Beast of Reincarnation shows what Game Freak can create outside the familiar structure of Pokémon. It combines a striking post-apocalyptic setting, satisfying sword combat, semi-open exploration, and a substantial campaign built around an unusual partnership between a young warrior and her dog.
The game is set in the year 4026, long after a force known as the Blight has transformed much of Earth into a hostile forest-like organism. Humanity survives in scattered forms, including people and mechanical Golems, while the world faces a repeating threat known as the Beast of Reincarnation.
You play as Emma, an 18-year-old Sealer who can control the Blight despite being affected by it herself. She travels with Koo, a dog carrying the same corruption, as they pursue powerful creatures known as Nushi and prepare to confront the Beast.
The result is an ambitious action RPG with clear influences from games such as NieR: Automata, Sekiro, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, and Shadow of the Colossus. Those inspirations occasionally feel too obvious, but Beast of Reincarnation still develops a recognisable identity through its world, characters, and companion systems.
Combat is accessible, responsive, and rewarding
Combat is built around sword attacks, dodging, parrying, positioning, and abilities provided by Koo.
The controls feel intuitive on a gamepad, allowing basic attacks, combos, and companion commands to work together without becoming overwhelming. Parries require practice, but the game is more approachable than the most demanding Soulslike releases.
| Combat element | How it works |
|---|---|
| Main weapon | Upgradeable swords with different effects |
| Defence | Dodging and timed parries |
| Companion abilities | Multi-target damage, blinding, healing support, and gadgets |
| Enemy approach | Direct combat or limited stealth openings |
| Death penalty | No major loss of experience or equipment |
| Progression | New gear, abilities, upgrades, and base improvements |
The combat creates strong moments when parries land correctly and finishing attacks trigger. Bosses are visually impressive, while encounters often require you to balance nearby enemies with threats attacking from a distance.
However, repetition becomes more noticeable as the campaign continues. Weapons do not feel different enough, combos unlock slowly, and several finishing animations are reused frequently.
The movement system includes useful horizontal and vertical traversal, but combat does not always take full advantage of that freedom. More varied weapons and faster access to advanced abilities could have helped the system reach its full potential.
Koo is more than a simple companion
Koo plays an important role in both combat and progression.
His abilities can damage several enemies, apply status effects, carry healing supplies, and provide support when Emma is under pressure. Improving his bond with Emma unlocks additional ability slots and other benefits.
If Koo falls during combat, some of those slots can be reset, giving you a reason to monitor his condition rather than treating him as an invulnerable helper.
| Koo feature | Benefit |
|---|---|
| Damage abilities | Attacks one or several enemies |
| Blinding effects | Reduces enemy effectiveness |
| Item carrying | Provides healing tools and useful gadgets |
| Bond progression | Unlocks more ability slots |
| Combat risk | Losing Koo can remove active slots |
The relationship between Emma and Koo also supports the story. Their shared connection to the Blight gives the journey a stronger personal focus than a simple mission to defeat a large enemy.
The Cleanse Walker serves as a moving home base
Emma’s party operates from a large vehicle known as the Cleanse Walker.
It contains equipment stations, farming areas, cooking facilities, a shower for Emma and Koo, and spaces connected to the other characters. Materials discovered during exploration can improve these features.
Food matters because Emma loses some strength when she becomes hungry. Returning to the Walker allows the group’s cook to prepare dishes using collected seeds and other resources.
| Cleanse Walker system | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Cooking | Provides food and temporary benefits |
| Farming | Supplies ingredients |
| Equipment benches | Supports weapon and gear upgrades |
| Character bonds | Unlocks recipes, abilities, and progression paths |
| Koo facilities | Support companion management |
| Home base upgrades | Improve available services |
These systems add variety between battles, but they do not always have enough influence on the wider campaign. Several mechanics feel promising without becoming essential to how you approach exploration or combat.
Semi-open zones reward exploration
Beast of Reincarnation uses a semi-open structure rather than one continuous open world.
Emma travels through several large zones with different layouts, enemies, underground paths, vertical structures, treasure chests, and upgrade materials. Earlier areas can be revisited through fast travel, so missed items are not permanently lost.
Each region shares the wider Blight theme but still presents its own atmosphere and environmental structure. Some areas act as open training grounds, while others use narrow city spaces, underground tunnels, or more vertical routes.
Exploration often rewards curiosity, although the loot is rarely transformative. Most optional discoveries provide Walker materials, currency, or equipment improvements rather than distinctive outfits or dramatically different weapons.
The story is one of Game Freak’s strongest efforts
The narrative is more mature and ambitious than the stories normally associated with Game Freak.
Emma’s condition, the repeating return of the Beast, and the remains of humanity create a strong foundation. The Nushi also provide a clear progression structure, with each defeated creature granting power needed for the final confrontation.
The campaign explores familiar questions about humanity, identity, corruption, and survival. It does not reach the emotional or philosophical depth of NieR: Automata, but it gives the characters and setting enough substance to support a lengthy adventure.
Some story and visual ideas closely resemble the games that inspired them. This can make certain scenes or concepts feel derivative rather than entirely original.
PC performance is solid, but Xbox needs work
Performance varies significantly by platform.
A high-end PC equipped with an RTX 5080, Ryzen 7 9800X3D, and 64GB of DDR5 memory reportedly ran the game above 90 FPS at 4K, using maximum settings, ray tracing, and DLSS Quality.
A laptop with an RTX 4060 also performed well, exceeding 100 FPS at 1080p with most settings at their maximum and DLSS 3.5 set to Quality.
| Tested system | Reported performance |
|---|---|
| RTX 5080 desktop | More than 90 FPS at 4K with ray tracing and DLSS Quality |
| RTX 4060 laptop | More than 100 FPS at 1080p with DLSS Quality |
| Xbox Series X | Severe drops, reportedly from 60 FPS to around 5 FPS |
| Xbox Series S | Not tested, but concerns remain |
The Xbox Series X version was far less stable during pre-release testing. Frame rates reportedly fell from 60 FPS to approximately 5 FPS while moving through some open areas.
The developer indicated that launch updates would address performance, but the console version was still struggling when last tested on July 28, 2026. Players planning to buy on Xbox should check reports following the release and its first patches.
The visual quality is attractive, with strong art direction and detailed environments, but the console performance cost does not appear justified by what is shown on screen.
Should you play Beast of Reincarnation?
Beast of Reincarnation is worth considering if you enjoy action RPGs built around sword combat, parries, unusual science fiction settings, and companion abilities.
Its strongest qualities are the relationship between Emma and Koo, responsive combat, substantial exploration, and a setting that gives Game Freak room to move beyond its best-known franchise.
Its weaker points include repeated animations, limited weapon variety, slow ability progression, underused base systems, and unstable pre-release Xbox performance.
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|
| Satisfying combat | Repetitive finishing moves |
| Strong setting | Familiar influences can feel too obvious |
| Interesting central characters | Limited weapon variety |
| Useful companion abilities | Some systems lack depth |
| Large campaign | Poor pre-release Xbox performance |
| Semi-open exploration | Loot could be more exciting |
The game launches through Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass, making the subscription versions the safest way to try it. PC appears to offer the better technical experience at launch, while Xbox players may benefit from waiting for performance updates.
Beast of Reincarnation does not fully match the best games that inspired it, but it demonstrates that Game Freak can produce an ambitious action RPG with a distinct world, engaging combat, and meaningful potential beyond Pokémon.
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