Stranger Than Heaven Hands-On Preview – An Excellent Performance So Far

Stranger Than Heaven Hands-On Preview – An Excellent Performance So Far – Photo: CGMagazineFew games have intrigued me as much as STRANGER THAN HEAVEN from the very beginning. From its distinctive aesthetic showcased in the first Project Century teaser to the latest previews highlighting its commitment to an entirely new combat system, I've wanted to know more about what Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has been cooking up. Mostly, though, I just wanted to get my hands on it.

So, when I was given the opportunity to explore the multiple decades of STRANGER THAN HEAVEN as Makoto Daito, I leapt at the chance and came away floored. I arrived for the beatdown gameplay Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio is known for, but found myself glued to my chair by the sheer soul and performances STRANGER THAN HEAVEN brings to the table. Despite knowing virtually nothing about the game before finally getting behind the sticks, STRANGER THAN HEAVEN has quickly become my most anticipated title of 2027.

STRANGER THAN HEAVEN's opening moments not only teach you how to play but also establish the stakes you're up against. My demo began with our fearless hero legging it through the streets of San Francisco, fleeing the police before being cornered on a pier and forced to defend himself. As it turns out, Makoto is being blamed for murder while desperately seeking an escape from the relentless racism of 1910s San Francisco. Despite placing such heavy themes front and centre, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio wastes no time reminding you of its signature eccentricity, introducing a brief tutorial that teaches you how to use items by having you pick food out of a literal trash bin.

STRANGER THAN HEAVEN puts you in the shoes of Makoto Daito, a half-Japanese, half-American man who faces discrimination because of his heritage. His journey eventually takes him aboard a ship bound for Japan as he flees the United States. It's a subject Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio handles with a deft touch, allowing players to experience the story rather than forcing its message upon them. After learning how to throw hands (more on that later), you leave a pile of hilariously inept police officers beaten and bruised at the end of the pier.

"Beneath the surface of STRANGER THAN HEAVEN lies one of the most intricate fighting systems I've experienced, and it's exhilarating."

STRANGER THAN HEAVEN maintains a brisk pace as the ship's crew discovers you and another Japanese man stowing away aboard the vessel. While the other man is discovered first by the ship's security, Makoto Daito has a strong sense of justice, prompting him to reveal himself and defend the helpless stowaway in the hopes of saving him from being killed or thrown overboard.

It turns out you both want to reach Japan to escape the discrimination you've faced in America, but the crew doesn't particularly care. They just want you gone. As promised, this is where you truly learn how to throw hands, and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio introduces a deliciously cinematic and innovative fighting system that allows players to control Makoto Daito's movements with remarkable precision. Beneath the surface of STRANGER THAN HEAVEN lies one of the most intricate fighting systems I've experienced, and it's exhilarating. Imagine if Fight Night Champion and Sifu (yes, the roguelike brawling title) performed the Dragon Ball Super fusion dance. Let me explain.

The right side of the controller allows you to strike and block with Makoto's right side, while the left side handles those same actions for his left. This gives you precise control over where your attacks land, allowing you to read your opponents and gain an advantage in combat. If an opponent blocks right, you can swing left and clock them with a satisfying impact. Conversely, if an opponent throws a wild right hook, you can parry the attack and counter with authority. Counters feel incredibly fluid and responsive, with each successful execution producing a satisfying clash and a burst of sparks that lets you know you've landed the perfect response.

The impact of every scrap in STRANGER THAN HEAVEN makes you feel like a literal melee god, and throughout my four-hour session with the game, it never got old. As you parry and defeat opponents, a gold gauge beneath their HP bar gradually fills. Once it's full, their poise breaks, allowing you to perform a finishing technique by pressing both bumper buttons simultaneously.

This triggers a short combo that usually leaves your opponent unconscious, and it feels fantastic to pull off. You can also take opponents to the ground and rain down punches from a mounted position, making combat feel more dynamic and less restrictive. The environment also plays a huge role in every skirmish, as Makoto can pick up objects from his surroundings to gain an advantage, such as smashing an errant bottle over someone's head. While I would do nearly anything to avoid a fight in real life, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio's combat system has infected me, and I found myself seeking out fights as often as possible. Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has a gift for violence, and STRANGER THAN HEAVEN's portrayal of it may be the studio's best to date.

After beating up the armed goons working for Orpheus, the head honcho himself walks in, and I was surprised to discover that Orpheus is portrayed by none other than Snoop Dogg. Orpheus operates as a sort of handler before you reach Japan, and he sees potential in Makoto after watching him beat up his security guards in the ship's brig. Impressed, he allows Makoto to stay aboard, and you eventually arrive in Japan, only to discover that discrimination is still very much a part of life. Rather than being addressed by his name, Makoto is called "Keto," a derogatory term from the era used to describe outsiders or hairy foreigners.

"Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio delivers STRANGER THAN HEAVEN's narrative with an iron fist, demanding your attention every step of the way."

This dynamic continues as you explore Kokura, in Fukuoka Prefecture, in 1915. You have to make a name for yourself in the small town, starting by completing tasks for the locals. Orpheus also serves as something of a mentor, showing you the ropes of how to make it in Japan. During a brief crafting tutorial, he even teaches you, in true Snoop Dogg fashion, how to roll a "special cigarette." This isn't just a gimmick, either. Snoop Dogg delivers a surprisingly strong performance, at least from what I've seen so far, and Orpheus proves to be a stand-up ally.

While this brings Snoop Dogg's larger-than-life personality into STRANGER THAN HEAVEN, the scene is genuinely funny and introduces another way to improve Makoto's abilities in combat. Cigarettes, including special varieties containing different herbs, provide Makoto with notable combat buffs. Given how precise the timing window for parrying can be, the first special cigarette increases that window, making it easier to parry incoming attacks. Another smoking session allowed me to deal more damage in combat, making Makoto's fists feel like pieces of iron attached to his wrists.

That's not all Makoto can do around Kokura. You can complete side quests, play games with locals (including a take on Beyblade) and clear warehouses filled with ruffians. As the decades pass and Makoto matures, these side activities evolve alongside him. In later locations, such as Minami in Osaka Prefecture, clearing out a warehouse eventually gives way to a circular fighting pit, where you face opponents for glory, renown, money and experience.

In 1915, Makoto attempts to rise through the ranks of his group, identified by the dusty kimono jacket he wears during this era, and prove himself. He sets out to impress his boss, Heigo Yashima, who tasks him with getting closer to a rival merchant's mistress working at a café.

STRANGER THAN HEAVEN also features seamless transitions that keep the story moving without interruption. Each major story sequence blends live gameplay with cutscenes that begin immediately upon entering a room. These transitions keep players glued to the unfolding events rather than interrupting the experience with the usual black screens separating gameplay from cutscenes. Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio delivers STRANGER THAN HEAVEN's narrative with an iron fist, demanding your attention every step of the way.

Without getting into spoilers, meeting Tae-san, the mistress of the rival merchant, introduces layers of complex themes, particularly through how and when she reveals that she is a victim of domestic violence. STRANGER THAN HEAVEN knows how to manipulate your emotions, taking you from laughing out loud to wanting to get up and dance, only to leave you sitting down for a good cry. Somehow, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio manages to pull off these dramatic shifts with remarkable class.

"The worst part of my time with STRANGER THAN HEAVEN was simply having to put the controller down."

Tae-san's story explores the raw humanity of simply wanting to become a better person for the sake of doing what's right, with themes that go far beyond the discrimination previously depicted as something people perpetuate because "everyone's doing it." In this moment, STRANGER THAN HEAVEN shifts from exploring moral ambiguity to confronting a much clearer distinction between right and wrong. The struggle between a still-innocent Makoto, who desperately wants to help, and a woman weighed down by the oppression of living in the 1910s and the despair of being trapped in a life surrounded by crime makes for a scene that holds your attention hostage.

Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio handles these tense moments with grace, allowing their emotional weight to drown out everything else when they unfold. The performances and chemistry between Yu Shirota (the voice of Makoto Daito) and Moeka Hoshi (the voice of Tae-san) practically suck all the air out of the room, while director Mikinobu Abe commands the audience with the authority of a four-star general. This scene sets the stage for the next major conflict, which sees Makoto storm an ironworks and go to extraordinary lengths to rescue Tae-san. Although Makoto is dodging literal fire and death, this time, he's fighting for what's right.

It's impressive what Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio accomplishes with each thrilling set piece. Before every major encounter, STRANGER THAN HEAVEN builds anticipation in more ways than one, making it clear that something serious is about to go down. Even with these warnings, the encounters still manage to deliver some massive surprises. What's most impressive about STRANGER THAN HEAVEN is its insistence on going all out while somehow keeping the story grounded in a reality where you can still think, "That could happen." Makoto literally swings through a burning ironworks.

Fighting through the ironworks serves as a skill check for everything STRANGER THAN HEAVEN has thrown at you so far. The sequence combines quick-time events and battles against armed enemies before culminating in a massive boss fight against a man who looks like he was plucked straight out of a Villains Quarterly catalogue, complete with menacing suspenders and a handlebar moustache. The encounter has you squaring up against a literal mountain of meat who can knock your health down in just three solid swings. This fight also features multiple stages, so your best bet is to weaken his posture and chip away at his health slowly and patiently.

If you fight smart in STRANGER THAN HEAVEN and make the most of what you're given, you can overcome the incredible odds the game throws at you. It feels damn good, too, bringing a difficult encounter to its knees through sheer determination and skill. After emerging victorious from the boss fight, it became obvious that STRANGER THAN HEAVEN is, as advertised, strange. But there's nothing else quite like it. Even with my limited time playing, it's clear that Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio may have another ace in the hole.

After my brief time with it, STRANGER THAN HEAVEN has become my most anticipated game of 2027. From its excellent casting choices that sound strange on paper but work remarkably well (including Snoop Dogg) to its breathtaking performances and serious themes, everything comes together through an innovative and infectious combat system. It certainly seems that Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio may have another winner in development.

Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio's insistence on bringing soul to the forefront of STRANGER THAN HEAVEN is what makes the game impossible to stop thinking about. From its incredible theme song and fantastic musical score to its dynamic fighting system, everything feels carefully crafted to leave a lasting impression. The worst part of my time with STRANGER THAN HEAVEN was simply having to put the controller down. STRANGER THAN HEAVEN officially launches on January 15, 2027.