire the game's commitment to its tone and themes, I did find that the slightly overwritten melodramatic style was wearing thin by the end. Also, the bulk of the game is about a bad relationship, and the theme of addiction that emerges in the last few cutscenes and levels is somewhat underdeveloped.
I think I love this game? It does have flaws, sometimes glaring ones, but the combat flows so well and the story really hit for me. This is definitely not a game for everyone, the early levels are pretty repetitive and it takes a little too long for the game to really find its footing, but once it gets going it really goes places. It tells a story about abuse and addiction in a way that I found refreshingly honest, if a little clumsily handled in one or two instances. Overall a great game to spend a couple afternoons on if you can muscle through the game's slow opening.
This ain't your dad's supernatural neo-noir third-person shooter. It's your mom's. Instant classic.
This is my game of the year, wow. Beautifully voice acted with an incredible score, I just kept going, excited for the drip-fed story at the end of each chapter and sometimes in the middle via projectors/voicemails.
This is my game of the year, wow. Beautifully voice acted with an incredible score, I just kept going, excited for the drip-fed story at the end of each chapter and sometimes in the middle via projectors/voicemails.
Played 2.1 hours, wish I had refunded on Steam a few minutes before.
The first Max Payne remains is my favorite PS2-era action game, I have had a passionate love affair with PC-first low budget indie games since Minecraft's original launch, due to the ability that format gives the developers to pursue unconventional ideas, and take the time necessary to adequately execute on a concept. The best of that format (Outer Wilds, Disco Elysium, The Case of the Golden Idol) offer novel, polished experiences that, outside of occasional Nintendo releases, we almost never see in the AAA or even AA space.
This game is not low-budget, it's cheap. The 2.1 hours I have spent with it feel more like 10, due to the grating, repetitive nature of the level design. There are a total of 2 repeat enemies so far, with single encounters with 2 others. Each of these has exactly one mode of attack, and is used in the same 2-3 ways throughout the levels. The levels themselves have so few assets, recycled so gratuitously, that they often feel like pre-alpha leaks. They do not build one another, offer twists or new obstacles, or even any particular strategic challenge in the combat. The 4, generic weapons so far are just as effective against each of the enemy types. The reason Max Payne's combat worked so well was that the slow-mo diving changes the approach to combat against ranged enemies a great deal. With these melee enemies, the slow-mo ability hardly makes a difference. It is a surface-level aesthetic imitation without a basic understanding of the foundations.
Even if the game has just one more level to go, I don't want to see it. Writing this review was more stimulating.
The first Max Payne remains is my favorite PS2-era action game, I have had a passionate love affair with PC-first low budget indie games since Minecraft's original launch, due to the ability that format gives the developers to pursue unconventional ideas, and take the time necessary to adequately execute on a concept. The best of that format (Outer Wilds, Disco Elysium, The Case of the Golden Idol) offer novel, polished experiences that, outside of occasional Nintendo releases, we almost never see in the AAA or even AA space.
This game is not low-budget, it's cheap. The 2.1 hours I have spent with it feel more like 10, due to the grating, repetitive nature of the level design. There are a total of 2 repeat enemies so far, with single encounters with 2 others. Each of these has exactly one mode of attack, and is used in the same 2-3 ways throughout the levels. The levels themselves have so few assets, recycled so gratuitously, that they often feel like pre-alpha leaks. They do not build one another, offer twists or new obstacles, or even any particular strategic challenge in the combat. The 4, generic weapons so far are just as effective against each of the enemy types. The reason Max Payne's combat worked so well was that the slow-mo diving changes the approach to combat against ranged enemies a great deal. With these melee enemies, the slow-mo ability hardly makes a difference. It is a surface-level aesthetic imitation without a basic understanding of the foundations.
Even if the game has just one more level to go, I don't want to see it. Writing this review was more stimulating.
Max Payne 1 x Gothic imagery x Remedy's Control
Bonus point : crazy soundtrack
Bonus point : crazy soundtrack
O mano james só queria uma salada de fruta e superar a ex no processo. Processo esse que envolve uma grande sequência de monólogos, bullet time e um jogo sobrenatural tenso. Som excepcional e um trabalho de fotografia que faz parecer filme
very fun but too long and repetitve, oh yeah and hard
I loved the rap songs. Every time one of those played it really boosted the atmosphere. Voice acting and story were also pretty cool. The rest of the game was just alright. It's repetitive but the gameplay is satisfying and fun but definitely not fun enough to justify the repetitiveness. End of the day I had a good time with it but didn't leave too much of an impression. Wish I had more to say :( the game oozes cool but there is something lifeless in the core gameplay. The main dude IS cool but he doesn't make ME feel cool playing as him.
Um jogo interessantíssimo que leva muita bagagem de Max Payne, porém com vampiros, lobisomens e fantoches. Mas por trás desse tiroteio massivo, esconde uma história sobre abusos, toxicidade e más escolhas.
O gameplay e combate são simples, porém são eficazes dentro da construção do jogo. Entretanto, por ele ter essa simplicidade, o jogo deveria ser bem menor. Eu terminei com umas 7 horas, e realmente me pareceu esticado, com alguns capítulos que não avançavam na história e pareciam só encher linguiça. O jogo também não possui muitos tipos de inimigos diferentes, acredito que uns 6, mas com suas variações vai pra uns 10, o que é bem curto para um jogo que tu faz basicamente a mesma coisa o tempo inteiro.
O que acaba criando esse gap grande pra mim entre ele e Max Payne, é que no jogo da Remedy, você está seguindo uma narrativa condensada, com um esqueleto pré-estabelecido. Aqui, seu personagem tem o objetivo principal, mas vão acontecendo coisas que não parecem ter muito impacto na história, acabando não te deixando tão empolgado para dar sequência e descobrir mais; com isso, sobra somente seu gameplay. Que repito, é divertido e funcional, porém acaba ficando nisso pelo seu tamanho alongado.
De qualquer forma, El Paso, Elsewhere cumpre seu papel como um shooter divertido, mas com uma temática super pesada (e bem atuada!) de sua narrativa principal.
Nota: 3,7/5.0
O gameplay e combate são simples, porém são eficazes dentro da construção do jogo. Entretanto, por ele ter essa simplicidade, o jogo deveria ser bem menor. Eu terminei com umas 7 horas, e realmente me pareceu esticado, com alguns capítulos que não avançavam na história e pareciam só encher linguiça. O jogo também não possui muitos tipos de inimigos diferentes, acredito que uns 6, mas com suas variações vai pra uns 10, o que é bem curto para um jogo que tu faz basicamente a mesma coisa o tempo inteiro.
O que acaba criando esse gap grande pra mim entre ele e Max Payne, é que no jogo da Remedy, você está seguindo uma narrativa condensada, com um esqueleto pré-estabelecido. Aqui, seu personagem tem o objetivo principal, mas vão acontecendo coisas que não parecem ter muito impacto na história, acabando não te deixando tão empolgado para dar sequência e descobrir mais; com isso, sobra somente seu gameplay. Que repito, é divertido e funcional, porém acaba ficando nisso pelo seu tamanho alongado.
De qualquer forma, El Paso, Elsewhere cumpre seu papel como um shooter divertido, mas com uma temática super pesada (e bem atuada!) de sua narrativa principal.
Nota: 3,7/5.0
cool story and aesthetic but everything else is lackluster
Game isn't long but it feels long. I think I'm about 3/5ths of the way to the final level?
Excelent tribute to Max Payne 1 and 2. Full of personality and style.
That being said, is very direct on what it is so don't expect tons of content fluff.
You go in, you shoot stuff, you see a cutscene, and you repeat that again.
And I appreciate that.
That being said, is very direct on what it is so don't expect tons of content fluff.
You go in, you shoot stuff, you see a cutscene, and you repeat that again.
And I appreciate that.
Repetitive, but great
El Paso is a different kind of boomer shooter. Instead of taking Doom, Quake or Half-Life as inspiration it is a Max Payne clone with a twist. Instead of shooting gangsters and drug addicts in New York the player is put into the role of a guy that fell in love with a vampire queen. Too bad for him that his ex-girlfriend now wants to end the world with a dark ritual. So he has to descend into 50 dream-like levels and fight vampires and werewolves to save humanity.
The graphics are simple, even worse than Max Payne 1, but the artstyle is on point. The bizarre color palette and surroundings make for a great atmosphere. Regular ingame-cutscenes with fantastic voice acting and heavy-hearted writing add to the strong vibes of the game just as much as the original hip-hop soundtrack.
The gameplay is simple. There are 50 levels to go through, each of them built as a small labyrinth where the player has to find keys, rescue hostages and escape to an elevator to the next level. Most of the levels are easy enough to navigate. Don’t expect to get lost often or lose track of where to go. Visual clues and light pillars in the distance are easy to follow.
The game is played in a third-person-perspective and heavily relies on using bullet-time mechanics to quickly shoot enemies before they hit the player. Lost health can be replenished by painkillers. Enemy variety is quite solid with good encounter design. There are also plenty of weapons to choose from and the game features a unique melee mechanic. Melee is limited by wooden stakes which can be replenished by destroying furniture.
I agree with everyone saying that the game can be repetitive. But I think the playtime of around eight hours is still completely fine. Just don’t expect to do that in two or three sittings. I preferred playing the game over several weeks in short bursts but enjoyed every minute of it.
The graphics are simple, even worse than Max Payne 1, but the artstyle is on point. The bizarre color palette and surroundings make for a great atmosphere. Regular ingame-cutscenes with fantastic voice acting and heavy-hearted writing add to the strong vibes of the game just as much as the original hip-hop soundtrack.
The gameplay is simple. There are 50 levels to go through, each of them built as a small labyrinth where the player has to find keys, rescue hostages and escape to an elevator to the next level. Most of the levels are easy enough to navigate. Don’t expect to get lost often or lose track of where to go. Visual clues and light pillars in the distance are easy to follow.
The game is played in a third-person-perspective and heavily relies on using bullet-time mechanics to quickly shoot enemies before they hit the player. Lost health can be replenished by painkillers. Enemy variety is quite solid with good encounter design. There are also plenty of weapons to choose from and the game features a unique melee mechanic. Melee is limited by wooden stakes which can be replenished by destroying furniture.
I agree with everyone saying that the game can be repetitive. But I think the playtime of around eight hours is still completely fine. Just don’t expect to do that in two or three sittings. I preferred playing the game over several weeks in short bursts but enjoyed every minute of it.
Throughout the entire game I wondered if the dive button was really only there because, well, Max Payne had a dive button and this game is clearly, unashamedly inspired by Max Payne. But the thing is, the dive button works when you dive between a hail of bullets fired at you by stereotypical mobsters yelling "IT'S PAAAAYYNE" and less so when you jump headfirst into a wall while 3 ghouls charge at you. 95% of the time diving just puts you at a severe disadvantage in a game that really isn't that challenging to begin with.
The writing and voice acting are well done but the "bit" gets a bit tiring after a while. I also feel like the whole "my ex girlfriend tries to end the world" part just really doesn't work with the actual personal story they want to tell. Something more small scale would've worked far better here for me. It's pretty hard to feel anything for her seeing how she kidnaps "innocents" to sacrifice them to end the world. So the whole "James, am I a monster" can really only be answered with an emphatic "yes, absolutely you are".
Overall the game is good, helped a lot by a great soundtrack that really carries a lot of the levels. It just gets repetitive after a while as the game clearly runs out of ideas.
The writing and voice acting are well done but the "bit" gets a bit tiring after a while. I also feel like the whole "my ex girlfriend tries to end the world" part just really doesn't work with the actual personal story they want to tell. Something more small scale would've worked far better here for me. It's pretty hard to feel anything for her seeing how she kidnaps "innocents" to sacrifice them to end the world. So the whole "James, am I a monster" can really only be answered with an emphatic "yes, absolutely you are".
Overall the game is good, helped a lot by a great soundtrack that really carries a lot of the levels. It just gets repetitive after a while as the game clearly runs out of ideas.
"But here we are. At a hole in the fabric of everything that is. A hole I get to close. I don't have to wake up tomorrow, and wonder if I'm going to do the right thing again. James Savage, drug addict, gets to die good. What a mercy."
a flawed gem that's greater than the sum of its parts but ultimately is held back by those scuffs
what is immediately obvious is that this game is less a tribute to max payne and the shooters of its time and more an ode to remedy as a creative force
it captures what makes their games so evocative while entirely being its own thing
right down to the full embrace of being a video game ass video game and not letting that hold back the work's ambitions
the little audio snippets that are solely there because the devs wanted to throw some funny shit in this otherwise overwhelmingly bleak experience
unless it's actually functioning as a narrative bolster, in which case
just as the majority of el paso, elsewhere's narrative
it's very effective
the reason to play this game is not because of its gameplay, not because that gameplay is bad but because it's simply pretty good in the face of some of the best story telling you'll see in a fully voiced indie game with like
two, maybe three voice actors
control rings heavy in the way shots are composed and the general approach to cutscene structure, but where el paso elevates is in its frankness
because while the story itself isn't necessarily the show stopper it's still got meat
james savage is addicted to painkillers, an addiction specified to have either started or have gotten way worse after leaving a harrowingly abusive relationship
unfortunately, his ex was fucking dracula(e)
in the pits of the void, she is conducting a ritual to take over the world, and the only person aware of it and able to do anything is the man she abused
fueled by a never ending, body destroying supply of opiods and experience as a monster hunter, he plunges deep on a one way trip to stop her
this element of addiction, trauma, and how they often fuel or occur in reaction to each other is the game's most overt theme
it does not sugar coat anything about it
i could be flowery and describe this game's cutscenes, how great the neo-noir writing is and all that shit, but i saw just a random one on twitter and was immediately convinced to give this game a go - something i otherwise would not have done
they're good, and they are absolutely worth the price of admission on their own
the performances from both leads are fantastic in spite of some scant few scenes stepping into melodrama territory made somewhat more apparent by how both leads (the two voices you're going to hear the most) are definitely playing against type
the protagonist is a black man voiced by a white man and it is immediately and jarringly obvious that this is the case
my white ass doesn't have a word to really say about it ethically given that this game is written and directed by a black man, but i will say that it was
once again
very obvious
which also branches into the first of my two biggest complaints with this game
the score is, partly, pretty damn great
the partly is, unfortunately, tragicly because of many tracks being what i can only describe as e-boy rap
there's shit on here that sounds like corpse husband is rapping on it and i fucking loathe it
no, this is not because i dislike rap music, the year is 202X of fucking course i like rap my guy
on the contrary, i've heard significantly better appear in video games (rap in video games often having a nerdy vibe in the first place) so when the same fucking voice that plays your main character is rapping about breaking shit and both of these vocal performances are going on at the same time it's extremely distracting
so i just really notice that i do not like these songs
it's not even just the vocals, the production sounds noticeably worse on these tracks
i cannot get past it, it completely sucked me out of the experience every time one showed up
and that's primariiy why i'm frustrated: everything else is working in this game's favor in terms of presentation and tone (even when the game's being overtly ridiculous, that shit's just funny)
so when one singular element that was very easy to leave out is just proding my brain over and over it's just
very annoying
i commend the effort, a lot of work went into these songs and given that the person who made them was the sound designer and also voiced the main protagonist (among others), that's a lot of shit to do
i've heard WAY worse - corpse husband's music is so much fucking worse than what's in this
but the vibe is the same, and it absolutely does not fit
a massive shame
the game's other big issue is that it's way too long
this is probably thematically relevant given that there's a lot of talk of the endurance of this journey taking its toll on james
but when the game's level design rarely gets all that varied or interesting, you're left with a gameplay loop that's good
but simple
i said before you don't wanna get this for the gameplay and that's because max payne this really isn't
it reminds me more of painkiller with a shoot dodge in the backrooms
and just like painkiller and other games like it unfortunately can be, it's repetetive and gets long in the tooth
this is a six-seven hour game and it could've easily been about four
what carried maxy payne was great level design and spectacle, neither of which this game has (most of the time)
which is honestly okay, this is NOT a bad game to play
i enjoyed most of my time with it
but combined with how easy this game generally is, i was counting down the remaining levels
there are fifty of them
i started doing this at about thirty
i stuck with this game because i loved how this story was told and i enjoyed how this game nailed the fundamentals
it felt good to shoot shit, so it wasn't really a slog
but still, way too long
but really? this game being ovwhemingly praised thus far is deserved
what it does well it does extremely well, and that effort should be commended
a story that centers a victim of domestic abuse that is also a hardboiled neo-noir gunslinger isn't something that you often see, let alone something that takes the former element as deadly serious as this game does
it feels personal and i love that
this game overall feels very personal and i will always appreciate that over what you often see in video game story telling
this feels like the game everybody working on it wanted to make
i hope that's the case, at least
definitely one of the highlights of the year, just don't let the comments of "it's just like max payne!!!!!" mislead you
it's not the same, and it's not as good
but the storytelling is, if not better
what is immediately obvious is that this game is less a tribute to max payne and the shooters of its time and more an ode to remedy as a creative force
it captures what makes their games so evocative while entirely being its own thing
right down to the full embrace of being a video game ass video game and not letting that hold back the work's ambitions
the little audio snippets that are solely there because the devs wanted to throw some funny shit in this otherwise overwhelmingly bleak experience
unless it's actually functioning as a narrative bolster, in which case
just as the majority of el paso, elsewhere's narrative
it's very effective
the reason to play this game is not because of its gameplay, not because that gameplay is bad but because it's simply pretty good in the face of some of the best story telling you'll see in a fully voiced indie game with like
two, maybe three voice actors
control rings heavy in the way shots are composed and the general approach to cutscene structure, but where el paso elevates is in its frankness
because while the story itself isn't necessarily the show stopper it's still got meat
james savage is addicted to painkillers, an addiction specified to have either started or have gotten way worse after leaving a harrowingly abusive relationship
unfortunately, his ex was fucking dracula(e)
in the pits of the void, she is conducting a ritual to take over the world, and the only person aware of it and able to do anything is the man she abused
fueled by a never ending, body destroying supply of opiods and experience as a monster hunter, he plunges deep on a one way trip to stop her
this element of addiction, trauma, and how they often fuel or occur in reaction to each other is the game's most overt theme
it does not sugar coat anything about it
i could be flowery and describe this game's cutscenes, how great the neo-noir writing is and all that shit, but i saw just a random one on twitter and was immediately convinced to give this game a go - something i otherwise would not have done
they're good, and they are absolutely worth the price of admission on their own
the performances from both leads are fantastic in spite of some scant few scenes stepping into melodrama territory made somewhat more apparent by how both leads (the two voices you're going to hear the most) are definitely playing against type
the protagonist is a black man voiced by a white man and it is immediately and jarringly obvious that this is the case
my white ass doesn't have a word to really say about it ethically given that this game is written and directed by a black man, but i will say that it was
once again
very obvious
which also branches into the first of my two biggest complaints with this game
the score is, partly, pretty damn great
the partly is, unfortunately, tragicly because of many tracks being what i can only describe as e-boy rap
there's shit on here that sounds like corpse husband is rapping on it and i fucking loathe it
no, this is not because i dislike rap music, the year is 202X of fucking course i like rap my guy
on the contrary, i've heard significantly better appear in video games (rap in video games often having a nerdy vibe in the first place) so when the same fucking voice that plays your main character is rapping about breaking shit and both of these vocal performances are going on at the same time it's extremely distracting
so i just really notice that i do not like these songs
it's not even just the vocals, the production sounds noticeably worse on these tracks
i cannot get past it, it completely sucked me out of the experience every time one showed up
and that's primariiy why i'm frustrated: everything else is working in this game's favor in terms of presentation and tone (even when the game's being overtly ridiculous, that shit's just funny)
so when one singular element that was very easy to leave out is just proding my brain over and over it's just
very annoying
i commend the effort, a lot of work went into these songs and given that the person who made them was the sound designer and also voiced the main protagonist (among others), that's a lot of shit to do
i've heard WAY worse - corpse husband's music is so much fucking worse than what's in this
but the vibe is the same, and it absolutely does not fit
a massive shame
the game's other big issue is that it's way too long
this is probably thematically relevant given that there's a lot of talk of the endurance of this journey taking its toll on james
but when the game's level design rarely gets all that varied or interesting, you're left with a gameplay loop that's good
but simple
i said before you don't wanna get this for the gameplay and that's because max payne this really isn't
it reminds me more of painkiller with a shoot dodge in the backrooms
and just like painkiller and other games like it unfortunately can be, it's repetetive and gets long in the tooth
this is a six-seven hour game and it could've easily been about four
what carried maxy payne was great level design and spectacle, neither of which this game has (most of the time)
which is honestly okay, this is NOT a bad game to play
i enjoyed most of my time with it
but combined with how easy this game generally is, i was counting down the remaining levels
there are fifty of them
i started doing this at about thirty
i stuck with this game because i loved how this story was told and i enjoyed how this game nailed the fundamentals
it felt good to shoot shit, so it wasn't really a slog
but still, way too long
but really? this game being ovwhemingly praised thus far is deserved
what it does well it does extremely well, and that effort should be commended
a story that centers a victim of domestic abuse that is also a hardboiled neo-noir gunslinger isn't something that you often see, let alone something that takes the former element as deadly serious as this game does
it feels personal and i love that
this game overall feels very personal and i will always appreciate that over what you often see in video game story telling
this feels like the game everybody working on it wanted to make
i hope that's the case, at least
definitely one of the highlights of the year, just don't let the comments of "it's just like max payne!!!!!" mislead you
it's not the same, and it's not as good
but the storytelling is, if not better
Played a few levels and just couldn't really get into it. I liked the comically portentous dialogue but the gameplay seemed incredibly simple - perhaps too simple and repetitive for its own good.
A true spiritual successor to the first two Max Payne games.
It's earnest and sincere, surreal and haunting.
When it's serious and personal you feel the stakes, when it's goofy camp you laugh.
Presentation is mature and impactful, making ample use of lighting, framing and color.
The voice performances and writing deliver a lot with very little, both succinct and purposeful.
The hip-hop pounding guitar blaring soundtrack keeps. you. going. through a 6 hours-ish 50 chapter campaign that goes places.
You can modify the amount of damage you take and how much painkillers heal or turn on infinite ammo and painkillers for maximum fun or challenge, depending on what you want.
It's an easy recommend not only for any fan of Max Payne but any fan of over the top action.
It's earnest and sincere, surreal and haunting.
When it's serious and personal you feel the stakes, when it's goofy camp you laugh.
Presentation is mature and impactful, making ample use of lighting, framing and color.
The voice performances and writing deliver a lot with very little, both succinct and purposeful.
The hip-hop pounding guitar blaring soundtrack keeps. you. going. through a 6 hours-ish 50 chapter campaign that goes places.
You can modify the amount of damage you take and how much painkillers heal or turn on infinite ammo and painkillers for maximum fun or challenge, depending on what you want.
It's an easy recommend not only for any fan of Max Payne but any fan of over the top action.
Frustratingly buggy but nonetheless cool. While the homages it is making are quite obvious, El Paso actually managed to stand on its own two feet fairly well - with a great central character and performance, and a tremendous visual style.
I felt like things were dragging a bit, and then I encountered a progress blocking bug I didn't feel inclined to try and get around, so I'm tapping out about an hour before things wrap up, which is a shame. May come back to this in a few patches time, as it's pretty cool.
I felt like things were dragging a bit, and then I encountered a progress blocking bug I didn't feel inclined to try and get around, so I'm tapping out about an hour before things wrap up, which is a shame. May come back to this in a few patches time, as it's pretty cool.
EVERYBODY PUT YOUR HANDS UP
CAUSE THIS ICE CREAM MAN'S GONNA INSTRUCT
EVERYBODY GOOD EVERY DAY'S A FUN DAY
WHEN YOU GOT YOURSELF A
hUmAn SuNdAe
CAUSE THIS ICE CREAM MAN'S GONNA INSTRUCT
EVERYBODY GOOD EVERY DAY'S A FUN DAY
WHEN YOU GOT YOURSELF A
hUmAn SuNdAe
A simple and effective game with a not-so-simple and riveting story. More games like this, please.