Stranger Than Heaven Has Players Creating Compositions, Scouting Talent, and Organizing Performances

Till now, Stranger Than Heaven’s gameplay loop has involved a lot of walking around, smacking fools, and partaking in minigames. But in keeping with the evolution of entertainment in Japan, one of its core systems actually revolves around being a showman.

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.