Feel free to boo me, but admittedly the only game by RGG Studios I have played is Yakuza 0, and even then I still didn’t finish the whole thing. Yakuza has always been one of those franchises that got on my radar far too late, and then, seeing how many games there are, it felt daunting to try and jump in. It’s not that I don’t think I’ll like them: it’s that I felt like so much had passed me, and the games are lengthy, so it’s just so much of a task to get into them. However, Stranger Than Heaven will absolutely be one that I’m going to jump into. I got my hands on the combat demo at Summer Game Fest, and it’s a blast.

As you may know, Stranger Than Heaven is a 50 year saga depicting the journey of a Japanese-American named Makoto Daito. Each chapter of the game is set in a different time period, in a different city, with all new story. 1915 is where it begins in Kokura, Fukuoka before modern entertainment reached Japan. 1929 is set is Kure, Hiroshima where foreign influences are emerging. 1943 is set in Minami, Osaka. 1951 Atami, Shizuoka. 1965 is in Shinjuku, Tokyo where we see how Makoto starts the Tojo Clan from the Yakuza games.

When you stun an enemy you will be able to do devastating finishing moves.

Unfortunately, the demo was only focusing on the combat, so I can’t really speak on any of the story elements. However, we were given a combat situation in 1915, 1929, and 1943. They set it up where each encounter got harder, with basically the 1943 one being a boss fight. Unlike Yakuza, Stranger Than Heaven has far more focus on weapons. For the demo, however, we were only able to use three; our fists, a knife, and a large crowbar. Fists, of course, being your standard attack, a knife for quick slashes, and the crowbar for heavy sweeping attacks.

The demonstrator who was telling us about what to expect described the fighting like imaging that the controller is your body and the triggers on each side are for your left and right side. For example, if you want to punch with your right had, you press the R1, if you want to kick with your left leg you press L2. Mixing up all four buttons and sides will do combos. The tricky part is using that to your advantage and learning how to counter and block on each side as well. Holding O lets you block, but to parry you’ll need to then hit L1 or R1 (depending on the side you’re being attacked on) at the right time to parry. Blocking definitely is recommended compared to trying to parry everything.

Hit or kick enemies with your free limbs when grabbed to break them off you.

It did take quite a bit to get used to the fighting, not to mention doing it effectively. I died once during the demo and it was on the first level which is marked as Beginner difficulty. This was a smaller group of enemies with one of them having a katana. They attack quick, and don’t wait around too long to do it either. What I love is that enemies will grab you, and if they grab your arm, you can use your other arm to punch him to release you or even block and parry another attacker with your free arm. You can also still kick or grab a bottle as well. That is the beauty of this body freedom combat, I was discovering new things the more I played it.

The second level was the Intermediate difficulty and this was a much larger group with a massive brute that charges at you. This fight needed the large crowbar. Charging your attack can do big damage, and for the crowbar you can do a large swing to knockback groups of enemies. By this time I was getting the hang of it and things we clicking and I was having a ton of fun.

The crowbar is slow but brutal.

Final level was the Advanced difficulty and this fight was a one-on-one fight with a very fast enemy with a katana. He had tricks, speed, and devastating attacks. However, I was getting good with the parrying and was able to defeat him first try. Knocking enemies down offers a chance to do a ground stomp or you can jump on them and start beating them UFC style. Pressing the L2+R2 together lets you grab, and if they’re on the floor you can mount. Similar concepts are for the ground and pound as well. L1 to punch left and R1 to punch right. The enemies can attack you from below, but you can guard, parry and keep smashing. If they hit you enough from the ground they will grab you and get back up.

I finished the boss off by mounting him with my knife and slashing him in the neck until he died. It was brutal, but very satisfying. Unfortunately, that was the end of the demo and they said that was probably the fasted the have seem the boss defeated, and let me play through the entire demo again. This time I faired much better in the earlier parts.

This boss fight offered a good challenge and had plenty of moves to keep my on my toes.

While I wasn’t able to really explore any parts of the city, what I was able to notice is that each area felt drastically different. Sure, they are all technically different cities, but the years in which they are set felt realistic as well. 1915 had rough architecture and unpaved roads, 1929 had bigger buildings and more a sense of an actual shopping area. 1943 was the biggest jump with concrete sidewalks and paved roads and more cars, a town square, lighting all around the buildings, etc. Each area felt very unique and I can’t wait to see what the full cities have in store and what the rest of the chapters have also. Overall visuals are fantastic as well, with flowing clothing physics and very detailed environments.

This demo absolutely made me a believer, and Stranger Than Heaven quickly shot up on my must play list. The combat, while a bit awkward at first, quickly turned into one of my favorite systems I have played in a long time. Combat alone sold me, but I’m genuinely curious in how the story is spread out through the cities and fifty years.

Stranger Than Heaven is set to release January 15th, 2027 on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.

*Photos provided by the publisher