SEGA and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio have announced that Stranger Than Heaven will launch on January 15, 2027 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam, and the game will be available day one with Xbox Game Pass. With the approval of the Tupac Shakur estate, Amaru Entertainment the late rap legend’s likeness will appear in Stranger Than Heaven, according to Snopp Dogg.
RGG Studio is treating Tupac Shakur’s integration with the utmost respect, crafting every aspect of the collaboration without the use of AI. This is possible due to the use of archival footage and photographs, which are instrumental in his character design.
Takaya Kuroda, the voice of Kazuma Kiryu, will also appear in the game’s main cast alongside Takashi Ukaji, Yasukaze Motomiya, Takaya Kuroda, and Kohei Tsuji (Nippon no Shacho).
The hype for the new game is evident, as the “Xbox Presents: A Special Look at Stranger Than Heaven” stream quickly became one of Xbox’s most viewed streams of all time on YouTube.
The story of Stranger Than Heaven stars Makoto Daito (VA: Yu Shirota), a young Japanese-American boy from San Francisco who searches for a better life by heading to a ship bound for Japan. After being caught by Orpheus (VA: Snoop Dogg), Makoto heads to Japan and becoming his sidekick, allowing him to learn the tools of the underworld trades. Makoto is joined by an older boy named Yu Shinjo (VA: Dean Fujioka), who is an ambitious and contentious fellow who forms a bond with Makoto.
Stranger Than Heaven takes place over five stages or acts in the following cities:
- Kokura, Fukuoka (1915)
- Kure, Hiroshima (1929)
- Minami, Osaka – (1943)
- Atami, Shizuoka – (1951)
- Kamurocho, Shinjuku – (1965)
As a showman, Makoto can hone into various sounds and tunes on the streets to gain inspiration for original compositions. He can handle his promotion and manage performances, and he’s assisted by Takashi, who is voiced by Satoshi Fujihara from Official Hige Dandism. Tori Kelly is also part of the cast as Suzy, and she performs the theme song alongside singer-songwriter Ado, Fujihara, and Snoop Dogg.
Stranger Than Heaven features a new combat system where players can perform attacks with the triggers and bumper buttons, each of which are tied to Makoto’s left arm, right arm, left leg, and right leg, respectively. There’s a visceral feel to combat that places emphasize on Makoto’s hard strikes, which can be charged and unleashed on opponents.
