Stranger Than Heaven, the upcoming street-brawler from the makers of Yakuza and Like a Dragon, will feature optional in-game assists to make its challenging new combat system more approachable, developer RGG Studio has confirmed to IGN in an interview conducted at Gamescom Asia x Thailand Game Show 2026 this week.

In IGN’s most recent hands-on with the game, my colleague Michael Higham described Stranger Than Heaven’s parry-based combat system as “demanding”, adding that “you really have to pay attention to attack animations not just for timing, but to make the correct call on the direction it's coming from.” This initially seemed like it could prove to be divisive among fans of the comparatively carefree button-mashing combo systems found in RRG Studios’ previous adventures like Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii and Lost Judgment, but it turns out that Stranger Than Heaven’s more complex combat system will only be as difficult as players want it to be.

“We knew mechanics like parrying would be challenging, but based on feedback from players who tried the hands-on demos at various game shows, like [Gamescom Asia], we’ve fine-tuned details like difficulty balance and control responsiveness,” said Hiroyuki Sakamoto, producer of Stranger Than Heaven. "We've also included difficulty settings and provided plenty of support features, such as cheat items that increase health regeneration. We believe that if we offer enough support for action-game beginners, it will give them the chance to play through to the very end.”

Sakamoto insisted that with some perseverance from players and the inclusion of a lengthy tutorial phase in the early stages of the game to help them, he hoped that most players will eventually start to enjoy the new mechanics.

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