El Hijo – Lands at E3 2019 With a Vibrant New Trailer

A new trailer for El Hijo was released during the PC Gaming Show at E3 2019 offering a fresh look at the upcoming isometric spaghetti-western stealth indie.

Playing as the titular six-year-old, El Hijo, you’ll forego the usually gun-toting bravado synonymous with the American West in exchange for cunning to sneak past a multitude of dangers without using violence in any shape or form.

After his home is razed to the ground by errant bandits, El Hijo embarks on a desperate search for his mother who opted to station him at a secluded monastery to keep him safe. Not content with the chaste lifestyle of the monks, he decides to flee.

Traversing increasingly more treacherous classic Western settings such as cactus-strewn deserts and gritty frontier towns, El Hijo uses his environment and shadows strategically to get ahead.

The puzzles tap into the playful innocence of childhood through sneaky deception, concealment, distraction, and a healthy smattering of mischief; hide in a basket, stick to the shadows, use toys to attract enemies, and problem-solve environmental obstacles. Each situation will require a different approach to figure out how enemies behave, learn their movement patterns, and decide how El Hijo can best get past them undetected.

Developer Honig Studios says it is keeping mechanics simple to highlight the casual nature of the game although different flavors of this basic premise will surface as the game wears on and more vicious dangers loom. The boy’s growing skillset is introduced gradually and will evolve and progress as he gains confidence from his journey.

As you can see from the trailer, El Hijo‘s childlike wonder reverberates in the vibrant, cartoonish art style and the slanted top-down perspective. There’s a certain lightness to the whole affair, and it looks like it will pack hours of fun.

El Hijo is heading to PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. There’s currently no firm release date, but the end of 2019 seems likely.