Stranger Than Heaven is shaping up to be Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s largest project yet, spanning five cities and roughly half a century. During a half-day preview in New York earlier this month, I played five sections across three locations. The historical settings and protagonist Makoto made a strong impression, although the combat and story still raise important questions.
A striking world with an uneasy edge
The prologue offers a period interpretation of San Francisco, but the area is not freely explorable. Its narrow streets and buildings felt more like a generic East Coast setting than the Bay Area, especially compared with the studio’s detailed versions of Waikiki, Kabukicho and Dotonbori. A 1915 World’s Fair might have provided an especially rich opportunity for the setting. The heavy fog and bitter-looking night-time cold are convincing, at least.
Kokura is considerably more distinctive. Built around a foundry, this Edo-period town sits on the threshold of industrial modernisation. Many doors are open, inviting Makoto into shops and homes packed with small environmental details. Soot covers the residents and buildings, while men play cards, spin beigoma tops for small wagers and smoke constantly. Even Makoto’s wooden geta create a memorable rhythm on the stone streets.
Players who enjoyed the historical sightseeing in Like a Dragon: Ishin! may find Kokura even more rewarding to explore. Its charm, however, is deliberately undercut by the treatment of its outsider protagonist.
Makoto’s story may repeat an old mistake
After facing discrimination and being framed for murder in San Francisco, Makoto hopes to find a better future in his mother’s country of birth. He stows away on a ship to Japan, only to encounter another form of prejudice. In San Francisco, corrupt police call him a “yellow man”; in Kokura, locals mock his size and use “ketō”, a Japanese slur for white people that can be translated as “hairy barbarian”.
The abuse is persistent as Makoto explores the town, rides past glossy red trams and tries its gambling diversions. The hostility punctures any easy romanticism about the period. Historical streets may look attractive, but the people living in them are not necessarily welcoming.
Makoto and fellow stowaway Yu eventually join the local Yashima clan. Makoto is then ordered to humiliate Oki, the leader of a rival gang, by taking his mistress, Tae. At a café, Tae is warm and composed despite the hostility aimed at Makoto. Their conversation over several beers becomes one of the preview’s most appealing character moments, particularly because Makoto is clearly moved by receiving basic kindness.
Tae explains that she was sold at 12 because her family had too many daughters. She dreams of leaving Kokura and becoming a singer. Bruises cover her upper arms and back, apparently the result of Oki’s abuse, although she does not explain them. When she asks whether Makoto is a virgin, he promises to return after proving himself worthy of her. They do not sleep together, but Makoto allows people to believe he left her home after an affair.
That setup suggests a more substantial woman character than the series has often provided. Unfortunately, Oki later kidnaps Tae in retaliation. Makoto and the Yashima clan fight through the foundry in a familiar battle gauntlet before rescuing her. The preview then jumps forward into later eras, and Tae is not mentioned again.
It is too early to know her fate, but the disappearance raises concerns about fridging: harming or killing a woman mainly to motivate a male character. Tae’s possible fate would echo Yumi’s role in the original Yakuza, while Makoto’s later interest in music could provide another clue. Hopefully Tae escapes Kokura and builds the life she wants rather than becoming another tragic turning point for a man.
Combat is weighty, but not always comfortable
The game’s promotional material has highlighted a more grounded, two-handed combat system instead of the deliberately arcade-like action associated with earlier entries. After several hours, I remained unconvinced that the extra complexity improves the experience.
Shoulder-button attacks did not feel intuitive, and blocks were difficult to time. During a crowded foundry boss fight, I often fell back on repeatedly pressing the face buttons. The inability to cancel animations and the need to press the analogue stick to dash also made movement feel slow rather than satisfyingly heavy.
The development team appears aware that some players may struggle. Director Minoru Abe said the game includes an optional suit, accessible from Makoto’s room, that lets him absorb substantially more damage. I would likely use it during a full playthrough.
Weapons are a brighter part of the system. Environmental objects such as crates and boards remain available for improvised attacks, while Makoto can carry a selection of bladed, stabbing and blunt weapons. Blacksmiths can upgrade them, following a model closer to Like a Dragon: Ishin! than the breakable equipment in the main series. Weapons persist between historical periods and become more powerful as they are refined.
A successful strike can remove half or even two-thirds of an enemy’s health, which feels satisfying from the player’s side. Enemies can do the same, though. In 1940s Minami, an attacker caught me from behind while I was admiring the scenery and defeated Makoto in two or three hits. Unlike earlier games, there is no on-screen “thugs” or “assholes” warning before a fight begins.
Where is the series’ humour?
The preview contained little of the broad comedy associated with the Yakuza and Like a Dragon games. Makoto wearing a blonde wig stolen from a mannequin was amusing, as was Tae’s question about his virginity. A scene involving Orpheus’s men threatening to kill the stowaways aims for humour, but the situation instead feels dangerously close to a serious threat.
There were no substories in the preview, so the lighter material may be saved for optional content. Still, Kokura, Kure and Minami mostly presented people who wanted to cheat Makoto at gambling, attack him with farming tools or insult him.
The serious tone may serve the game’s larger historical purpose. Watching muddy streets, forced prostitution and grim industrial towns develop into glamorous clubs, singers and westernised tourist districts is one of the preview’s strongest ideas. A constant stream of jokes could weaken that portrait of social change, which may be the element that most clearly distinguishes Stranger Than Heaven from its predecessors.
Stranger Than Heaven release details
There is still plenty to discover, particularly concerning Tae, the balance of the combat and the role of humour. Based on this preview, the game’s visual world and changing eras are compelling enough to warrant a closer look.
Stranger Than Heaven is scheduled for release on PlayStation 5, Windows PC and Xbox Series X on 15 January 2027.
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