Stranger Than Heaven follows an outsider’s rise through Japan’s underworld

Sega’s *Stranger Than Heaven* is a grittier, more character-led spin-off in the *Like a Dragon* series, centred on Makoto Daito, a Japanese-American outsider trying to find his place in a changing Japan. Hands-on time with the opening chapters suggests a more serious crime story than the series’ usual mix of earnest drama, humour and eccentric side activities.

The story spans five decades, from Daito’s experiences with racial prejudice in the United States and Japan to his rise through work and crime in Kokura, Osaka and 1960s Shinjuku. Its unusual combat system took time for the writer to get used to, while familiar fights and activities remain. Though standalone, the game is presented as offering background to the wider series and figures such as Kazuma Kiryu and Ichiban Kasuga.