Stranger Than Heaven, RGG Studio’s new action-adventure in Stranger Than Heaven, follows one man across 50 years of Japanese history. Its first story trailer opens that saga in 1915. Protagonist Makoto Daito flees persecution in America, crosses the Pacific hidden on a merchant ship, and lands in the steel town of Kokura, Fukuoka. Kokura treats him no better than the place he escaped.
Quick answer: The Act 1 trailer covers Daito’s 1915 arrival in Kokura, his meeting with fellow stowaway Yu Shinjo, and his induction into Yashima. The game launches January 15, 2027.
Makoto Daito’s escape from America
The trailer opens before anything is on screen. Over the PEGI 18 badge, men search for a fugitive and agree his dark hair will make him easy to spot. Then it cuts to the harbor at night. Daito swims out through choppy water, grabs the anchor chain of a departing ship, and pulls himself aboard while pursuers shout from shore. Two lantern-carrying watchmen look on as the vessel heads into open sea.
The ship belongs to the merchant Orpheus, played by Snoop Dogg. Stranger Than Heaven has described it as a “ghost ship.” It rides out a violent storm before the crew searches the cargo hold by lantern light and finds Daito wedged between crates. A second stowaway, Yu Shinjo, steps out and yells at the crew to let him go. Now there are two problems on board instead of one.
Both men end up tied up on the wet deck. A bearded man with a large knife questions them and points out that they are not from around here. Under pressure, Daito says he wants to reach Japan.
Short black-and-white flashbacks fill in why Daito ran. A door is spray-painted with “GO HOME FREAKS!” There is a funeral in the rain, and men search a dark forest at night. Below deck, Daito and Shinjo sit tied back to back against a pillar and swap their stories. Daito is of mixed heritage. He grew up in South America and only learned English later. Shinjo has faced the same kind of hostility, and Stranger Than Heaven says the two will go on to become best friends.
Kokura in 1915: A hostile welcome
The ship reaches an industrial coastline lit by fires and city lights. The bearded man warns the pair that things will be hard once they get ashore. The arrival quickly turns into a fight. Dockworkers and sailors rush down the gangplank, and Daito and Shinjo have to defend themselves next to the moored freighter.
A steam train crosses an iron bridge under the caption “1915 KOKURA,” and the trailer settles into a run of rejections. Daito asks a street vendor for directions in Japanese, holding out a folded piece of paper. The vendor answers with contempt and calls him “keto,” a slur for foreigners and Westerners. Later, while he rests on a grassy riverbank, a group of men discuss selling him to a freak show.
Next, uniformed police encircle the two in the town square, call them spies, and club them with batons. Both are locked in a holding cell, where they talk about how terribly their first days in Japan have gone.
Yashima and the Kokura story cast
The way out comes from an unexpected direction. The bearded man from the ship shows up at the cell with an older man in traditional dress. Over tea in a tatami room, an elder talks about trust and declares the newcomers members of Yashima. This is the organization run by Heigo Yashima, boss of Kokura’s Kuroganecho district. Daito decides to repay that kindness, and keep himself afloat, by working as one of Yashima’s underlings. He swaps his ragged shirt for geta sandals and a black-and-red Yashima coat with “八島貿易” and “TRADE MARK” on the back.
| Character | Played by | Role in Kokura |
|---|---|---|
| Makoto Daito | Yu Shirota | Protagonist, Yashima underling |
| Yu Shinjo | Dean Fujioka | Fellow stowaway, guitarist |
| Orpheus | Snoop Dogg | Merchant who owns the ship |
| Heigo Yashima | Akio Otsuka | Boss of Kuroganecho |
| Tae Matsumoto | Moeka Hoshi | Café waitress, Oki’s mistress |
| Tadashi Hataoka | Takashi Ukaji | Militant underling of Oki |
Orpheus comes after the pair once they slip off his ship. He appears to want them dead, but Stranger Than Heaven says he has other motives. Oki is the other big shot in Kuroganecho and Yashima’s rival. His man Hataoka keeps a close watch on Daito as he climbs the ranks. Tae is the warmest face in the trailer. In a busy café she greets Daito with “welcome home” and compliments his blue eyes.
Life inside Yashima is not easy, either. A senior member, Matsuo, confronts Daito and insists on being addressed as Matsuo Aniki. Another member talks to him about rising above prejudice. At a formal feast, a tattooed leader eating rice tells the assembled men that respect is what their trade runs on. Montage shots show cargo hauling, injured workers, crowded dormitories, and training sessions with the bearded mentor.
Stranger Than Heaven combat and the Kokura station song
The fighting will look familiar to anyone who has played RGG Studio’s other games. It is close-quarters, bare-fisted brawling against street thugs and rival gang members, often armed. Fights spill through alleys, along the waterfront docks, inside a café and parlor, and across a factory catwalk. The footage shows Daito using his surroundings and whatever objects are close at hand.
The trailer also sets up Daito’s path to becoming a showman. On a balcony overlooking the harbor and the factory smokestacks, the bearded man tells him to turn what he is feeling into song. A few scenes later, Daito is clapping and singing in front of Kokura station while Shinjo plays acoustic guitar and townspeople gather to watch. The final shot returns to Daito in his Yashima coat, saying all he wants is a place of his own.
Stranger Than Heaven release date, platforms, and pre-orders
The trailer’s end card shows the release date as 2027.01.15. The game carries a PEGI 18 rating and is launching on the following platforms:
| Platform | Storefront or service |
|---|---|
| PS5 | PlayStation Store |
| Xbox Series X|S | Microsoft Store |
| PC | Steam, Xbox on PC |
| Streaming | Xbox Cloud |
| Subscription | Game Pass |
Pre-orders are open now, including on the Stranger Than Heaven Steam page. Physical and digital pre-orders include Dosu: Kagekiri, an exclusive DLC weapon. It unlocks as you progress through the game, and you need the base game with the latest update installed to use it.
There is also a limited Collector’s Edition for $129.99. It includes a 12-inch vinyl with the main theme and original tracks, a physical copy of the base game for Xbox Series X|S or PS5, and the Deluxe Upgrade.
Pre-order bonus availability can differ by retailer, so check that Dosu: Kagekiri is listed before you buy.
Kokura is the first of five cities and five eras in Daito’s story, running from 1915 to 1965. A 1929 Kure, Hiroshima era has already been shown in gameplay form. Stranger Than Heaven plans to release a story trailer for each remaining era, but no date has been confirmed for the next one.
