Beast of Reincarnation: Game Freak finally proves what it can do with a real budget and real ambition

Let us say it plainly, with a smile: when we learned Game Freak was releasing a new RPG, we first crossed our fingers hoping it would put more budget and care into it than the recent Pokémon games. Those titles sold in the millions but lagged technically, and left us wanting too often. So what a surprise, and what a pleasure, to discover that Beast of Reincarnation is exactly the ambitious game we no longer dared to expect from the studio. Game Freak had this under the hood after all.

The context

Beast of Reincarnation is a brand-new creation from Game Freak, available on PC via Steam, Xbox Series and PS5, with a day-one presence in Xbox Game Pass, priced at sixty euros. It is an action RPG that owns an original fusion between real-time and turn-based combat, around a one-human, one-dog concept. The story unfolds in a Japan of the year 4026, ravaged by corruption, and follows Emma the Sealer and her dog Koo in a merciless post-apocalyptic world. For a studio mostly known for its golden goose, it is a bold creative gamble, and it pays off.

The gameplay

The heart of the game is its clever fusion between real-time action and turn-based combat, which gives the fights a particular flavour. You do not just hammer the attack button: the game borrows from soulslike codes, with demanding enemies, large bosses and combat that requires thought, positioning and reading patterns. That demand gives weight to every fight and rewards mastery over haste, exactly what you expect from an action RPG worthy of the name. The turn-based layer adds a welcome tactical dimension that sets Beast of Reincarnation apart from the mass of action games.

The duo formed by Emma and her dog Koo is the game's real signature, and it works beyond a gimmick. The one-human, one-dog concept runs through the whole gameplay: the canine companion is not a mere sidekick but a genuine tactical pillar, who takes part in combat and exploration, and whose relationship with Emma feeds the adventure emotionally as much as mechanically. That complicity between the two characters is the glue that gives the whole its personality and its heart, in an otherwise dark and hostile world.

The post-apocalyptic world of this Japan of the year 4026 is the other big success. This land ruined by corruption offers a setting both oppressive and fascinating, rich with a strong visual and thematic identity that radically breaks from the colourful imagery Game Freak had accustomed us to. You sense a studio that had fun, that dared a mature, personal direction, and that clearly had the means to match its ambitions. It is precisely that extra care and budget, which we feared not finding, that makes all the difference.

The game is not free of reservations, and honesty demands pointing them out. Some rough edges betray that Game Freak does not yet have absolute mastery of big action productions, with irregularities of pacing or finish here and there, and the soulslike demand, while it will delight fans, may put off players who came for a more accessible adventure. But these are trifles against the essential: the studio delivers a genuinely ambitious, finished and personal game, which was far from guaranteed.

The tech

Technically, Beast of Reincarnation marks a clear step forward for Game Freak, and that is perhaps where the surprise is greatest. The art direction of this post-apocalyptic Japan is superb and coherent, the world is dense and careful, and the whole shows a level of finish far above what we feared given the studio's recent productions. It is visibly a game that benefited from the budget and time needed to exist up to its concept.

The technical reservations exist but stay secondary. You note a few irregularities that recall the studio is still learning the codes of big action productions, without ever falling into the technical pitfalls that dragged down some Pokémon games. The day-one presence in Game Pass is a major asset for discovering the game, and the whole runs well enough to serve its ambition without betraying it. For a first stretch of this kind, it is serious, convincing work.

The verdict

Beast of Reincarnation is an excellent surprise, and a fine demonstration: yes, Game Freak can do something other than Pokémon, and it can do it well when given the means. Its original fusion between real-time and turn-based combat, its endearing duo of Emma and her dog Koo, and its superb post-apocalyptic world make it an ambitious, personal and finished action RPG, served by a polish that finally sweeps away our fears. For fans of demanding RPGs, it is a success worth the detour, all the more accessible through Game Pass.

Its limits, a few finish rough edges and a soulslike demand that will not suit everyone, are the price of a studio venturing outside its comfort zone, and they do not weigh heavily against what the game achieves. We hoped for a budget and an ambition to match, and we were heard. Beast of Reincarnation proves Game Freak had far more to offer than we thought, and we cannot wait to see what comes next.

The game that proves Game Freak can aim high when given the means: ambitious, personal and finally polished.

Score: 8/10

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Reviewed on the PC version.