A surprise sequel is on the way for one of 2023’s top games.

Indie developer Strange Scaffold has unveiled El Paso, Elsewhere 2 during the recent PC Gaming Show. The original game followed James Savage, a monster slayer who ventured into the underworld beneath a motel to confront his ex-girlfriend, a vampire intent on triggering the apocalypse. With its emotional narrative and a nostalgic PS2-era aesthetic, combined with third-person shooting mechanics reminiscent of Max Payne, it quickly became one of my top picks of 2023. So, I’m thrilled to see a sequel in the works.

Xalavier Nelson Jr., the head of Strange Scaffold, expressed his surprise and excitement about the opportunity to create El Paso, Elsewhere 2. He reflected on the challenges faced during the development of the first game, stating, “Strange Scaffold nearly closed in the process of making the first El Paso, Elsewhere. It’s a game I never thought we’d have a chance to build a sequel for. So, we’re going to build on the things that worked in the original game, including our existing pieces of art, to create exciting gameplay we never could have even imagined before.”

Picking up after the first game’s conclusion, where James Savage survives, the sequel thrusts him into another supernatural realm following a friend’s betrayal. El Paso, Elsewhere 2 expands on its predecessor by introducing new weapons and vampiric abilities, providing James with more combat options. Additionally, it broadens the supernatural landscape to include biblically accurate angels and other eerie entities.

The original game featured a fantastic soundtrack, and it looks like Strange Scaffold aims to replicate that success for El Paso, Elsewhere 2. The studio is teaming up with music producers Kalibration and RJ Lake to create the game’s original soundtrack and a hip-hop horror rap album.

El Paso, Elsewhere 2 is set to launch for Windows PC and Xbox Series X|S sometime in 2027.