From steelworks brawls to live music productions, RGG Studio’s next action adventure has two very different sides. New hands-on details show how they fit together.
One minute, Makoto Daito is fighting through a steelworks in 1915. Decades later, he is recruiting musicians, writing songs and trying to put on a show without blowing the budget. Both are part of Stranger Than Heaven, RGG Studio’s latest action adventure, and the contrast is what makes it stand out.
The studio behind Like a Dragon is taking players through 50 years of Japanese history, with a story that follows Daito as his circumstances change. In a new Stranger Than Heaven gameplay preview published on 21 October, PlayStation’s Sachie Kobari describes her hands-on time with sections set in San Francisco, Kokura, Kure and Osaka. Her account provides a closer look at the fighting and the surprisingly involved show-business systems.
A different way to throw a punch
The fighting looks familiar at first: close-range scuffles, improvised weapons and enemies who rarely wait their turn. The controls are anything but familiar. Instead of giving players one button for a light attack and another for a heavy one, the shoulder buttons and triggers work Daito’s left and right sides independently. You can strike with one side while preparing to guard or counter with the other.
The idea becomes more interesting when weapons enter the picture. A smaller, one-handed weapon leaves Daito’s other hand available for a punch. Pick up a sledgehammer and the impact is considerably greater, but recovering from a missed swing takes longer. PlayStation’s preview describes those choices making a real difference in the Kokura steelworks fight, where enemies attack from several directions and space is at a premium.
Kure, in 1929, introduces an arena that lets players challenge opponents again under self-imposed conditions. Choosing to fight without weapons, for instance, can earn additional rewards. That should give confident players a reason to experiment instead of relying on the same dependable combination of moves.
There is also more to progression than winning fights. Producer Hiroyuki Sakamoto says walking around town and reading newspapers improve Daito’s attributes, while weapon use builds proficiency and side activities unlock new techniques. If those systems are as connected as they sound, exploring the cities could change the way you approach the next confrontation.
The unusual control scheme was already demonstrated in an Xbox Wire hands-on preview in June. The latest footage does not settle how comfortable it will feel after hours of play, but it makes clear that RGG Studio wants every punch, parry and heavy swing to be a deliberate choice.
Running a live show is its own challenge
Then comes Osaka in 1943, where Daito’s musical talents take him into show business. He can seek out performers, commission music and put on productions. This is not just a rhythm-game diversion: the performances earn money and form part of his journey through the story.
Music starts with the sounds Daito finds while exploring. The game calls them “Inspiration”, and they can come from street life, battles or unexpected moments. Feed a stray dog and its bark might provide a new sound. Some discoveries appear only at night. Gather enough and a composer can turn them into a track, which can then be rearranged with different instruments to suit a particular performance.
Songs need not disappear when Daito moves on. Music heard in Kure can turn up in shows in Osaka or Atami years later, giving players something tangible to carry across the game’s changing locations. There is a pleasing idea here: the places you visit can shape the music you make.
Planning a show involves choosing singers, musicians and effects, then keeping their costs in line with a revenue target. Once the performance starts, Daito handles lighting and other stage effects through timed button prompts. The PlayStation hands-on suggests that picking the right cast and setlist matters more than perfect rhythm-game reflexes. A great tune may help, but it is no use if the production costs swallow the takings.
That management layer is arguably the more intriguing of the two systems. It gives Daito a life away from violence and offers players something to develop between the bigger story encounters. Whether the choices stay meaningful over the full game remains to be seen.
Five decades, five Japanese settings
Daito’s story opens in San Francisco in 1915. The son of an American father and Japanese mother, he has lost his parents and faced discrimination. His decision to board a ship bound for Japan begins a journey across five historical settings: Kokura in 1915, Kure in 1929, Osaka’s Minami district in 1943, Atami in 1951 and Tokyo’s Shinjuku in 1965.
These are fictionalised versions of real places, built around different periods of Japanese life. The contrast between an industrial port, a bustling entertainment district and a later post-war setting should be interesting in its own right. More important is whether Daito feels like the same person as the years pass, even when the people and surroundings change around him.
The game appeared in Xbox’s Gamescom plans earlier in the year. The new hands-on details give the early trailers more substance, particularly where music and performance management are concerned.
UK release date, pricing and Game Pass
Stranger Than Heaven is scheduled to launch on 15 January 2027 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. The UK PlayStation Store currently lists the standard PS5 edition at £64.99 and the Deluxe Edition at £79.99. Deluxe extras include additional weapons, performers, outfits and stage-production items. Those are optional add-ons, not a separate campaign.
Microsoft has also confirmed a day-one Game Pass release and Xbox Play Anywhere support for eligible purchases across Xbox console and PC. It has not specified the individual Game Pass tier in the announcement cited here, so it is worth checking subscription details nearer launch rather than assuming the game will be included in every plan.
The January release is separate from the games arriving in October’s second Game Pass wave. Anyone looking for something to download this week should stick to that current schedule rather than mistake the January date for an imminent addition.
Tech Torque Verdict
Plenty of games promise a sprawling story. Fewer ask you to learn how to run a stage show as well as survive a vicious street fight. What makes Stranger Than Heaven appealing is the possibility that both sides of Daito’s life will matter: the cities supply ideas for the music, the shows shape his fortunes and the fighting remains a threat he cannot simply leave behind.
The ambition is clear. Keeping both styles of play interesting across five decades of Daito’s life will be the harder task. There are questions about long-term combat variety, the depth of the management systems and how well the shifts between eras will flow. For now, RGG Studio has given us a more convincing reason to watch this one than spectacle alone.
