Sega and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has revealed a ton of new information for the upcoming title Stranger Than Heaven. First revealed as Project Century, the game that spans over five cities in five decades of a rapidly changing Japan is quite the step up in terms of ambition, but still very much a game developed by the team behind the Yakuza/Like A Dragon series.
The Xbox Presents: A Special Look at Stranger Than Heaven livestream revealed a bunch of new details, from the setup of the story, the protagonist, and why it has been leaning so much into jazz. The whole presentation is set in a jazz bar with live performances. You can even hear “the lick” as one of the scene transitions in the showcase.
How Stranger Than Heaven Is Tied To The Yakuza/Like A Dragon Series
The new trailer opened with the revelation drop that Stranger Than Heaven has ties to the Like A Dragon series with the mention of the Tojo Clan, the central Yakuza group which the series revolves around with members including the Yakuza series protagonist, Kazuma Kiryu. And yes, the Tojo Clan’s founder and first chairman has a name mentioned already, known as Makoto Tojo.
In the same trailer, there are mentions of Sotenbori and Kamurocho, two iconic locations that’s specifically a Like A Dragon thing (they are fictionalised district names based on Dotenbori and Kabukicho respectively). Screenshots also feature a period-appropriate version of the iconic Kamurocho gate.
The showcase also sets the stage for Stranger Than Heaven’s main cast. Players take on the role of Makoto Daito, a man of mixed American and Japanese descent (or to use the Japanese term, a Hafu), making his way to Japan with nothing but his name. He shares this same fate with Yu Shinjo, who’s also on the same boat as Makoto, literally and figuratively (he’s also mixed).
(The no-context teaser of the game’s name reveal should make more sense now, though interestingly Makoto introduced himself here as Mako here.)
Stranger Than Heaven is a story of two strangers finding their place in a land… stranger than heaven. It’s interesting take on the story of immigrants finding a their place in the world.
Stranger Than Heaven Setting
The previous teaser for Stranger Than Heaven gives a quick look at the five cities and five time periods the game will take place. Players will be experience the story of Makoto and Yu through 50 years of their lives after finding themselves in Japan.
The timespan will feature pre-World War II and post-World War II Japan, during the time of rapid modernisation.
The time period and setting featured in Stranger Than Heaven are the following:
- 1915: Kokura, Fukuoka
- 1929: Kure, Hiroshima
- 1943: Osaka, Minami
- 1951: Atami, Shizuoka
- 1965: Shinjuku, Tokyo
Stranger Than Heaven Introduces New Combat System
Stranger Than Heaven’s biggest change compared to past RGG Studio games is the combat system. The triggers and shoulder buttons are map to each limb, so you punch with the right hand by pressing right trigger and the left hand with the left trigger. Holding both buttons initiate a tackle. Shoulder buttons control the feet. A bit like Tekken but mapped upwards on the controller rather than on the face buttons.
The game also has a closer, but not quite over-the-shoulder, camera angle, compared to past RGG games that tend to have float straight from the back of the protagonist. Combat looks more visceral and intimate, but less flashy.
Inputs can be charged for stronger attacks, and one can simultaneously defend with one hand and counter attack with the other after a successful block.
Weapons play a larger part in Stranger Than Heaven, where you can make use of hammers, knives and even swords, not in a throwaway, environment-specific, limited-use kind. You can even buy and upgrade them.
Stranger Than Heaven Features Showbiz
Like most recent RGG games, there’s going to be one big fleshed-out side content feature and for Stranger Than Heaven, it’s the Showbiz feature. Makoto turns out to be a good singer, and he can find musical sounds all throughout his adventures from listening to someone snoring next door to the clang of a hammer during a fight. Think of it like the Revelations system Yakuza 3 introduced (which Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties lacked). These sounds can be combined to create a composition, music to be played later.
Later on, Makoto will be able to create his own live musical shows, recruit singers and create promotions for them, all in the name of making money.
Stranger Than Heaven Release Window
Stranger Than Heaven is set to release “this winter,” that’s this December the earliest, or by February 2027 the latest. The game will be out on PS5, PC (Steam, Microsoft Store) and Xbox Series X|S.