Game Freak, the studio best known for the Pokémon RPGs, released Beast of Reincarnation on Aug. 4 for PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X, according to Polygon. The game is a Souls-inspired action title set in an apocalyptic future Japan (the year 4026, per Eurogamer and PC Gamer), following a young woman named Emma and her dog companion, Koo, as she battles giant creatures called Nushi or malefacts to absorb their power. As of publication, the game sits at a 74 on Metacritic based on 27 reviews, Polygon reported.
Multiple outlets noted that Beast of Reincarnation draws heavily on other genre touchstones. Polygon, IGN, PC Gamer, and Eurogamer all pointed to comparisons with Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Nier: Automata, Stellar Blade, and Final Fantasy 7 Remake, while Eurogamer also cited influences from Horizon, Bayonetta, and Monster Hunter/Shadow of the Colossus. IGN's Travis Northup, who scored the game 6/10, wrote that it "feels like what you might end up with if you tried to combine Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice with the Final Fantasy 7 Remake," but said that potential is only realized occasionally, criticizing repetitive enemies and forgiving parry windows.
Several reviewers praised the combat and traversal systems while criticizing repetition and narrative shortcomings. Game Informer's Wesley LeBlanc, in another 6/10 review cited by Polygon, called the game "soulless" and "transparent," saying it left him feeling "nothing," though he praised the combat as "rewarding" and the boss fights as "tense." Giant Bomb's Shawn McDowell similarly called the story and characters "underwhelming at best" while praising the combat, per Polygon. Kotaku's review said the game struggles to stay consistently compelling, noting that despite strong boss fights and inventive traversal using Emma's hair, the game recycles boss encounters and features finicky controls; Kotaku also noted hearing of significant technical trouble on PC and Xbox versions, though its own PS5 playthrough was mostly stable aside from late-game framerate drops.
Not all reviews were lukewarm. GamesRadar's Luke Kemp gave the game 4.5 stars, praising its combat and "deep, rich worldbuilding," writing that the game "surfs on waves of philosophy and existential questions that are thought-provoking but never, ever waved in your face," and calling its ending among the best he's seen in years. He cited minor issues with unclear waypoints and rare camera problems. PC Gamer's Shaun Prescott called the game "fun, admirable, gorgeous and flawed," praising its melancholy atmosphere, characterization, and voice acting, but criticized dull encounter design and reported performance issues on his gaming laptop, including frequent dips below 60fps.
Eurogamer's Matt Wales, in a three-star review, described the game as messy and muddled, saying Game Freak "introduces its gameplay ideas equally chaotically, throwing so much out so fast, with so little explanation," and that it "practically demands you visit its in-game manual" to understand its systems. Wales also flagged camera and lock-on issues, plus inconsistent control responsiveness on PS5, but said the combat and traversal, along with an unexpectedly tender story, ultimately salvaged the experience. Polygon's Giovanni Colantonio was more critical, writing that the game "never earns its heart," resulting in "a one-note journey that's always some shade of morose," and concluding it is "an act of conformity" rather than creative rebirth.