Game Freak is no stranger to hype, and even less so when it comes to falling short of expectations. When you’re presented with the ruined world of Beast of Reincarnation, its latest and arguably most expensive third-party effort yet, there are fears that it all buckles under the massive regions, involved combat, and weighty themes. As intriguing as all of this appeared in the marketing leading up to launch, it’s all in the execution.
I won’t claim this is a ground-breaking title in the action RPG or action-adventure genre. But even with the faint similarities with Nier’s mood, the parry-heavy combat of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and the command-based tactics and elemental exploitation that wouldn’t be out of place in a Pokémon game, Beast of Reincarnation is the perfect example of meeting expectations. Perhaps even surpassing a few in my book, though it’s not without some stumbles for sure.
"Nevertheless, even before the plot begins to pick up – and maintains a refreshingly tight pace, even with the game’s overall length – Beast of Reincarnation’s atmosphere immediately pulls you in."
Set in 4026, nature has overrun civilization in Japan, and everything is in ruins with survivors struggling against the Blight. You control Emma, a Purifier tasked by the Capital with slaying the titular Beast. But unlike the others, she’s on a journey to slay the Nushi first, absorbing their strains to make her more formidable against the Beast. She’s joined by Brad, who pilots the Cleanse Walker that travels from region to region, and Kagura, a survivor from a previous colony. Then there’s Violet, who’s always been around and only Emma can see. Will she probably, most likely become important later? That’s for you to find out.
It’s a lot to take in, especially with how Game Freak starts in media res before going back to where it all truly begins in Ogouchi. Occasionally, you’ll play through flashbacks which show how Emma met Koo, her curious Malefact companion, and how she began traveling with Brad and Kagura. These sections feel a little awkward, because even if they’re glorified tutorials, you already received instruction at the start and had more than enough time to learn the mechanics in the first region.
Nevertheless, even before the plot begins to pick up – and maintains a refreshingly tight pace, even with the game’s overall length – Beast of Reincarnation’s atmosphere immediately pulls you in. The first zone’s countryside and rice fields feel wonderfully authentic, despite the wreckage of walkers and manic Golems running around. It also presents an extensive range of verticality, whether you’re pursuing weapons or unearthing sub-cities. The sense of exploration comes across as seamless as well. Maybe Koo will alert you to nearby valuables that goes towards increasing your max Stim Packs, or to a strongbox, and suddenly, you’re happening upon an enemy camp and asking a Keeper Golem where you find some sweet seedlings.
Each region feels aesthetically unique. While Ogouchi is more of a traditional Japanese countryside, the massive valley between Kanto’s walls, leading into an intricate underground network with waterfalls and wreckage, is a spectacle in its own right. I felt compelled at nearly every single turn to see what awaited next, and for much of my opening hours, Beast of Reincarnation didn’t disappoint.
"I’m not expecting triple-A cinematics from Game Freak, but the lack of movement, the odd cuts and even reused animations in specific circumstances stick out."
While later regions still feed into this addictive loop, ensuring that every Charm, vegetable and recipe book feels worthwhile, they pare things back a tad in favor of more unique layouts. One such section focuses more on platforming, navigating broken pipes and cliffsides while avoiding death from turrets. Of course, the focus narrows further in the last few chapters, and even if it’s for the sake of the narrative, they make the first few regions shine all the more in comparison when it comes to freeform exploration.
Regardless, it’s still great to run around in these environments, taking in the sights and sounds, even if you occasionally get caught in them. Game Freak foresaw Emma floating, caught on something or the other, and thus resets your position nearby if you can’t escape, which is nice. It would be nicer if it didn’t happen so often, but at least it doesn’t happen a lot in combat.
Throughout all of this, you’re slowly learning about Emma – a Blight-stained who’s shunned by most of humanity and considered emotionless. And yet, the slow process by which she starts to learn about things like love, happiness, and even joking around can be quite endearing. Now, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the dialogue is always on point, especially in English. For those conversations between Emma and Brad, where she turns things around on him, can be humorous, and there’s a nice balance between cute and awkward when she interacts with Koo. The writing does a good job overall of building intrigue while slowly unraveling information about the world, the Nushi, the Capital, and the mysterious Beast at the heart of it all.
But there are other times where Emma’s conversations with Kagura can feel one-note, and the chemistry compared to everyone else (especially Violet) just feels lacking at times. Of course, the same goes for the facial animations and cutscene direction. I’m not expecting triple-A cinematics from Game Freak, but the lack of movement, the odd cuts and even reused animations in specific circumstances stick out. There’s also one scene where Emma uses her hair to retrieve her sword, and I can’t describe it as anything less than low-budget. That was thankfully the only really egregious example, but the lackluster facial animations remain prevalent throughout conversations, bringing them down ever-so slightly.
"Combat is the core appeal, and arguably what will endear Beast of Reincarnation to most players. You’ve already seen how the parrying and Bloom Arts work, and I can confirm that they feel very good."
A note on the English voice-acting: It’s not bad, but the Japanese voice-acting is far superior. Still, at least Game Freak has an eye for the little things, whether it’s the attention to detail in environments – especially hidden items which suddenly make a lot more sense within the context of the plot – or Koo’s gaze following Emma as she walks around.
Combat is the core appeal, and arguably what will endear Beast of Reincarnation to most players. You’ve already seen how the parrying and Bloom Arts work, and I can confirm that they feel very good. The satisfying clash of blades on a successful parry contrasts well with a simple block, and empowering a sword to unleash poisoned lightning or flaming projectiles is great. I was also surprised at how fun ranged combat could be. Sure, the bow is more for long-range damage rather than the heat of combat, but watch the crossbow’s bolts, buzzing around like Yondu’s Yaka Arrow between multiple enemies, and tell me that isn’t satisfying. Gaining Nushi Skills and intertwining them in the usual hack and slash combos, or finding ways to exploit grapple points generated in combat, be it to slam down with authority or fire off some shots in mid-air, is also extremely satisfying.
Even if the weapon upgrading and build-crafting can feel simplistic at first, there’s some fun synergies to be had, and a use for almost every single skill when combined with the different Spirit Stones – which confer unique passives to Emma – and mods for Koo’s Bloom Arts. And even if you’re not a fan of parrying and how closely it’s tied to building Fluorescene Points to use Koo’s abilities, there are plenty of other avenues that accentuate these systems without feeling gimmicky or tacked on.
I do wish there was more enemy variety though, especially towards the latter half of the game. Instead of presenting new threats, Game Freak puts a few spins on old ones, like invisibility or those annoying archers who won’t flinch from attacks and fire three times in a row. Your mileage will vary on how effective those are. The same philosophy affects many of the boss fights as well, though at least they’re each unique. One Nushi, for example, loved to run away, pelting you from afar as a fadeaway tactic, so it became an exercise in anticipation and knowing when to slow everything down and initiate Overdrive to lay on the hurt.
"Even amid all its hurdles and speed bumps, it’s both a road trip to remember and one that doesn’t overstay its welcome."
The lowest point, as is often the case in many hack and slash titles, is the camera. At best, it will occasionally clip through a Nushi’s head, thus making things awkward, especially in the middle of an Overdrive (and you can’t target any other body part). At worst in confined spaces, it’s difficult to anticipate some attacks while the constant back-and-forth swinging of the camera becomes headache-inducing. Again, not enough to be a deal-breaker during about 70 percent of battles but difficult to ignore in that remaining 30 percent.
On base PS5, you can expect a solid 60 FPS in Performance Mode for the most part. In the areas with water, lighting, shadows, and whatnot, things start to noticeably falter. Foliage pop-in is also common, and the level of detail over long distances suffers. I know, it’s all for the sake of maintaining performance, but it dulls the otherwise superb art direction.
While I wouldn’t put Beast of Reincarnation at the top of my recommendations for 2026, it’s still a pretty good action-adventure title, and easily one of Game Freak’s best titles yet. Even amid all its hurdles and speed bumps, it’s both a road trip to remember and one that doesn’t overstay its welcome.
This game was reviewed on PS5.
The feel of a road trip through Japan is backed by great art direction and an immersive atmosphere. Tight pacing and some genuinely endearing moments between characters. Strong combat which offers multiple different tactics to weave in. Getting lost in the first few regions is a blast, and exploration always feels rewarding.
Performance on base PS5 is solid most times but is prone to frame drops in busier places (to say nothing of the image quality over distances). Some conversations, especially with Kagura, feel one-note and uninteresting. Cutscenes and conversations can feel low budget at times. Late-game stages cut back on the exploration heavily and feel a little too straightforward. The camera in tighter spaces, especially against Nushi, can be nauseating.
