STRANGER THAN HEAVEN Act 2 trailer: the story explained

RGG Studio’s STRANGER THAN HEAVEN lands on January 15, 2027, and the Act 2 story trailer finally shows what the game is about. Here is the story so far, scene by scene, without the guesswork. The full game spans 50 years and five cities; this trailer covers the 1929 Kure chapter.

Kure, 1929

The game leaves modern Tokyo behind for Kure, a navy port city in Hiroshima, in 1929. Narrow alleys, gambling dens and a city run from one house: the home of yakuza boss Genzo Iwaki, the self-styled “Emperor of Kure”, who carries the likeness of Japanese film legend Bunta Sugawara.

The outsider with a gun

The trailer opens with Makoto Daito (played by Yu Shirota), a young man forcing his way into Iwaki’s house, pistol drawn, shouting for the boss. He is an outsider in every sense, and the men around Iwaki treat him like one. Facing the boss, he says: “If you’re gonna kill me… just do it.”

Iwaki doesn’t. He sees something useful in a man with nothing to lose, and he takes him in.

From hired muscle to Iwaki’s Red Oni

The middle of the trailer is his rise: collecting debts, watching over gambling houses, and winning street fights until people start calling him Iwaki’s “Red Oni”, a demon on the boss’s leash.

“This is Mako!”

Then the job changes. The trailer hints at undercover work, and his nickname, Mako, starts to carry weight. Loyalty to the boss, his own ambition and the younger men who call him “Aniki” (big brother) start pulling in different directions.

“It feels a lot colder this year”

The trailer closes on a snowy street and a line that sounds like a warning. Whatever the mission is, it will not end cleanly.

Release date and platforms

• Release: January 15, 2027
• Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Cloud, PC, PlayStation 5 and Steam
• Developer: RGG Studio. Publisher: SEGA

This breakdown is based on the official Act 2 story trailer. Names and details can change before launch.