El Paso, Elsewhere Promises a Hip-Hop Remix of Max Payne

There really aren’t enough hip-hop video games. It’s why I was immediately excited by the now apparently abandoned Project Rap Rabbit and Corner Wolves. It’s why I’m looking forward to Bomb Rush Cyberfunk come August. And it’s why I was very pleasantly surprised by the Steam Next Fest demo for what was already one of my most anticipated indie games: El Paso, Elsewhere. The demo exudes effortless cool with a distinct vibe that feels like the video game version of a hip-hop set.

From what I’ve seen, the most common point of comparison for El Paso, Elsewhere has been Max Payne, and it’s easy to see why. The bullet-time mechanics, slow-mo leaps, and using painkillers as healing buffs are all ripped directly from the classic Remedy / Rockstar series. So too is the noir-esque protagonist who oozes a kind of fatalistic acceptance. The game refuses to play these as straight as they might sound, however, instead remixing them into its own, distinct thing. Like the samples of hip hop, like DJ Kool Herc looping the breaks from disco tunes to heaving crowds of oppressed residents in the Bronx, El Paso, Elsewhere distills shooters to their most joyful essence and plays them on repeat.

Most of what happens in the demo takes place within a dingy hotel that sits between worlds. It’s a little reminiscent of a lo-fi version of the Oceanview motel from Control. But it’s not just one story with strange rooms. Instead, you step into the elevator and step out into deliciously weird worlds of recursive environments. The first is a sprawling bathroom with stalls on stalls on stalls. Open a door — record scratch — it’s another bathroom. It’s easy to get turned around in the torturous labyrinth of toilets. The same vibe repeats in the other level included in the demo, which feels like a funhouse version of a graveyard, complete with switches to flip to open new pathways and, again, the sense that each new room is a repetition of that break beat.

In-between, you’ll get some chatter from the protagonist. My first comparison point for him was the Narrator from Fight Club. He has a really naturalistic patter that flickers effortlessly between straightforward narration and direct address to you as the player. But it’s more than that. There’s a compelling cadence and lyricism to the nattering that’s reminiscent of Gil Scott-Heron stridently insisting that “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised.” It’s somehow both soothing and rousing, lulling you with the delivery while compelling you to “stake and stake and stake” as you fight your way through the hordes of demons to ultimately confront Draculae (who is lord of the vampires, of course) and stop her from destroying the world.

And what a joyous fight it is. With the caveats that the camera is a little wonky and the keyboard layout for rolls, dives, and stake attacks feels a little unnatural, it’s a wildly satisfying experience. You move quickly through the looping environments, breaking anything that’s not bolted down with physical attacks, saving civilians, and blasting through waves of enemies. The basic enemies are these weird, shambling things, and the first sight of the fast-moving werewolves demands much more situational awareness. Later, you get spongier ranged foes and animated suits of armor, which, thankfully, come alongside a more open level design.

The guns all function exactly as you’ll expect. Twin handguns are your baseline — mid-range in strength but extremely accurate — and you scale through the spray-and-pray use of an uzi, the unparalleled stopping power of a shotgun, and the ever-satisfying thump of a rifle. The shotgun is particularly fun, sending enemies crumpling with a single blast, but the stakes come in a close second for their guaranteed insta-kill, if you can get your timing right. El Paso, Elsewhere really shines in its close-quarters combat, but there’s nothing to sneeze at in any encounter.

It’s not a rhythm shooter, but the pulsing soundtrack gives it a similar sense of energy. There’s jazz in the mix in the sense of improvisation that comes from the random structure of the levels, but that’s subsumed by the more potent noir and hip-hop vibes. At the moment, hip hop is enjoying a blockbuster moment thanks to the Spider-Verse, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, and the omnipresence of Lin-Manuel Miranda. El Paso, Elsewhere embodies that same sense of controlled chaos, of sampling, of remix, of rebellion-fueled energy, and the demo pledges that the full game will be an absolute party when it launches later this year on Xbox and PC.