Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has released a new trailer for its upcoming title, Stranger Than Heaven, this time around giving us some hints about how the story will play out in the game’s second act. As the trailer’s description notes, this is the second one released so far that has focused on the life of protagonist Makoto Daito. Along with this, RGG Studio has also confirmed that more story trailers will be released along the way to the title’s January 15th release on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
The trailer is a lengthy one, coming in at three and a half minutes, and showcases how things will play out in the year 1929 in the city of Kure. During this time, Makoto will find himself embroiled in quite a bit of organized crime, with an earlier form of the Japanese yakuza taking shape. There is also quite a bit of emphasis on the violent combat that players will find themselves engaging in.
An interesting thing to note throughout the trailer is the fact that Makoto’s native language is English, creating a major language barrier between him and other denizens of the city. As you might expect, this plays a role in not only alienating Makoto from those around him, but also in creating some tensions due to the geopolitical situation at the time, with more English-speakers making their way to Japan for their own nefarious reasons.
The last major story trailer focused on Act 1. The trailer showcased some of the start of Makoto’s journey in the town of Kokura. The emphasis on Makoto being treated as an outsider was much higher in this one, with the trailer diving deeper into how 1915 was a major time of change for Japan as a whole due to the arrival of modernization.
On the subject of story, RGG Studio has said that, unlike its Yakuza/Like a Dragon series, Stranger Than Heaven will tone down some of its absurdity so that the team can focus on telling a more grounded and serious story.
“When we began researching the eras we wanted to depict in this title, we found that the world of several decades, or even a century, ago already felt striking and unusual,” explained director Mikinobu Abe. “The differences in values and common sense from that time are, in themselves, surprising and fascinating. So rather than deliberately creating situations solely for laughs, we felt that simply allowing players to encounter the social norms and values of the era could be an incredibly surprising experience.”
For more details about some of the settings that will be available to play through in Stranger Than Heaven, take a look at the trailer showcasing 1915-era Kokura. And once you’re done with that, check out what Kure looks like in 1929, and how the passage of time has affected Japanese society as a whole. We even got a look at Minami in 1943, which will likely be the setting of the game’s third major act.
And once you’re done with all of those, take a look at Tori Kelly’s performance of Mr. Bee from the previous trailer.
