Beast of Reincarnation Review, Gameplay Impressions, Videos and Top Features

Beast of Reincarnation from developer Game Freak is one of the more interesting, hyped releases on the gaming calendar in recent times. 

After all, most gamers probably didn't have "Pokemon developers + Soulslike" on their 2026 bingo cards, yet here we are. 

No matter who made it, Beast of Reincarnation was never going to escape comparisons to genre-mates like Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, given the flashy combat. Game Freak's name attached to it, though, generates an amount of intrigue that is hard to match. 

The good news? Beast of Reincarnation largely stands on its own two feet in a cluttered space now and proves the attention was deserved. 

Graphics and Gameplay

Gamers have been down the post-apocalyptic rabbit hole plenty of times now. 

Beast of Reincarnation, though, does end-of-times Japan in really interesting ways that stand out, primarily thanks to the emphasis on the mixture of nature and human civilization. Think, Last of Us' world, ramped up with graphical fidelity and detailing, never mind heavily woven into combat itself. 

It's an engrossing setting, really, with Metal Gear-like means of travel, story-wise, and plenty of beasts and enemies so consumed that it's hard to tell what they originally were. 

Assisting the surprisingly immersive experience is excellent sound design, with ambient sounds, a fitting soundtrack and waves of satisfying combat feedback bringing the whole package together. 

Similarly, gamers have been here in the gameplay department before, but that doesn't have to be a bad thing. 

Emma the Sealer uses plant-based powers in traversal and combat, which looks cool and feels better. 

There's the expected attack and parry system with a few weapon types mixed in for good measure. Enemy encounters range from tense one-on-ones to multi-enemy mixups and skyscraper-sized bosses, too. 

It's her companion, Koo, who really shakes the expected formula up. Using the dog's Bloom Arts slows down time, letting players take their time while changing things to an almost turn-based RPG feel. 

The key word is synergistic, too. Players can earn the points needed to use Koo's Bloom Arts through successful parries. So, proper timing against a variety of enemies means creating more openings to slow down time and unleash special effects from a companion. 

These Bloom Arts help set up combos through things like traps or juggling enemies, while Emma uses both ranged and melee weapons in the fray. Deepening things further are mods that add extra bonuses or effects on top of the abilities, creating depth via buildcrafting, even for specific encounters. 

Comparisons to the likes of Black Myth: Wukong and Sekiro won't stop. Combat is punishing, sure, but the parry and overall timing windows seem friendlier. And while there are rest sites about the map, the game doesn't go the Souls route otherwise. Enemies don't respawn when resting and players don't lose things on defeat. 

Traversal of the world itself is fun and creative, too. When players aren't getting vertical on vines for stealth attacks on unsuspecting enemies, they're crafting branches and other flora at will through the power of plants. 

So, call it accessible-but-deep, with a serious dash of immersion and intrigue hanging about each gameplay session. 

Story and More

Beast of Reincarnation offers a unique backdrop, to say the least. In the 4000s, humans like Emma, capable of manipulating the Blight, are shunned by the rest of society. 

The rest of society, meaning "Golems" who uploaded their consciousness to robotic shells after the Blight took over the world. 

Make no mistake, it's hard to tell exactly what is going on in the narrative early. But it's almost by design, and players will likely find themselves pretty engrossed and wanting to see what happens between Emma and Koo and how that relationship evolves before long. 

Overall progression won't shock most gamers. Leveling up specific stats leads to bonuses in the expected areas. The pacing of it all, at least, feels nice. 

Beyond the story, sidequests and other items pepper the land. This isn't an open-world romp, but the series of massive areas to explore sort of feels like it, anyway. Exploration is there for those who want it, as are the rewards. 

Despite the serious visual flair, Beast of Reincarnation runs well with little to no stuttering, which is important in these types of combat games. The list of options players can tweak is impressive, too. 

Conclusion

Beast of Reincarnation will draw inevitable Soulslike comparisons, but it shouldn't deter potential gamers because it's simply a friendlier game in terms of difficulty and merely borrows some elements from those spaces. That's not to say it isn't challenging in spots, but not every third-person action game needs to be a Soulslike in the 2020s. 

Standing on its own free of comparisons or name recognition of those involved, Beast of Reincarnation is a fun romp in a gorgeous world where progression feels rewarding. 

In a year that has already included unique releases like Pragmata, it's nice to see another new IP, well, blossom. Beast of Reincarnation has found solid ground and has plenty of room for growth, but it's a strong debut only deepening what has already been a stellar year for the video game space.