The game takes place in New York City during the late 1920s, when cult leader Henry, the gangster Al Capone (Vincente DeMarcoto in the American localization), and a sorceress named Restiana plot to awaken the ancient and malevolent god Hastur.

El Viento was given mixed but mostly positive reviews, including being rated 93% by Joystick in France,[5] 66% by Super Play,[6] and 68% by Video Games[7] in Germany.

Damian Butt from Sega Pro gave it a score of 89%: "With super fast graphics and brutal gameplay, El Viento will take your breath away.

"[4] On the other hand, Entertainment Weekly gave it a D−, opining that "only the game's amusing historical anachronisms-like denim-clad blond bikers wielding scimitars-save it from rating as a total failure.

"[8] Megatech gave a score of 80% summarizing: "A tough 'n' challenging platform which doesn’t look particularly hot, but is surprisingly addictive and keeps you playing for ages.