STRANGER THAN HEAVEN gets its Kokura story trailer, the first chapter of Daito’s journey

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Oh, this one is lovely! SEGA and RGG Studio, the team behind Yakuza, have released the “Act 1: Kokura Story Trailer” for STRANGER THAN HEAVEN, showing the first era of protagonist Makoto Daito’s journey.

What the trailer tells us

Daito flees harsh persecution in the United States and ends up in Japan aboard a “ghost ship” belonging to the merchant Orpheus. That is where he meets Yu Shinjo, and the story starts to tangle in a very intriguing way.

SEGA says there is more to come: new videos will cover Daito’s life in each of the game’s cities and eras, one at a time. Collect them all!

Let me tell you about the game

STRANGER THAN HEAVEN is a distant prequel to the Like a Dragon series and tells a 50-year saga. It all begins in San Francisco in 1915: Makoto, born to an American father and a Japanese mother, loses his parents and stows away on a ship bound for his mother’s homeland. Over time he becomes the founder of the Tojo Clan, the one Yakuza fans know so well.

There are five cities across five eras, all based on real places: Kokura (1915), Kure (1929), Minami in Osaka (1943), Atami (1951) and Shinjuku in Tokyo (1965). Kokura, the first stop, is a foundry town full of smoke and fiery workers.

And here’s the sweetest part: music is part of the gameplay! Daito records sounds around the streets, creates compositions and even puts on shows. In combat, the left and right sides of his body are controlled separately. In the voice cast, Snoop Dogg plays Orpheus and Dean Fujioka plays Yu Shinjo. The game comes to PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC, with Brazilian Portuguese and Spanish text.

Pre-orders

Pre-orders are open, and anyone who reserves the physical or digital edition gets Dosu: Kagekiri, an exclusive weapon. The Steam store page lists a January 14, 2027 release.