For anyone not yet up to speed, music will play a major role in Stranger Than Heaven, right alongside combat and exploration. In fact, in this new adventure from SEGA and RGG Studio, Makoto Daito won't just be a character trying to survive through violence: he'll also have a genuine talent for music, one he can put to use by putting on shows and trying to win over a crowd. SEGA and RGG Studio have just given us a closer look at this side of the game, which runs from writing the songs to prepping the performances, before handing you control of the show itself once you're on stage.
The key thing to know is that this musical dimension will tie directly into exploration. As he wanders the five Japanese cities of Stranger Than Heaven, our hero Makoto Daito can pay attention to the sounds around him and find fresh inspiration in them. Those ideas can then be worked up with Takashi, his composer, to create the tracks that'll be used during the shows. Players can also tweak songs via an arrangement system that changes their mood. The video gives us a concrete example with the song "Love of Our Life", where you can adjust various elements of the track and swap out the instruments used. The same song can therefore sound wildly different depending on your choices, leaving you free to hunt for the arrangement that best suits the audience you're aiming at.
"No money, no friends"
Once the tracks are ready, there's still the performance to prepare. You can start by promoting your shows, slapping posters on walls around the various cities, then pick the musicians who'll join Makoto Daito on stage. Each artist has their own skill level and their own price tag (nobody works for free in this world), which means keeping an eye on the budget. You'll then have to decide whether to put some of the money towards stage effects, which can make the show more spectacular and, in turn, whip the crowd up further. Preparation therefore has a direct bearing on how the performance goes and on how much money it brings in.
Once the show is under way, Makoto Daito takes on the role of producer and you'll have to manage the performance live. A gauge on the left of the screen shows the takings generated by the crowd, while you'll need to trigger effects and handle lighting changes at the right moment to set the mood. Good synchronisation with the music will send the audience's excitement soaring and the takings with it. The trickier sequences demand more precision, though RGG Studio has stressed that this section isn't designed as a fully fledged rhythm game. Once again, the challenge will rest mainly on how well you prepare the show and how you carry out your choices once the performance begins.
Stranger Than Heaven launches on 15 January 2027.
