That might be faraway, but the trailer did drop some interesting hints at what awaits Makoto and the rest of the cast as the story unfolds. We already knew that he flees San Francisco, but we now know that his hopes of better treatment in his homeland are dashed thanks to his mixed heritage. The word gaijin immediately comes to mind. There are also hints at a quest for revenge, probably tied to the reason his mother was in America in the first place.

This one’s had us quite eager to see more of it ever since it was announced, thanks to a combat system that looks like it brings the best of Tekken to the table, and a bevy of other activities that could have you so steeped in being the showman of Makoto’s dreams it can be easy to forget about all the threats lurking about on the road to get there.

Of course, the revelation that got the biggest reveal was Tupac walking out of the shadows in a digital avatar that has captured the likeness quite well. he joins other well-known names like Snoop Dogg and Ado in a star-studded cast that’s sure to have us all tapping our feet when they drop the beat.

So how does it work? Well, you essentially control the left and right sides of Makoto’s body independently. Pressing RB and RT (or R1 and R2) will attack with his right arm and leg, while LB and LT/L1 and L2 attack with his left arm and leg. It’s highly reminiscent of Tekken, which maps a limb to each face button.

When pressing these buttons in sequence, Makoto will react accordingly and execute combos. You can charge attacks, use one arm to block and strike with the other, or press LT and RT/L2 and R2 to tackle and mount an enemy. Tackling them near the stairs results in both parties tumbling down.

Of course, alongside more basic tools and weapons, you’ll also discover “masterworks of old” and “brand-new inventions of the era” with unique passives and special attacks. Upgrading these will increase their potency, though you’ll likely have to find the right materials.

And in true RGG Studio fashion, you have cinematic combat sections, including (but not limited to) fisticuffs on a moving vehicle, instakill attacks, and context-sensitive actions. For example, one scene features Makoto holding an enemy while they’re punched in the stomach and quietly knocked out.

Launching this Winter, Stranger Than Heaven is shaping up into quite the release, especially when factoring in the story and showman system. It’s coming to Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC.

Makoto, the protagonist, has a “keen ability to find the music in everyday life” and uses “sounds as ideas for future compositions,” as game director Mikonobu Abe describes it. You may hear a man snoring, a dog barking, or a train passing by, and use those to create songs with various composers. When he becomes a showman down the line, Makoto will recruit musicians and organize gigs, right down to the show structure and set list.

After putting up posters advertising the show, he can then watch it live. Of course, alongside musicians, he’ll also run into important singers played by real-world artists, including Takashi (Satoshi Fujihara), who actually thinks of Makoto as his “aniki.” There’s also Suzy, played by Tori Kelley, who also helped write the game’s theme song.

Other characters like Keiko Shirai (played by Ado) weren’t fully detailed, but each has their own flaws and dreams, just like Makoto and his friend Yu. The real question is whether we can get Orpheus, played by Snoop Dogg, to perform. Here’s hoping.

Stranger Than Heaven launches this Winter for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. It’s also coming to Game Pass on day one and will support Xbox Play Anywhere.

The story focuses on Makoto Daito (Yu Shirota), a half-American, half-Japanese boy who leaves San Francisco to get away from cruelty in 1915 and travels to his mother’s birthplace – Japan. However, he’s on a ship that belongs to the smuggler Orpheus (played by Snoop Dogg) and encounters Yu Shinjo (Dean Fujioka). Together, they leave the ship upon arriving in Japan, but their paths diverge greatly.

Makoto is more the brawn, while Yu is more calculating and seeks to reshape Japan. The former works as a sidekick to Orpheus and slowly earns his way up before reuniting with the latter years later in Minami, Osaka. Things progressively heat up with the Yakuza, the Italian Mafia and even the Japanese government as they seek to leave their mark on the world. Of course, many other notable cast members await, including Tori Kelly (who plays Suzy) and Ado.

Starting in Kokura, Fukuoka, with its debauchery and plethora of workers (not to mention minigames like cards and arm-wrestling), players will then venture to Kure, Hiroshima, known for its shipbuilding, heavy industry, and modern Japanese culture alongside a maze of waterways and numerous hills. Minami is steeped in foreign culture and offers shooting minigames and betting, while Atami, Shizuoka, is more refined with airports and whatnot.

Interestingly, it all culminates in Kamurocho, Shinjuku, where a “tremendous secret” is revealed. Potential tie-ins to the Tojo Clan? Time will tell, but for now, Stranger Than Heaven is shaping up into something very special.

“We can’t say much more [about that] than what was shown today. But as you can imagine, 5 cities and 5 eras is a massive undertaking. We’re putting a tremendous amount of care into bringing to life these times and places we feel are rarely explored in games. It’s truly a unique experience you can’t get anywhere else.”

Aside from bringing different eras to life, Yokoyama also elaborated on the game’s combat systems, promising more details about its brutal battles in the coming few months. “We also got a frenetic look at the game’s brutal, highly dynamic combat systems – with everything from weaponry, grappling, one-versus-many fights, and environmental interactions shown off. This is an all-new level of combat design from us, and what you saw is just the tip of the iceberg with much more to be revealed soon.”

He also had a lot to say about the game’s unique musical score, revealing that we were yet to hear the ones that he was partial to. “Those music tracks really get your feet tapping, don’t they? Well, let’s just say there’s a lot more where that came from, and some of my favorite music has yet to be heard.”

Regarding potential returning characters, he was cagey about revealing anything juicy. However, he gave the impression that we’re in for quite a treat once RGG Studio starts detailing all the actors.

“Oh, I wonder who you could be referring to? We weren’t exactly subtle with some of the footage we chose for this trailer, but let’s just say that players can look forward to an all-star cast. We’re excited to reveal more at the upcoming Xbox Presents: A Special Look at Stranger Than Heaven broadcast.”

The broadcast he’s talking about is scheduled for May 6, 2026, and is sure to offer even more news about a game that we’re quite excited to play when it launches for Xbox Series X|S, PS5 and PC. It will also be available on Game Pass and Xbox for PC while supporting Play Anywhere.

Stranger Than Heaven will take players through time, with the story taking place in the years 1915, 1929, 1943, 1951, and 1965. Since these years represent massive jumps in time, it is likely that the protagonist will also change over the course of the game. The fact that we also get to explore different cities makes this even likelier.

The scenery isn’t the only thing that will be changing depending on the era and city you’re in, however. The trailer gives us a good idea of how even the simple act of walking down a street can be quite different depending on the decade. Along with this, combat, while brutal regardless of the year, will allow players to use different tools depending on the time and place. All the century-spanning mayhem in the trailer is paired with loose jazz beats, adding an extra level of chaos to the video.

Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has also confirmed that more details about the game will be revealed during an “Xbox Presents: A Special Look at Stranger Than Heaven” showcase on May 6th.

Stranger Than Heaven is coming to PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. While no release date has been confirmed so far, the latest trailer did indicate that it was coming out “soon”.

It will receive an “in-depth look,” which could finally provide more details on its gameplay and story. Other titles like The Expanse: Osiris Reborn will receive “new looks”, and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is getting an “update.” Perhaps we’ll finally learn when the release windows for its story expansions and multiplayer, nearly 1.5 years after its original launch.

Microsoft also promises new reveals, “world premieres”, and even Game Pass announcements, so there’s plenty to look forward to. Deep dives and behind-the-scenes details will also be revealed for “select titles” on Xbox Wire, in case you want to dig even deeper into their development.

Stranger Than Heaven doesn’t have a release date, but Sega previously said it would launch during or after fiscal year 2027. Persona 4 Revival is slated for the same window, and given how it was announced during last year’s Xbox Games Showcase, what are the odds that it appears during the Partner Preview?

The Expanse: Osiris Reborn is also intriguing because Owlcat Games previously confirmed closed beta access for those who pre-purchased the Miller’s Pack for $79.99. Perhaps it will finally reveal plans for the same. As always, stay tuned for more details and live coverage this Thursday.

One review, as written by Steam user JigenDaisuke, has called the release “creatively bankrupt” due to the retcons that were made to the story of Yakuza 3. “The retcons made to the story of RGG3 with Kiwami 3 and Dark Ties are absolute abominations and an insult to the original game, the entire Kiryu saga, and any fan with even an ounce of critical sense,” they wrote. “Not to mention all the content removed in favour of reused minigames from other more recent entries (a Kiwami classic) and the recasting (another Kiwami classic).”

Another user, jack, has called out the studio for having cast Teruyuki Kagawa in the role of Goh Hamazaki, since the actor has been accused of sexual misconduct, while also criticizing the studio for having made too many changes to the story. “Sexual assault allegations from one of the cast members,” they wrote. “Changing too much stuff from the original and leaving too much out. Rushed and unpolished, frequent crashes on my system. IDK how to feel about this, but it’s not great.”

On the other hand, there are also quite a few positive reviews. As noted by Steam user Slifer Slacker, Yakuza Kiwami 3 and Dark Ties is “a mixed bag of good and bad, not gonna lie. [sic]”

“Story-wise is divisive, I have no qualms with it,” they wrote. “It definitely took a hit with the way it’s promoted; it won’t get much flak if it were advertised as the start of a new timeline. If not, the tweaks cause a lot of problems for the next games, especially 4.90% definitely was an improvement except the epilogue, which causes lots of problems since it’s different from the OG.”

Yakuza Kiwami 3 and Dark Ties was released across PC, PS5 , Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, just last week. As its name might imply, it is a remake of 2009’s Yakuza 3, bringing up to modern standards through the Dragon Engine, which was first used for Yakuza 6: Song of Life. Along with a retelling of the base story, it also features Dark Ties, which gives us a deeper look into the motivations of Yoshitaka Mine.

Interestingly, executive producer at RGG Studio Masayoshi Yokoyama has said that we won’t see any more Yakuza games with the Kiwami titles moving forward. While it doesn’t mean that we won’t see remakes of older games like Yakuza 4 or 5 down the line, he has said that they will no longer fall under the Kiwami label. This is because the studio is taking a new approach with the overarching lore of Yakuza.

“Some of the games we’re working on have already been announced, but including the ones we’ll be making going forward, I think Yakuza Kiwami 3 will be the last one, and the Kiwami line will come to an end,” said Yokoyama last week. “I don’t think it’ll continue as the Kiwami series anymore. I think a different series will begin.”

For more on Yakuza 3 and Dark Ties, check out our review.

This guide for Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties is all about grinding for Training Points quickly and efficiently.

Miyazato Training Place

Hundreds of Training Points are waiting to be earned from a huge selection of challenges in the Training List. This is accessed at the Miyazato training place.

This training place has multiple tiers to rank up through, and unlocks hundreds of challenges with their associated Training Point rewards clearly mentioned right alongside.

Eventually, successive Promotion Exams become accessible, as well as more opportunities to Practice, earn, and spend Training Points on new Abilities for Kiryu to use in combat.

That is everything there is to know about earning Training Points in Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties.

This guide for Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties is all about grinding for money as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Antique Plate Trading

Plates abound in Yakuza, and you can find them in containers or earn them as rewards. There are also the Forbidden Plate and Forbidden Plate Kiwami to be found in the Morning Glory General Store.

Whatever your source, just take your wares over to the Pawn Shop to exchange them for all the yen you could ever spend.

Bounty Hunting

With up to 6-figure sums as rewards, these bounty hunting hit jobs might just be worth your time once you have the skill to undertake them. Difficulty plays a big part with some of the targets, but the cash rewards are commensurate with it.

Despite starting out fairly low in terms of awarded yen, Reapers are also one of the earliest methods to build up wealth in the game, and there are almost three dozen targets to hunt down.

Coliseum Battling

These multiple round fights revolve around completion speed to determine your ranking, and by extension, your payout as well. The faster you emerge victorious the better, but don’t stress out trying to achieve S-rank, as you can plainly see that the multiplier isn’t worth sweating over.

Hell’s Arena

The Dark Ties specific minigame known as Survival Hell is an opportunity to farm large amounts of yen, and does not necessarily have to be seen through to the end in order to keep your winnings.

Improving Mine’s skillset will naturally improve his survivability in this hellscape, and eventually you should be able to power through all the way.

Those are all the best ways to grind for yen as fast as possible in Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties.