Director reveals film inspiration

Stranger Than Heaven director Mikinobu Abe says RGG Studios drew the game's combat system from classic Ninkyo yakuza movies made in the nineteen seventies and eighties.

What made those films special

Abe watched films like New Battles Without Honor and Humanity, starring Bunta Sugawara, and noticed the action was unrefined. He said the raw, gritty fighting made those genres special.

“No one throws a cool-looking fist punch or anything; it's just people rolling around and fighting.”

Combat reflects atmosphere

RGG Studios wanted players to feel the atmosphere of kill or be killed. The raw action style from those films fit that vision and shaped how combat works.

“We really wanted to make sure that the player feels this atmosphere that it's either you kill, or you get killed.”

Daito starts as inexperienced

Makoto Daito, the main character, begins as a poor fighter. As players improve at combat, Daito becomes more skilled, creating synchronisation between player and character.

“We took a lot of inspiration from that, and wanted to make sure that Daito is a character who starts out not being too good in a fight.”

Character growth through gameplay

Abe says the combat system depicts Daito's evolution as he ages through the narrative. Players feel his progression from inexperienced fighter to more capable combatant.

“As the player's skill gets better, so does Daito as a character gets better.”

Intuitive combat design

Abe emphasises that combat must feel intuitive so players immerse themselves in controlling Makoto. This synchronisation between player skill and character ability was central to the design.

“It was really, really important that the combat feels intuitive to create this sense of synchronisation between the player and Daito.”

Release date and platforms

Stranger Than Heaven releases on January fifteenth, twenty twenty-seven, for PlayStation five, Xbox Series X and Series S, and PC.