Fans finally received a greater overview of Ryu Ga Gotoku’s upcoming Stranger Than Heaven thanks to the Summer Game Fest presentation on June 6, with the Like a Dragon developer once again branching out into unique experiences centered around the same core premise as its flagship franchise. The project’s appearance at Summer Game Fest came in the form of a second major trailer, reaffirming the gritty tone and historical setting of the game, although with one key twist.
The two trailers for Stranger Than Heaven that have been released have both taken place in different time periods, with a period of roughly thirty years separating the settings of each trailer. This has understandably caused some confusion throughout the game’s fan base, with Ryu Ga Gotoku being predictably tight-lipped in terms of the finer narrative details of the game. Despite this, the original codename for the project seems to be a massive indicator of what this time variation could mean in terms of story and gameplay for the upcoming title.
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Stranger Than Heaven’s Project Century Codename Could Be the Key to the Game’s Story
Fans first learned of Stranger Than Heaven in late 2024 through its reveal trailer at The Game Awards, with the project then appearing under the working title “Project Century.” Many were immediately taken to the dark themes of the game, as well as its protagonist’s unflinching approach to killing, with this being something that Ryu Ga Gotoku has generally shied away from in the past with figures like Kazuma Kiryu and Ichiban Kasuga.
Most distinct, however, was the game’s period setting, with this original trailer taking place in 1915, showcasing the unique era of transition in Japan at the time thanks to rapid industrialization. While many fans were receptive to this unique premise, the most recent trailer for Stranger Than Heaven instead takes place in 1943, seemingly showcasing an earlier depiction of Like a Dragon‘s famous Sotenbori location, based off of the real-world Dotonbori.
Many fans have already likened Stranger Than Heaven‘s gritty style to the popular Judgment series of games, with some detective-style gameplay elements even appearing in Stranger Than Heaven‘s most recent trailer.
The original name of Project Century could indicate a very ambitious overall plot for the title, with the game potentially taking place over the course of 100 years. This is corroborated by the major timeline jumps between the first two trailers of the game, with it being possible that the final acts of the game will take place in a later third era, potentially in the 70s or 80s, maybe even linking the game to Yakuza 0‘s 1980s Kamurocho setting.
The Project Century Name Might Have Some Interesting Implications For the Game’s Protagonist
Little is known about the protagonist of Stranger Than Heaven, with this being one of the major current mysteries around the title, yet it appears that the same protagonist is at the center of the game’s 1915 and 1943 trailers. This main character, referred to as Mako Daito in the second trailer, is defined by his piercing blue eyes and facial scarring, with it currently being unclear if some more supernatural elements are at play for the character.
The Stranger Than Heaven name, combined with the earlier Project Century moniker, would suggest that RGG is really leaning into more outlandish narrative premises for the game, with something like immortality being a potential justification for a 100-year-long narrative centered around a single character. Regardless of whether this holds any weight, it seems clear that Stranger Than Heaven is shaping up to be a particularly ambitious title from Ryu Ga Gotoku, with the game likely extending far beyond the 30-year gap in trailers that fans have already seen.