STRANGER THAN HEAVEN launches this winter

About

A fifty-year, action adventure saga of men with nowhere to go and their desperate struggle to find a home. Use extreme violence to survive, and musical talent to thrive as a showman across five cities and eras of modern Japan.

Face Down Fate

A fifty-year saga of those with nowhere to go and their desperate struggle to find a home. San Francisco, 1915. Our story begins as a young boy sneaks aboard a mysterious ship in the dead of night.

His name? Makoto Daito. Born to an American father and a Japanese mother, Makoto’s world is one of harsh persecution, a fate cruely cast upon him simply because of his Asian heritage.

After losing both of his parents and finding himself completely alone, Makoto, in an act of desperation, decides to risk it all and travel to his mother’s birthplace. If the United States won’t accept him for who he is, maybe Japan will…

With nothing but the shirt on his back, Makoto soon learns, however, that his voyage across the Pacific is anything but a “free ride,” and that this one choice will forever change the course of his life. What awaits our young stowaway in Japan? And where will the years take him next?

Five Eras, Five Cities

The story unfolds across a version of Japan that may have existed in another life altogether, immersing you in 5 sprawling cities, each modeled after real locations of their respective eras.

• 1915, Kokura, Fukuoka – Home of what was said to be one of the world’s largest foundries, a smoke-scorched town bursting with the passion of hard-driven, equally fiery workers.
• 1929, Kure, Hiroshima – A port town dominated by Japan’s largest naval arsenal and heavily influenced by the presence of yakuza organizations.
• 1943, Minami, Osaka – The biggest entertainment district in western Japan, set against the ever-rising tension of a world at war.
• 1951, Atami, Shizuoka – A bustling seaside getaway synonymous with tourism in postwar Japan.
• 1965, Shinjuku, Tokyo – Japan’s most iconic pleasure district—a city of swirling and unpredictable chaos.

The Most Creative, Intuitive, and Extreme Violence

In these turbulent times, fighting to survive means one thing: doing whatever it takes. Experience this struggle through the raw brutality of an ever-changing combat system that feels alive.

You won’t just control Makoto Daito, you’ll become him—moving his left and right sides independently and instinctively as you attack, defend, and force your way to victory.

Follow a jab with a crushing blow, send enemies flying with a charged attack, tackle them while they stagger or pin them to the ground and unleash a relentless flurry of punches. Nothing is off the table in Makoto’s world.

You can also block enemy strikes with one hand and instantly counter with the other. Reading their moves and creating your own openings is key to coming out on top.

Additionally, you’ll master and enhance a wide array of weapons—knives, hammers, katanas, and more—as you fight your way through era after violent era.

Life of a Showman

In the earliest chapters of our story, Makoto’s guide and mentor discovers his hidden talent for music, and, before long, Makoto finds himself not only singing a tune or two but stepping into the role of a showman, producing a wide variety of incredible acts throughout all of Japan.

In order to get these shows off the ground, Makoto must gather rumors from the streets and use them to scout skilled singers and performers. He can then head out into town to create new music—collecting any and every sound he can find: the swish of a broom, snoring of a sleepy neighbor, the rumble of passing trains, distant animal cries, even the grunts and growls of the enemies he fights.

By combining these sounds, Makoto can craft original tracks, brand new music for the whole nation to hear. From there, he’ll choose the setlist, arrange the band, assign a cast, and design the production—from lighting colors to staging—all in an effort to bring each show to life. As you tour the country staging performances and captivating audiences, you’ll experience Makoto’s rags-to-riches rise to success as a master showman.

Will the relentless determination of two men racing through fifty years of chaos change the future as we know it?

From Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio—the master storytellers behind some of gaming’s most intense battles and heartfelt drama—comes their latest unforgettable adventure.