Beast of Reincarnation, an action game developed by Game Freak—the studio known for the Pokémon franchise—is reportedly scheduled to launch on August 4th on PlayStation 5, Xbox, and PC. The game is set in a post-apocalyptic Japan, which one source describes as exactly 2,000 years in the future and another specifies as the year 4026.
The protagonist is a young woman named Emma who has the ability to absorb the powers of fallen mutants or blighted creatures. Emma is accompanied by a large canine companion, referred to as a magical dog in one source and a blighted wolf named Koo in another. She can also use her hair or braid to grow plants and vines, allowing her to build bridges, reach high locations, or raise herself above the ground.
Beast of Reincarnation is reportedly releasing on PlayStation 5, Xbox, and PC.
The game is not a fully open-world title but is instead divided into a series of large locations or open zones. In its lore, humans survived the world's calamity by transferring their consciousness into robotic golems or machines.
Critical reception so far
Early reviews highlight both strengths and weaknesses. The reviewer at Kotaku stated that they encountered finicky controls where healing items would not activate or commands to slow down time would fail. Meanwhile, a reviewer at another outlet said Beast of Reincarnation pushes mystery to a frustrating extreme, leaving them barely understanding what they were doing until at least a dozen hours into the game.
A classic example of a game with strong ambitions and good ideas
That reviewer called the game 'a classic example of a game with strong ambitions and good ideas,' while another outlet described its combat as 'thrilling' (claim:14). Kotaku reviewer also wrote that 'It’s still an exceptionally difficult game' (claim:15).
One reviewer argued the game lacks new ideas and copies other titles, comparing its story to a watered-down Nier: Automata, its boss battles to Monster Hunter and Wild Hearts, and its mobile home base to Death Stranding with a Star Wars AT-ST look. In contrast, a Kotaku reviewer asserted it has enough originality to feel like a fresh spin on the genre, noting its unique mechanical contributions and accessibility within the Soulslike genre.
According to one source, Emma's companion Koo fights autonomously, but players can accumulate points through parries to command him to use elemental abilities, which temporarily slows down time. This mechanic is one of the elements that some critics see as a fresh take, even as others focus on the game's derivative aspects.
