Stranger Than Heaven isn't just inspired by Yakuza, but an official prequel

If you're a frequent reader of the site, you may have noticed my prior posts on Stranger Than Heaven, a brand-new, next-generation game from Ryu ga Gotoku Studio, best known for their Yakuza series of intricately detailed brawlers. I've already gushed about how unrelentingly cool it looks. Its era-spanning story and flashy, reactive combat look to be lightyears above anything the Yakuza series has done…

…But according to a recent in-depth presentation, it's actually been part of the Yakuza series all along. Oops! Move over, Yakuza 0, Yakuza Minus One has apparently arrived. Although you don't need any prior series knowledge to enjoy the game, Stranger Than Heaven will focus on the foundation of the Tojo Clan, the yakuza organization eventual series protagonist Kazuma Kiryu will spend his life in a love-hate relationship with.

RGG truly can't escape the shadow of their flagship series, but when Stranger Than Heaven — a historical epic spanning five decades and five iconic cities of of 20th-century Japan — looks this damn good, I can't really bring myself to care.

Oh, and Snoop Dogg will be playing a major character. How could I possibly say no?