10 Hidden Gem Video Games Of 2023
2. El Paso, Elsewhere
With AAA gaming caught up in a never-ending, self-defeating graphical arms race, El Paso, Elsewhere is a potent reminder that sheer style can have far more impact than the latest hundred million-dollar, raytraced spectacle.
El Paso's stark, PS1-era polygons make for the perfect surrealist backdrop for its superficially old-school tale of a one-man army descending into hell to stop the end of the world. The game also accrues extra style points for soundtracking the action with the year's coolest OST, the highlights of which are the hip-hop tracks periodically scattered throughout the game ("Ghostin' The Mainframe" in particular being a Track of the Year candidate).
That sense of flair accompanies the game's combat - enemies ragdoll spectacularly with each shotgun blast, capping a lunging werewolf in slo-mo never gets old, and the screen-shaking crunch that occurs when you drive a stake into a monster's heart remains viciously satisfying throughout the game's 10 -hour runtime.
El Paso, Elsewhere is a stunning work of auteurship that stands proudly alongside the likes of Metal Gear Solid and Alan Wake 2, and marks developer Xalavier Nelson Jr. as one to watch out for.
(As an aside, the absurdly talented Xalavier also voices El Paso's protagonist. He does such a good job that his heart-breaking "One Good Day" speech will have you petitioning next year's Game Awards to have a "Best Monologue" category).