Once in a while, Game Freak is set loose from Nintendo’s Pokémon gulag machine to make something original. Most of the time, their non-Pokémon titles are fairly low-budget and experimental indie games or bizarre attempts at creating a new IP that fail to stick. As cool as Tembo and Giga Wrecker are, gamers quickly overlooked them, which is a shame because they’re solid games that show Game Freak can be more creative than making Pokémon again and again. It always seems like they never had the opportunity to develop their original ideas fully… That is, until now.
Beast of Reincarnation is the kind of game that gets people’s heads turning. Not because it’s an original idea (because it’s not), but because it’s a shocking revelation that shows that there is more to Game Freak than anybody could have expected. Who would have thought they had it in them to tackle a sci-fi action RPG made in Unreal Engine 5, drawing inspiration from Sekiro and Nier: Automata? The real question is, how well did they execute it?
Thousands of years into the future, after humanity’s existence hangs by a thread, Japan lies in ruins under the grip of a mysterious blight. The blight spreads relentlessly across the land, merging with living creatures and transforming them into monstrous Malefacts. These creatures, a mix of flesh and tangled plant growth, spread their poison across what’s left of the Kanto region as survivors huddle in scattered colonies and hidden underground shelters, while the landscape twists and changes without warning, bursting into thick, corrupted forests.
At the centre of this desolate world is Emma, a young woman known as a Sealer. Born with a unique affliction, she can manipulate the plant-like growths that emerge from her body, transforming them into weapons and tools, such as vine pillars or hair tendrils to ensnare her enemies. She travels alongside her unlikely companion Koo, a large, self-aware white Malefact dog, through the ruined and corruption-ridden landscapes of post-apocalyptic Japan. Their mission is to hunt down and absorb the blight from powerful regional guardians known as Nushi, which will help Emma grow stronger. As they journey westward from the eastern regions toward the far west, they are determined to confront and destroy the actual “Beast of Reincarnation”, the source of the plague that transforms living beings and gradually reclaims the world with dangerous overgrown forests.
Beast of Reincarnation‘s story is regretfully anaemic for a long time after the prologue establishes the stakes and characters. After a while, the driving plot falls into the background as it’s easy to get swept up in the exploration and combat. The story picks up in the last third of the game where things start to make a bit more sense and payoffs for the distant set-ups finally come into play. Even after everything has transpired, the narrative is strongly Princess Mononoke-coded in its core conflict: a corrupted, aggressive Mother Nature reclaiming a ruined human world, plus an outcast protagonist who’s both empowered and cursed by that same force. The tone feels distinctly NieR-esque, carrying an undercurrent of existential weight, pondering purpose, memory, emotion, and the cycle of destruction, all layered with the curious detail that there are apparently people living on the Moon.
Maybe Game Freak aren’t the best storytellers out there, but where Beast of Reincarnation makes up for that is with its compelling gameplay. Combat is best described as Sekiro-like swordplay with Final Fantasy VII Remake-style ATB special attacks. Successful parries are the core of the system: they negate damage and build Emma’s Entanglement. Koo always fights alongside Emma automatically but can be directed in slow motion to unleash Bloom Arts: special techniques that deal damage, inflict status effects, bind foes, or support Emma. Since they’re tied to a gauge, they can’t be repeated consecutively and grow more powerful as major bosses are defeated, since Emma absorbs their powers to unlock new abilities for both of them.
Between two skill trees for Emma and Koo, the weapons, hair abilities, and special attacks, there’s no shortage of combat options to build a flexible duo. Relating Koo’s abilities to a JRPG-like menu is a stroke of genius and fosters strategic play, especially since parrying is the most effective means to build up Koo’s ability gauge. The back-and-forth between some of the larger and more formidable foes has a rhythmic, almost zen-like tug-of-war quality. Beast of Reincarnation‘s combat is highly stimulating, boasting satisfying kinesthetic feedback and spectacle while being tactical enough that players won’t get by with button mashing. The only problem with the combat is that there aren’t enough enemy types to support such a big and lengthy game.
While the early game may seem like it’s going to be an open world, it’s actually structured as a series of distinct, medium-sized regions rather than one continuous open world. Progress is divided into 13 story chapters (plus an epilogue), each tied to a specific zone such as the Ogouchi Buffer Zone or the Capital. In each region, Emma and Koo must find and defeat a powerful Nushi, usually through several encounters that help them learn specific patterns before a major boss battle. Between these objectives, players can freely explore mini sandbox-like areas where they can solve light environmental puzzles, discover collectables, upgrade their gear and skills, and create vine bridges or launch themselves upward. There are no traditional side quests; instead, the optional content consists of thorough exploration, elite enemies, and collectables scattered throughout each zone. Players can revisit earlier regions using the world map until late in the game, when they reach a point of no return. Thanks to the New Game Plus feature, there is always an incentive to replay the game and clean up missed secrets.
Beast of Reincarnation not only feels good to play, but it’s pretty good-looking too, considering it’s a Game Freak joint made on Unreal Engine 5. Most games made with this engine tend to all look alike, but Beast of Reincarnation has imaginative designs to make it stand out. There’s a ton of overgrowth and emphasis on nature reclaiming the earth, making the post-apocalypse feel like a wondrous garden with a crisp spring scent. Some areas have a palpable sense of dew in the air, and it always feels like a light rain has just passed. The Malefacts feature surreal, nightmarish designs that emphasise nature’s brutality. Some aspects of the apocalypse may evoke flashbacks of The Last of Us games due to the serene atmosphere, but there’s enough subtle manga-like stylisation that contrasts with the realistic environments, heightening the emotional and atmospheric tension.
During this review’s development, Beast of Reincarnation received several updates that promised to smooth out the experience. Regardless of its initial state, this game now performs much better. During over 20 hours of gameplay, it ran smoothly in performance mode, with stable image quality and an overall optimised feel. It’s still getting updates to iron things out, and while these efforts are appreciated, it would have been best if it were released more polished since the first impression can make or break a game’s image. Anyone who dismissed Beast of Reincarnation should give it a try, especially those who enjoy atmospheric action games with some RPG elements.
