Oddworld Inhabitants' newest game, Stranger's Wrath, is a shooter--but then again, it isn't. Huh? That statement is doubly justifiable. First, the gameplay allows you to switch at will between first-person perspective, which lets you fire at enemies with your crossbow, and third-person, which lets you run, jump, and use melee attacks. Second, the projectiles that you are launching at your enemies in the first-person mode aren't exactly bullets or arrows--they're real, live varmints with real, live attitudes. Join us for an examination of the quirky, crazy critters you'll use to do battle in the newest, wildest Oddworld game yet.

The Crossbow

The weapon of choice for the discerning bounty hunter, the crossbow is a semiautomatic, custom-made, retractable, double-barreled, high-tension device with sophisticated optical and mechanical capabilities that include exceptional depth-of-field scope technology and an eavesdropping apparatus. Load your choice of any ammo type in each barrel for highly effective bait-and-trap ammo action!

Live Ammo

This is what gives Stranger's fighting ability its character. The live ammo types all have their own personalities, not to mention their own unique functionality.

Chippunks

• Wildlife (aka chipmunk)
• Type: Send to--Basic
• Has a big mouth. Each time a taunt is issued, a distortion effect is generated around the speaker to show the player its effective radius.
• Used to get an enemy's attention and lead them to a player-defined location. Often used to lead non-player characters to you, into traps, or just to separate a large group of guards.
• When used in combination with hiding or hide zones, this ammo allows the player to bait enemies away and to capture them without alerting other nearby enemies.
• Through the process of unnatural selection, Chippunks survived using the mighty power of trash talk. Chippunks are happy to distract the mental weaklings so you can put them out of your misery!
• "Bait enemies with Chippunks."
• Rude, crude, and in the mood to irritate the heck out of your enemies. These little varmints have a motor mouth that can make even the most insult-hardened jail warden wince in pain. There's only one use for these irritating little vermin: fire them at a point where you want your enemy to go. Most people can't stand their yammering and will rush right over to try to squish the little critter. That's when you can get the jump on your enemies. Just be sure to fire the Chippunks at a point where enemies won't see you on their way over, otherwise the jig is up.

Bolamites

• Wildlife (aka spider)
• Type: Immobilize--Basic
• Stops enemies, but does not kill. It's good to keep NPCs alive, and it gets them out of your way temporarily until you can move past or tag them for prison. Wraps around a target's waist and mouth, which causes the target to begin struggling in an attempt to remove the bola. The enemy is incapable of screaming when bola'ed.
• The Bolamite wraps the NPC in a web, rendering silent the cries for help, and allowing the player to collect the NPC alive for a higher value. The Bolamite allows stealth play when used in combination with hide zones and the send to ammo.
• Bolamites wrap those pesky outlaws in a tight, silencing, and immobilizing embrace of webs, freshly deployed from their generous little bowels.
• "Stealth takedowns with Bolamites."
• When you hit an enemy dead on, the spider will wrap them up in a flurry of furious web-spinning action. Then you can bag the bounty at your leisure. Don't dally too long, though, because the spider's webbing won't hold the enemy forever. It might be best to punch them out, just to be sure.

Fuzzles

• Type: Trap--Basic
• Fuzzles behave like living land mines. They lie in wait wherever Stranger shoots them. NPCs, who are accustomed to seeing the obnoxious critters around trash and what not, will suspect nothing and ignore them. However, when enemies draw near, these aggressive and obedient guys pounce on them, inflicting damage. They are good at creating distractions, or they can by used to send enemies flying off cliffs or into hazards.
• Enemies become mere chew toys when you unleash a round of Fuzzles on them! Fun and functional, these living land mines will stick to just about anything before ripping an unsuspecting passerby to shreds.
• A ball of fur and teeth, these angry critters are looking for a fight and Stranger is going to give them one. Fuzzles will lie in wait for enemies to come to them, and then they'll leap out, biting and chewing as the enemy runs around in a panic. Lay them as traps, or fire them directly at your opponents to watch the fur fly.

Thudslugs

• Wildlife (aka Armadillo)
• Type: Damage--Special
• Hits with force of a Stranger "ram," which knocks enemies out and back. It does a great deal of damage to enemies' hit points. Also useful against destructibles.
• Bam Baby! Bust a gut and bowl them over with this adorable mass of destruction flying at the speed of fright!
• An armored ball of mass, these creatures are heavy and ready to do some damage. When they curl up, their armor is impregnable, and when they're launched from your crossbow, the target is in for a world of hurt. There are few creatures that can stand up to a flying thudslug.