Stranger Than Heaven Gets a Wild New Trailer – and an Entirely New Broadcast on May 6

Joe Skrebels, XBOX Wire Editor-in-Chief

Xbox Partner Preview just brought us a new look at Stranger Than Heaven, the upcoming new title from Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio. Even more excitingly, it was also revealed that Xbox and RGG Studio are teaming up to dedicate an entirely new broadcast to the game on May 6: stay tuned for “Xbox Presents: A Special Look at Stranger Than Heaven”.

We caught up with RGG Studio Representative & Executive Producer, Masayoshi Yokoyama to ask a few questions about what was revealed today, and what’s coming in the next broadcast: “We have so much to show and I promise it will be worth your time,” he explained. “Today was just a taste of what’s to come.”

So let’s dive in:

What We Saw Today

Today’s trailer teased a lot more about the game than had previously been revealed. Most notably, Stranger Than Heaven will be set over five different eras (with sections of the game taking place in 1915, 1929, 1943, 1951, and 1965), and its events will take place across five different Japanese cities.

“We can’t say much more [about that] than what was shown today,” explained Yokoyama-san, “But as you can imagine, 5 cities and 5 eras is a massive undertaking. We’re putting a tremendous amount of care into bringing to life these times and places we feel are rarely explored in games. It’s truly a unique experience you can’t get anywhere else.”

We also got a frenetic look at the game’s brutal, highly dynamic combat systems – with everything from weaponry, grappling, one-versus-many fights, and environmental interactions shown off. “This is an all-new level of combat design from us, and what you saw is just the tip of the iceberg with much more to be revealed soon,” teased Yokoyama-san.

Beyond that, we saw glimpses of travelling through cities by tram, potential romances and, in classic RGG Studio fashion, a focus on eating beautifully rendered food. And everything was set to an incredible jazz-drumming soundtrack – music has been a key part of all the Stranger Than Heaven trailers so far:

“Those music tracks really get your feet tapping, don’t they?,” said Yokoyama-san. “Well, let’s just say there’s a lot more where that came from, and some of my favorite music has yet to be heard.”

We thought we saw some familiar faces amongst the cast but Yokoyama-san won’t be drawn on exactly who they are or how they’re being used:

“Oh, I wonder who you could be referring to?” he teased. “We weren’t exactly subtle with some of the footage we chose for this trailer, but let’s just say that players can look forward to an all-star cast. We’re excited to reveal more at the upcoming Xbox Presents: A Special Look at Stranger Than Heaven broadcast.”

What’s Coming Next

You won’t have to wait long. The Xbox Presents: A Special Look at Stranger Than Heaven broadcast will air on May 6 (US time), bringing a deeper dive into many of the features teased today – and much we haven’t even seen yet.

“There’s so much that we’re itching to share,” enthuses Yokoyama-san. “From the incredible cast, to the music, the combat experience and more. We really feel it will be something that will shock and (hopefully) amaze people – I’ll leave it at that!”

We’ll have more to share on how to tune in at a later date, but see below for airdates and airtimes for your region to make sure you’ve got it on your calendar:

PDT: May 6, 4pm

EDT: May 6, 7pm

BST: May 7, 12am

CEST: May 7, 1am

JST: May 7, 8am

AEST: May 7, 9am

Stranger Than Heaven is coming soon to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, Xbox Cloud. It will be an Xbox Play Anywhere title and available with Xbox Game Pass.

STRANGER THAN HEAVEN

SEGA

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

■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? ■5 ERAS, 5 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 RGG Studio—the master storytellers behind some of gaming's most intense battles and heartfelt drama—comes their latest unforgettable adventure.