Infernax is a great throwback metroidvania that is chock full of nostalgia and secrets to discover. In fact, it has a whole secret roster of characters that are references to 80s games, like the Contra inspired Maxime Gunn, and Golden Axe-like Axcedor. Now, joining this roster is the mysterious shotgun wielding Stranger.
Appropriately Halloween-themed, the Stranger can be interpreted as a combination Rick from Splatterhouse and Ash Williams from the Evil Dead series–though with a more dour demeanor. He doesn’t have a chainsaw hand, however (bummer) but he does come equipped with a shotgun that is capable of doing some serious damage. This shotgun does come with a few drawbacks, however: it takes up a spell slot, and it has an extremely short range. But after you put some points into damage, it does a good job stopping rampaging demons. And you don’t have to worry about ammo, which is an added bonus.
The Stranger isn’t a win button like some of the unlockable characters, like Maxine Gunn. He’s more comparable to Gardakan and Axcedor: the Stranger changes how the game is played without making it a cake walk. The Stranger can’t block shots like the default character Alcedor, so you have to be a little bit more careful with the Stranger’s positioning when dealing with ranged enemies. Additionally, while the Stranger’s shotgun does a good amount of damage, it has a lot of kickback, pushing your character about quarter of a screen back, which can force him into enemies, down into environmental traps, or even off the current screen.
To unlock the Stranger, you don’t need a current save–just start a new character with the name “Stranger” and you’ll be shotgunning demons before you know it. And you don’t have to worry about buying any DLC to unlock the Stranger, either -- this is a free update.
If you’re wondering how to unlock the other characters in Infernax, enter in Gardakan or Axcedor to play either of those characters. To play Maxime Gunn, input the Konami code in the main menu. (Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, Select, Start).
The Stranger is available tomorrow as a free update to Infernax.