The first round of previews for Stranger Than Heaven have landed and they're mostly very positive.

Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio is best known for its zany Yakuza series, and its next game is set to be an ambitious, era-spanning evolution of its signature style. Set over a fifty-year period, Stranger Than Heaven will see the city of Japan, its people, and their ideals change as the years go by.

It looks like a select group of industry folk were invited to an event in London to play three hours of the 2027 SEGA title.

So, here's what the critics have to say about Stranger Than Heaven:

Push Square

"I think this will be a campaign of highs and lows; I’m still not convinced by the combat and finer aspects of the presentation, even if I think the sense of historical place is looking to be a real standout. I can’t wait to dig deeper into all the showbiz aspects in particular."

Polygon

"...One of the great satisfactions of Stranger Than Heaven thus far comes from watching society evolve from era to era. Muddy streets and women selling themselves in windows in 1915 eventually gave way to glamorous nightclubs and well-dressed ladies singing onstage in the ‘40s. A soot-stained crowd of glaring bigots in Kokura becomes a giggling sea of well-heeled tourists in western-style clothing in Minami. Perhaps the typical Yakuza level of humor would distract from that vision of a changing world, and it’s something that’s truly unique and special about Stranger Than Heaven."

Eurogamer

"Stranger than Heaven stuck in my teeth like taffy, and I was still tasting its sweetest bits for a while after playing. All this from an appetiser: if the full game manages to maintain the level of quality I saw throughout the entire game then I reckon this younger generation of RGG generation has a bright future ahead of them."

IGN

"In a new three-hour demo, I got to play Stranger Than Heaven from the start, see a bit of its decade-spanning story in action, and explore the different towns that represent each time period while playing all-new minigames. That also meant getting real familiar with how to throw hands in the re-tuned combat, and it feels like I've done a complete 180-degree turn on RGG Studio's next game."

CGMagazine

"After my brief time with it, STRANGER THAN HEAVEN has become my most anticipated game of 2027. From its excellent casting choices that sound strange on paper but work remarkably well (including Snoop Dogg) to its breathtaking performances and serious themes, everything comes together through an innovative and infectious combat system. It certainly seems that Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio may have another winner in development."

Metro

"Makoto’s story has a lot of potential, since it’s not just a simple rags to riches narrative. As someone with mixed heritage, he faces bigotry in both America and Japan, making him a perfect underdog, and the shifting time periods could make Stranger Than Heaven a fascinating period piece chronicling the changes in Japan’s culture and economy. However, it’s unfortunate that RGG’s obsession with celebrity casting is at its most distracting here. Snoop Dogg’s appearance as ship captain Orpheus is immersion shattering and what little we saw of his performance in the preview proves he adds nothing to the role."

There you have it - Stranger Than Heaven is getting a lot of positivity as we wait for its January 15, 2027 release. The game is launching day one on Ultimate and PC Game Pass, with Xbox Play Anywhere support.

Are you excited for Stranger Than Heaven? Let us know in the comments below.