Stranger Than Heaven Preview: Yakuza Dev's New Game Feels Like Home

Ever wonder what it feels like to leap into the ocean to escape your past? That's exactly how Stranger Than Heaven opens, and it instantly hooked us.

The game comes from Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, the minds behind Yakuza, and it stars Makoto Daito, a man of blended American and Japanese heritage who's constantly wrestling with not feeling enough of either. In our hands-on preview, we watched Daito flee police through foggy docks, leap into the sea to chase a departing boat, and leave America behind to start fresh. It's a gripping start that sets the tone for a story about finding home.

That theme carries through the early hours. At one point, a companion welcomes Daito home for the first time in his life. He sits with a drink, quietly muttering "welcome home" to himself, realizing he finally belongs. It's a somber, powerful moment that distills the Yakuza series' focus on identity down to one man's journey.

The game spans multiple eras of Daito's life, and we got to explore two of them. First up: 1915 Kokura, a castle town with small-village vibes. Here we raided a warehouse to rescue a kidnapped love interest, learned to roll a cigarette from international smuggler Orpheus (voiced by Snoop Dogg), and picked plenty of fights. Combat is a major departure for RGG Studio—attacks are mapped to shoulder buttons and triggers, with bumpers for punches and triggers for kicks. It feels more like a fighting game than a traditional beat 'em up, and it takes some getting used to, especially when weaving in grabs and parries.

Director Mikinobu Abe explained how weapon mastery works: "Once you start using the same weapon, for example, Daito will start to learn a lot of skills based on that weapon. So, it's more like you can customize Daito's life to your preference of what weapon you want him to master." That means if you stick with a knife throughout his 50-year life, he'll naturally get better with it, unlocking new move sets and combos.

We also jumped ahead 14 years to 1929 Kure, Hiroshima, where Daito is older, more established, and more confident. He hops onto a moving trolleycar, enters shops like a regular, and takes part in underground fight clubs. There's a liveliness to Kure in the daytime that contrasts with the foggy docks of the opening.

Stranger Than Heaven launches January 15, 2027, on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X. Will you be picking it up? Let us know in the comments!