Ryu Ga Gotoku (Yakuza) together with Xbox organized a special look at 30 minutes of new content for the action-adventure game Stranger Than Heaven. Studio head Masayoshi Yokoyama, producer Hiroyuki Sakamoto, and game director Mikinobu Abe guided us through the story, locations we will visit, and some of the characters that the young man Makoto Daito will meet. Stranger Than Heaven will also feature some familiar faces including: Snoop Dogg and his son Cordell Broadus, J-Pop artist Satoshi Fujihara, and American singer Tori Kelly.
Five cities, five eras
The story of Stranger Than Heaven takes place over a period of 50 years and follows the young man Makoto Daito, who was born in the USA, with an American father and a Japanese mother. Makoto loses both of them at a very young age and faces various challenges of Western life. In 1915, he decides to go to Japan and hides on a ship where he is discovered by Orpheus (Snoop), a bloodthirsty and charismatic smuggler.
Makoto also meets a boy named Yu Shinjo, who is a bit older than him and is also of mixed heritage, wanting to start a life in Japan. Yu will become both his friend and enemy as the game progresses.
The game will be set in five cities and different periods including:
1915, Kokura, Fukuoka – Home to what was considered one of the largest foundries in the world; a city shrouded in smoke, full of passionate, hard-driven, equally fiery workers.
1929, Kure, Hiroshima – A port city dominated by the largest Japanese naval arsenal, heavily marked by the presence of yakuza organizations.
1943, Minami, Osaka – The largest entertainment district in western Japan, located amid the growing tensions of a world at war.
1951, Atami, Shizuoka – A bustling seaside resort, synonymous with tourism in post-war Japan.
1965, Shinjuku, Tokyo – The most famous Japanese pleasure district – a city of unpredictable chaos.
Makoto will also become a renowned music producer, and throughout the game, we will be on the lookout for new voices and organizing various concerts.
Combat
In Stranger Than Heaven, Makoto will not only have experience in talent scouting but also excellent martial arts skills, and the studio claims this will be one of the biggest features of this title.
Stranger Than Heaven is being developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku, published by Sega, and will be available for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
