Beast of Reincarnation Reviews
Beast of Reincarnation has a lot going for it with its distinct game world, clever traversal abilities, and challenging combat that'll thoroughly test your ability to parry. With all of that in mind, I can't help but wonder... will we get a Koo plushie? 🐕
Beast of Reincarnation manages to hook us right from the start, but unfortunately slows down as the game progresses. By way of comparison, this could have been an excellent game condensed into 10 to 12 hours, but instead we’re left with a lukewarm mess that’s been stretched out too thin over 20 to 25 hours. I’m not sure if Game Freak’s mandate required a specific playtime, but the unbelievably slow cutscenes, combined with empty environments, unfortunately remind me of a certain game… Biomutant. And that’s not a compliment. That title was full of promise but delivered in a hollow, flavorless environment—a situation that, unfortunately, echoes Beast of Reincarnation.
Review in French | Read full review
Beast of Reincarnation boasts enormous potential, a wonderful atmosphere and a breathtaking soundtrack. The developers at Game Freak have delivered a satisfying combat system and a brilliant canine companion; unfortunately, however, the result is brought to its knees by the relentless recycling of bosses, a hollow world and a disjointed narrative pace. All in all, it’s a slightly above-average yet enjoyable twenty-hour light-hearted game that will still find its audience.
Review in Czech | Read full review
Beast of Reincarnation is most compelling not because it reinvents the action RPG, but because of what it represents for Game Freak. For a studio so closely identified with Pokémon, stepping into a darker, more mature and mechanically demanding world is a meaningful creative departure in itself. The game does not always match the ambition of its ideas, but it consistently reveals a studio willing to experiment, to question the boundaries of its established identity and discover what might exist beyond them. At the heart of that experiment are Emma and Koo, whose relationship remains the game’s defining achievement. Game Freak could easily have treated Koo as a conventional companion, but instead makes him inseparable from both the emotional and mechanical structure of the adventure. The player does not simply watch their bond develop; they learn to depend on it. Emma’s attacks, Koo’s abilities, defensive options and opportunities for coordination gradually become part of a shared combat language, giving their relationship a tangible presence that few narrative partnerships manage to achieve. That philosophy carries directly into the combat system, which is at its strongest when it asks the player to understand rather than simply overpower. Timing, positioning, parries, evasive manoeuvres and Koo’s abilities all contribute to a rhythm that becomes increasingly satisfying as its rules reveal themselves. The Nushi encounters are the clearest expression of this design. These bosses are not simply larger enemies with more health; their behaviour, attack patterns and visual cues demand observation and adaptation. The most satisfying victories therefore come not from numerical superiority, but from understanding how an encounter works. Progression complements that approach without overwhelming it. New abilities, equipment and powers acquired through major encounters provide a clear sense of growth, while the ability to shape Emma’s build gives the player room to experiment with different approaches. The system is not particularly revolutionary, but it serves the combat well, ensuring that progression feels connected to the challenges the player is overcoming rather than existing merely as an external reward structure. The same confidence can be found in the game’s visual identity. Japan in 4026 is one of Beast of Reincarnation’s most convincing ideas because Game Freak understands that a post-apocalyptic world does not have to be defined by destruction alone. Here, civilisation has been gradually absorbed by the world that followed it. Trees split apart abandoned structures. Vegetation overwhelms infrastructure. Waterways reclaim spaces once controlled by humanity. Technology remains scattered throughout the landscape, but increasingly resembles the archaeological remains of a vanished age. This relationship between decay and renewal gives the setting a personality of its own. Some of the game’s most memorable images emerge not from its largest set pieces, but from quieter moments in which Emma and Koo move through landscapes where human architecture and natural growth have become almost impossible to separate. The world often feels as though it has continued living after humanity stopped being its dominant force. The irony is that the strength of this world also highlights one of the game’s greatest limitations. Beast of Reincarnation frequently creates the impression of an environment that should invite deeper exploration than its level design ultimately allows. The landscapes suggest hidden histories and possibilities, yet the structure remains relatively controlled, with exploration generally serving the forward momentum of the campaign rather than challenging it. There are optional discoveries and resources, but rarely the kind of systemic freedom that makes a world feel genuinely unpredictable. The narrative follows much the same pattern. Its strongest material is found in the personal journey of Emma, particularly in the relationship between memory, identity and loneliness. Her inability to fully understand her own past gives the story a natural reason to investigate the world alongside the player, while Koo provides an emotional constant as she gradually learns how to connect with others. These ideas give the narrative genuine weight, even when some of its broader developments fall back on more familiar science-fiction and JRPG conventions. For all its narrative ambitions, Beast of Reincarnation is therefore most effective when it remains intimate. Emma and Koo are more compelling than the mythology surrounding them, and their relationship often communicates more than the larger exposition ever could. The game has plenty of interesting ideas about humanity, technology, memory and the natural world, but it is the emotional simplicity of two characters learning to rely on one another that gives those ideas their strongest foundation. The soundscape reinforces that intimacy. Environmental audio gives the reclaimed wilderness an almost constant presence, while subtle details – from insects and vegetation to distant wildlife – make the world feel active even when nothing is happening on screen. Combat sounds provide equally important feedback, helping the player read impacts, parries and successful actions, while the vocal-driven soundtrack gives key moments a distinctly emotional character. Audio rarely feels like decoration; at its best, it becomes another way of communicating what Emma cannot always express herself. There are, however, moments when the experience loses that sense of cohesion. The pacing occasionally becomes uneven, with narrative interruptions breaking the momentum established by exploration and combat. Some secondary activities feel noticeably less developed than the game’s central encounters, while the RPG systems provide meaningful progression without offering the depth that more systems-focused players may expect. Technically, the move to Unreal Engine 5 demonstrates the scale of Game Freak’s ambitions, but it also reveals an uneven level of refinement across environments, animations and secondary details. These shortcomings ultimately prevent Beast of Reincarnation from reaching the level of greatness its strongest moments occasionally suggest. Yet they do not diminish the importance of what Game Freak has attempted. In fact, the contrast is revealing: whenever the studio embraces its new ideas, the game becomes considerably more distinctive; whenever it falls back on familiar structures, that individuality becomes less pronounced. That is ultimately why Beast of Reincarnation works best as a statement of intent. It is neither a flawless action RPG nor a genre-defining reinvention, and judging it by either standard would miss what makes it interesting. What Game Freak has created instead is something more valuable at this particular stage: a clear indication of where the studio might want to go next, and of what becomes possible when it steps beyond the enormous shadow of Pokémon. Beast of Reincarnation may leave some of its potential unrealised, but what it does accomplish is difficult to dismiss: it proves that Game Freak’s creative identity extends far beyond the world that made its name.
Beast of Reincarnation is difficult to pin down, as it almost mathematically alternates between perfectly executed aspects and others that are hard to stomach.
Review in Italian | Read full review
In a game stuffed with plants that are equal parts beautiful and deadly, it’s fitting how every rose in Beast of Reincarnation has its thorn. Said rose petals still have their charm some of time, but their qualities would be much more apparent after a fair bit of pruning.
Beast of Reincarnation is an uneven attempt from Game Freak at a new IP. A solid combat system with a unique visual setting had real potential, but it is suffocated by a number of rough edges, from repetitive enemy design and a confusing sidekick to a bloated story and an absent quality of life that makes it a struggle to enjoy.
As a full package, Beast of Reincarnation is…fine. It’s not a bad game, but it certainly won’t be up there for games I’ll remember as some big blowout hit.
How much is it fair to evaluate a title for what it could have been? How much for what it isn't? I asked you this at the beginning of the review, and I hope you've reached this point with your answer. Beast of Reincarnation is an imperfect game, a work that I would consider more justified as the first release from an inexperienced and fledgling development studio... but Game Freak is not. Aside from the combat system, which is satisfying despite the obvious lack of impact from its elemental or statistical variables, Beast of Reincarnation offers a well-crafted narrative that's too diluted in its development, characters that are far too watered down, and a length that I feel compelled to call outrageous. It's a title with profound problems in pacing and content distribution, but if I have to punish Game Freak for not being a fledgling studio, at least on paper, I have to give them the same chance I would give others. I hope Beast of Reincarnation is a springboard for something more, perhaps a sequel that's better creatively directed, more concise, and more essential in its offering, without, however, neglecting an impactful narrative and a pacing that keeps you glued to the screen for the entire duration—shortcomings that Beast of Reincarnation unfortunately displays without particular restraint. In short, it's a decent game for now, but there's room for a better sequel, or at least a lesson that, fortunately, isn't a "go back to making Pokémon games," but rather a warning to leave behind the limitations of that franchise.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Beast of Reincarnation shines through its dynamic combat, striking art direction, and innovative transformation system. Beyond its demanding difficulty, the game weaves a mysterious narrative that invites players to uncover its secrets step by step. The combination of atmospheric design and mechanical depth makes it a standout experience for those seeking a darker, more challenging journey in the action-RPG genre.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Beast of Reincarnation presents a main plot centered on averting the end of the world. Yet it immerses us in the intimate story of a protagonist seeking her path alongside allies she never expected to meet. With engaging, fun combat, solid visuals, spectacular art direction and voice acting, and enjoyable exploration, the game doesn't revolutionize the genre or execute any single element with sheer brilliance, but honestly, that’s perfectly fine, as not every game needs to reinvent the wheel. Sometimes, a well-executed, reliable experience is all we need.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Beast of Reincarnation is a game which deserved better. This is not a case of laziness and labeling it as such would be bush league. This is a game with wonderful ideas and heart but it was rushed out with a lack of polish or time to expand upon those ideas. GameFreak intends to patch Beast of Reincarnation, but some of these issues aren’t fixable in a mere patch or two.
Beast of Reincarnation is an ambitious action RPG that blends a heartfelt coming-of-age story with satisfying parry-driven combat, memorable audio design, and rewarding exploration.
Beast of Reincarnation blends Sekiro-style parries, Clair Obscure-inspired action inputs, and weighty Soulslike boss fights into a combat system that feels fun and rewarding. It doesn't quite surpass the games that inspired it, but it carves out an identity that's very much a beast of its own.
Unfortunately, Beast of Reincarnation is a complete failure for Game Freak. Graphics straight out of the last decade, unresponsive controls, bugs, and performance issues are just a few of the elements that work against this game. I’m incredibly sad about this, because the game had enormous potential before its release, which was completely destroyed when we received the final product.
Review in Polish | Read full review
“Beast of Reincarnation has some good ideas, but it keeps spinning them until there’s no life left. The fun combat, original movement and Koo carry the experience as much as they can, yet the recycling and repetitiveness dull this beast’s fangs far too early.
Review in Unknown | Read full review
Beast of Reincarnation falters in its storytelling, but shines with its creative exploration and fun mix of action and strategic combat.
Beast of Reincarnation is a massive risk for Game Freak, and while it misses the mark in a few areas, mainly with its plot and the occasional technical hiccup, the combat is simply that good. It’s the kind of combat system that kept me coming back, and ultimately makes the game worth the price of admission. So, I’d say the risk paid off.
While the parrying mechanics and cooperative action with <Ku> are solid enough, the game becomes tedious as it fails to effectively convey its narrative, including its compelling worldview and the characters´ emotional arcs. Combined with monotonous boss battles, uninspired field design, and awkward camera angles, it ultimately feels like a title that still lacks the necessary know-how for crafting an action RPG.
Review in Korean | Read full review
Beast of Reincarnation is a bold step outside Game Freak’s comfort zone, and much of what works here showcases a genuinely talented studio trying something new. The problem is that the experience as a whole is held back by decisions that undermine its potential: a narrative that takes too long to get going, an excessive reliance on recycled bosses, repetitive environments, and PC optimization that still needs some work. It’s a game with genuine moments of brilliance, but they’re surrounded by quite a bit of padding, repetition, and a constant sense of “almost there.” It’s worth checking out for fans of the genre who are willing to overlook some missteps, but it falls well short of being the definitive leap Game Freak may have been looking for beyond Pokémon.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review