Featured Image Credit: SEGA
Over the past few years, our admiration for Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has grown more and more, so we really wanted to be excited for its newest game, Stranger Than Heaven.
After a hands-on preview at Summer Game Fest, there’s no doubt that Stranger Than Heaven is an impressive game, so it’s a shame to see it bogged down by borderline disrespectful casting choices.
Summer Game Fest viewers will have no doubt seen the latest trailer for Stranger Than Heaven’s most controversial inclusion.
Joining Snoop Dogg, who is already confirmed to be in the game, will be the infamous and deceased rapper Tupac Shakur.
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It’s caused outrage online and for good reason, as while fans have been assured Tupac’s estate signed off on the late rapper’s inclusion, when you dig into who actually owns that estate, you’ll quickly find it’s not actually his family.
Now, there’s nothing inherently wrong with cameos, but in the case of Stranger Than Heaven, Snoop Dogg and Tupac’s roles just feel weird.
What’s even weirder is that Takaya Kuroda will star in the game as well. Kuroda is the voice behind Kazuma Kiryu in the Yakuza series but Stranger Than Heaven will mark the first time Kuroda’s face will be used in the game as well.
To see a legend like Kuroda shoved out of the spotlight for what can only be perceived as clout-chasing is tough to see, and it’s a real shame because what we actually played of Stranger Than Heaven at SGF was really good.
Stranger Than Heaven boasts some of the best combat we’ve seen in a game.
The aim was to give players total control over their fighting style. Rather than button-mashing the attack button like you would in a Yakuza game, your lefts and rights are tied to the left and right bumpers/triggers. This essentially allows you to create your own combos and when you start mixing in dodges, parries, grabs, and the weaponry, each encounter feels unique.
Our demo consisted of three distinct combat encounters. The first was with a basic gang of thugs, the second was a slightly tougher gang of thugs backed up by a towering brute, and finally a mini-boss with a powerful sword-wielding adversary.
Like a fight in real life, speed and timing were everything, so when our aggressive onslaught started to falter as we ran out of stamina, the counterattack from our opponent felt deserved.
At the same time, executing a perfect parry, tackling the enemy to the floor and pummelling them into submission felt earned and really good to pull off.
All three encounters were set in one of five time settings, too. Each one felt like a different game in its own right and while there wasn't an opportunity to explore, we can't wait to wander the streets in the full release.
Stranger Than Heaven feels like such an anomaly at the time of writing. Our preview at Summer Game Fest was immensely enjoyable but it was somewhat ruined by the knowledge of Tupac’s frankly distasteful inclusion.
It wouldn’t be the first time RGG Studios has come under fire for its casting choices, either, unfortunately.
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