Neo-Noir Monster Sequel
El Paso, Elsewhere 2 Confirmed for 2027 Launch on PC and Xbox, Expanding Neo-Noir Monster Hunt
Key Points
Strange Scaffold studio head Xalavier Nelson Jr. said the studio almost closed while making the first game, adding: “It’s a game I never thought we’d have a chance to build a sequel for.”
Beyond vampires/Frankenstein/angels, the sequel’s roster and set dressing explicitly includes “sinister gargoyles” and “possessed animatronics,” plus enemies like “goblin shamans.”
Developer Strange Scaffold said it plans to use “existing art and new ideas” to create gameplay it “could not have attempted before,” aiming to build on what worked in the first El Paso, Elsewhere.
GamesBeat’s announcement frames the game’s fully voiced cutscenes as coming from the “award-winning team” behind Strange Scaffold projects including I Am Your Beast and Space Warlord Baby Trading Simulator.
Strange Scaffold and publisher Frosty Pop have announced El Paso, Elsewhere 2, a neo-noir third-person shooter coming to PC via Steam and Xbox Series X|S in 2027. The sequel follows monster hunter James Savage across the United States as he seals supernatural threats — until a close friend betrays him and drags him into the Void to repay an eldritch debt, according to MonsterVine.
Studio head Xalavier Nelson Jr. described the announcement as a near-impossible milestone. "It's a game I never thought we'd have a chance to build a sequel for," he said, according to GamesBeat. Strange Scaffold nearly shut down while making the first game in 2023.
James Savage Returns as a Vampire With New Powers
The sequel picks up after the events of the first game. James Savage is now a newly converted vampire. That change unlocks a set of new combat abilities, according to Rock Paper Shotgun. Players can dive off thin air, backflip off enemies, and feed on foes' blood after staking them.
The first game was praised for its writing but criticized for repetitive movement. The new vampiric powers are a direct answer to that. Final Weapon notes the game builds on the original's "Max Payne-inspired" slow-motion diving with a much deeper action loop.
20-Plus Levels Span Nightclubs, Libraries, and Eldritch Lairs
The sequel grows well beyond the first game's motel setting. It features more than 20 handcrafted levels, according to VGChartz. Locations include nightclubs, multidimensional libraries, suburban homes, and eldritch lairs. That is a major jump in scope from the first game.
The enemy roster is just as wide. Players will face vampires, Frankenstein, biblically accurate angels, sinister gargoyles, possessed animatronics, and goblin shamans. Fifteen weapons are available, including Western revolvers, automatic shotguns, and a tommy gun that fires vampire-killing stakes, per MonsterVine.
A Studio That Nearly Closed Now Has a Publishing Deal
Strange Scaffold's path to a sequel was not easy. Nelson Jr. has said publicly that the first game was rejected by publisher after publisher. The studio nearly closed during its development. A five-game deal with Frosty Pop, signed in 2024, gave the studio the financial stability to attempt a sequel.
The studio operates with a lean, remote team and has released 18 games in six years. GamesBeat notes the sequel's award-winning voice cast comes from the same team behind Strange Scaffold projects including I Am Your Beast and Space Warlord Baby Trading Simulator. Strange Scaffold plans to use "existing art and new ideas" to build gameplay it "could not have attempted before."
Film Adaptation and a Broader Cultural Footprint
The IP's reach extends beyond games. In April 2024, a film adaptation of the first game was announced with actor LaKeith Stanfield attached to star and produce. That move signals the brand is growing into a wider multimedia property, with the sequel arriving as the most high-profile project Strange Scaffold has yet attempted.
The story of the sequel centers on grief, recovery, and the fallout of James's past actions. Fully voiced cutscenes deliver the narrative, according to Rock Paper Shotgun. El Paso, Elsewhere 2 is set to launch in 2027 on PC and Xbox Series X|S.
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