The studio behind theYakuza/Like a Dragonseries is going back to the past, as a new trailer for the Jazz-era crime game, Stranger Than Heaven, was shown during Summer Games Fest 2025, with its protagonistfighting crooks in 1943.
Ryu Ga Gotaku studio is best known for the Yakuza series, but they’ve branched out into other titles. Most notably, they made the twoJudgmentgames, which were set in the same universe butfollowed a detectivewho was trying to solve high-profile cases.
Stranger Than Heaven seems to befollowing Judgmentmore than Yakuza, as shown in the game’s second teaser trailer during Summer Games Fest 2025. The protagonist is less of a swaggering criminal and more someone looking for clues, like a detective.
Stranger Than Heaven Takes Yakuza To The Jazz Era
Stranger Than Heaven stars adetective-style character named Taito, who is Japanese. That’s about as much as can be gleaned from the two existing trailers, as it’s still unclear what his goal is in the game, or if he’s truly on the side of law and order.
Based on how many people he’s beating up in the trailer, it’s unlikely that Taito is a cop. More likely, he’s closer to the protagonist of Judgment, being someone who solves crimes, but has to get his hands dirty from time to time.
The most interesting aspect of Stranger Than Heavenis its unique setting, especially as its cast will have to eschew the gadgets seen in the Yakuza series, like cellphones. The raucous jazz music and old-style firearms help give it an identity all its own, with a smoke-filled world that looks like it’s going to be a blast to explore. Unfortunately, we don’t know when that is, as it still lacks a release date.
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