Game Freak's first major release outside the "Pokémon" franchise has officially launched, and the early critical response is landing somewhere in the middle.
"Beast of Reincarnation" released on August 4 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, published by Fictions. The action RPG is set in a post-apocalyptic Japan and follows a protagonist named Emma and her loyal dog companion, Koo, as they navigate a world overrun by corrupted creatures called Nushi.
The game is also available as a day-one addition to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
'Beast of Reincarnation': Early Reviews Are Not Too Fond of the Game
ComicBook rated the game 2.5 out of 5, calling it an inconsistent action RPG that gets in its own way despite having a handful of genuine strengths. The review praised the base combat system for its responsiveness and flashy animations, noting that deflecting enemy attacks carries a satisfying weight, and that Emma's plant-based powers and Koo's in-combat assists add variety to standard encounters.
However, the review pointed to a campaign that simply runs too long as the root cause of most of the game's problems.
The game aims for a 25-hour runtime that stretches its combat, world design, music, and story well past their limits. A shorter 10-hour version would have meant fewer repeated boss encounters, a more focused skill tree, and a narrative that retained its impact rather than burying players under dense lore monologues.
The Verge echoed some of those sentiments, noting that "Beast of Reincarnation" has all the makings of a surprise hit for 2026 but stumbles over its own ambitions. The review pointed to performance and visual issues, describing graphics that occasionally felt like a regression to the previous console generation, alongside a camera that can be difficult to manage during tense encounters.
'Beast of Reincarnation' Gets Mixed Reviews on Metacritic
Critic reviews on Metacritic paint a picture of a game with real potential that does not quite deliver on all of it. Several reviewers praised the world building, the bond between Emma and Koo, and the intensity of the combat system. Others flagged uneven storytelling, underdeveloped characters, and technical shortcomings as notable weak points.
Famitsu, the Japanese outlet, was notably more enthusiastic than most Western publications, with three reviewers giving it a 9 out of 10 and one scoring it an 8. That puts Famitsu at the more positive end of the critical spectrum.
On the more negative side, several reviews noted that Emma herself is a difficult protagonist to connect with, describing her as purposely wooden in a way that the writing is not strong enough to compensate for. Koo fared better, earning genuine affection across most reviews as an endearing companion.
Who Developed 'Beast of Reincarnation'?
"Beast of Reincarnation" comes from Game Freak, the studio that has spent most of its existence developing the mainline "Pokémon" series. That franchise has consistently sold in the tens of millions of copies per entry, making Game Freak one of the most commercially successful game studios in history.
However, recent "Pokémon" releases have faced criticism for technical shortcomings and a perceived lack of polish, which made the reception to "Beast of Reincarnation" all the more interesting to watch unfold.
This is not the first time Game Freak has ventured outside the "Pokémon" umbrella. The studio previously released "Pocket Card Jockey," a solitaire-meets-horse-racing title that earned a niche following.
"Beast of Reincarnation" is a far more ambitious departure, and the mixed critical response it has received suggests that Game Freak clearly has range beyond its flagship franchise. This made expectations for a fully polished AAA action RPG from a studio better known for turn-based creature collectors prove difficult to meet entirely in this first attempt.
