Beast of Reincarnation is a fascinating game to assess because it feels like Game Freak deliberately stepped outside its comfort zone and then discovered just how difficult that can be. Set in a post-apocalyptic Japan in the distant future, the game follows Emma, a young Sealer afflicted by the Blight, and Koo, a similarly affected dog-like companion, as they travel through a world where nature, technology and humanity have become increasingly difficult to separate. The premise is hardly unfamiliar, drawing obvious inspiration from the likes of NieR and other post-apocalyptic adventures, but the relationship between Emma and Koo gives it a surprisingly strong emotional foundation. Emma’s reserved nature makes her difficult to connect with initially, yet her bond with Koo develops through small interactions rather than endless exposition, making their companionship feel considerably more genuine than the typical videogame sidekick relationship. The surrounding story takes its time revealing the history of this world and its characters, and while some of its ideas are clearly borrowed from familiar territory, there is enough mystery, philosophical subtext and well-timed revelation to keep the journey interesting.
That narrative focus is important because Beast of Reincarnation’s world itself is something of a mixed bag. The landscapes combine ruined civilisation, aggressive vegetation and remnants of advanced technology into some genuinely striking scenery, with the changing relationship between nature and humanity forming a strong visual identity. The way Emma’s abilities interact with the environment is particularly effective, as branches and vines can be used to traverse vertical spaces, reach distant platforms or occasionally gain a tactical advantage in combat. There are also moments when the environment changes as vegetation suddenly grows, which gives the otherwise carefully constructed maps a welcome sense of unpredictability. At the same time, the actual level design does not always live up to the promise of these vistas. Some areas feel like relatively narrow routes dressed up as expansive spaces, while invisible walls and other restrictions can make the supposedly free-form traversal feel more artificial than it initially appears. Exploration is nevertheless worthwhile, particularly when taking the time to investigate paths away from the obvious route, although the overall structure remains considerably more linear than the presentation might suggest.
Combat is where Beast of Reincarnation makes its strongest case for itself. The foundation is unmistakably influenced by Sekiro, with well-timed parries at the heart of the experience, but Game Freak adds an important twist by linking Emma’s defensive precision directly to Koo’s offensive capabilities. Successful parries generate the resources needed to activate Koo’s special abilities, creating a satisfying relationship between what Emma does and what her companion can subsequently do. Koo operates independently for much of a fight, but the player can interrupt the action to select one of his abilities from a menu while time slows almost to a halt. Those abilities can inflict elemental effects, create openings, control groups of enemies or provide additional tactical options, making Koo feel like a genuine extension of Emma’s moveset rather than an AI-controlled accessory. Emma’s own skill tree, katana modifiers, ranged weapons and equipment add further layers, although much of this progression is less transformative than the number of systems might suggest. In practice, parrying and counterattacking remain remarkably effective throughout the adventure, which means the deeper RPG mechanics are useful additions rather than essential foundations.
That simplicity is not necessarily a problem, because the combat generally succeeds through how its components work together rather than through originality. There is a pleasing rhythm to reading an enemy, deflecting an attack, building Koo’s ability gauge and then deciding how best to exploit the resulting opening. The game also gives players enough additional tools to deal with more difficult encounters, including ranged attacks, status effects, different katana properties and Koo’s growing collection of abilities. On higher difficulties, making proper use of those options becomes considerably more important, particularly against the larger Nushi bosses. Unfortunately, the otherwise solid combat system is undermined by some technical and presentation problems. Camera behaviour can become troublesome when fighting large enemies or when Emma is pushed against environmental geometry, while inconsistent animations and occasional collision issues make certain encounters feel less polished than they should. The controls are an even more serious concern, with delayed or ignored inputs proving especially frustrating when attempting a parry, dodge or heal. The combat can still feel responsive and satisfying much of the time, but these lapses are particularly noticeable in a game where timing is supposed to be everything.
The game’s structure works better than its open-world presentation might suggest. Rather than offering one enormous uninterrupted map, Beast of Reincarnation divides its adventure into several distinct areas, with some providing more freedom to explore and others concentrating on combat and progression. Returning to the travelling base is an important part of the rhythm, allowing Emma and Koo to recover, process resources and strengthen their equipment and relationships. Cooking, cultivation and the quieter interactions with the other members of the group are not especially deep systems, but they provide useful breathing room between battles and help establish the sense that Emma and Koo are actually travelling together rather than simply moving from boss fight to boss fight. The problem is that the broader adventure can become predictable. The combination of exploration, smaller encounters, narrative downtime and Nushi battles eventually settles into a familiar rhythm, while enemy variety and some boss encounters do not always develop quickly enough to keep that structure feeling fresh for the entire campaign. A roughly thirty-hour main journey is therefore substantial without becoming excessively long, although players who explore thoroughly or pursue additional content can spend considerably more time with it.
Visually, Beast of Reincarnation is at its best when judged as an artistic achievement rather than a technical one. The post-apocalyptic landscapes can be beautiful, particularly when the game’s vegetation, ruins and remnants of technology are combined in the same composition. There is a clear thematic connection between the natural and artificial elements of the setting, and the direction frequently produces memorable images even when the underlying technology cannot quite keep up. The PS5 version offers performance and quality modes, and the performance option is the sensible choice given how important responsiveness is to the combat. However, the technical presentation can be inconsistent, with frame-rate instability, dynamic-resolution drops, texture loading and occasional lighting oddities undermining otherwise impressive scenery. Beast of Reincarnation sometimes looks like a considerably more expensive game than it actually feels under the surface, with animation quality and environmental restrictions occasionally exposing its limitations.
The audio presentation is considerably more consistent. Keiichi Okabe’s involvement is immediately apparent in the melancholic musical style, and the soundtrack does an excellent job of giving the ruined world an emotional identity of its own. It is one of the areas where the game’s inspiration from NieR is particularly obvious, but that influence works in its favor because the music complements rather than overwhelms the atmosphere. The Japanese voice performances are also strong, even if some of the quieter character scenes suffer from stiff facial animation and limited physical expression. That contrast is representative of Beast of Reincarnation as a whole: there is often something genuinely impressive at the conceptual or artistic level, followed by an implementation that feels one or two steps behind.
Beast of Reincarnation ultimately falls into an awkward but appealing middle ground. It is not the Sekiro-like masterpiece its strongest ideas occasionally hint at, nor does its world have the consistency and freedom of the best modern action RPGs. Its enemy variety, progression and exploration can all feel more constrained than expected, while the technical execution is uneven enough to distract from what should otherwise be a confident showcase for Game Freak. Yet dismissing it simply because it borrows heavily from better-known games would also miss what makes it worthwhile. The combination of Emma and Koo works, the parry-based combat can be genuinely satisfying, the traversal mechanics are inventive, and the world has enough atmosphere to make its familiar ingredients feel personal. Most importantly, this is an ambitious experiment from a studio attempting something well outside its established identity. Beast of Reincarnation does not completely stick the landing, but there is enough character and genuine affection in the journey to make its imperfections easier to forgive.
Score: 7.3/10