Although Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s next game is not part of the Yakuza/Like A Dragon franchise, its style and its choice of locations clearly lean in that direction.

Five locations and five eras – that is what could make Stranger Than Heaven such an intriguing project. We are almost certainly going to hear more about it this week, since Microsoft is set to stream a dedicated presentation on YouTube and Twitch on May 6 at 7 p.m. Eastern. There was originally chatter about an early build of the game leaking, but the tweet behind that claim was later deleted, which strongly suggests it was most likely nothing more than a hoax.

Sotenbori is expected to appear in the game, tied to the 1940s, and that setting would effectively serve as a reworked take on Osaka. Kamurocho, the familiar stand-in for real-world Shinjuku, is also expected to be one of the featured locations, with the 1960s unfolding there. The 1910s, or more specifically 1915, may take place in Kokura, and the boss encounter is believed to happen around the Yahata Steelworks, which seems to draw from the Kitakyushu Moji area. The 1920s section may be set in Kure, while the 1950s period could take players to Atami.

That would mean Stranger Than Heaven spans five distinct eras, with different parts of the game set in 1915, 1929, 1943, 1951, and 1965, unfolding across five Japanese cities. That is a huge undertaking on its own. The developers are reportedly putting an enormous amount of effort into bringing those times and places to life, because they feel games rarely spend enough time exploring them. If that ambition holds, the result could be an experience that genuinely feels unlike anything else in the medium.

The combat system is also said to be brutal and highly dynamic, with firearms, wrestling, one-against-many brawls, and environmental interactions all playing major roles. According to the chatter around the project, this represents an entirely new level of combat design for the studio. Players will reportedly be able to travel by tram through the cities, romances will be part of the experience, and the studio’s trademark food scenes are apparently still very much on the menu.

Stranger Than Heaven is in development for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC. With any luck, this week will also bring at least a clearer launch window.

Source: Reddit