[STEAM] Beast of Reincarnation review: "The Pokemon dev knocks it out the park with a stunningly confident sci-fi action RPG"

[Steam 0]

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

With a name like

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

you might expect this to be a game full of aggressive enemies and intense combat. And it is. Yet it's not long before you start to discover that there are layers to this world, and the people who live in it. Layers that make this a strong and deep experience rather than a fun but shallow action game.

Don't get me wrong; there is a lot of fighting. That's almost exclusively what you'll be doing, and in fact, I found it greatly amusing that I came across a grand total of one puzzle in my playthrough. You take the role of Emma, a young woman who is tasked with killing the titular Beast, the source of post-apocalyptic Japan's Blight that mutates animals, spreads pretty but corrupted foliage, and kills people. Before she can do so however, she'll need to kill many of the giant creatures known as Nushi in order to absorb their power, and cleanse the surrounding areas as she buffs up. There's no shortage of lesser enemies standing between her and each Nushi, either.

Emma let you finish

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

(Image credit: Fictions, Game Freak) Fast facts Release date: August 4, 2026
Platform(s): PC, PS5, Xbox Series X
Developer: Game Freak
Publisher: Fictions

Please don't mistake Beast of Reincarnation, with its high-fidelity sci-fi, and sword-wielding, reserved heroine for being much like Stellar Blade. Unlike that game's star Eve, who is uncomfortably thrust into danger in form-fitting bodysuits that leave nothing to the imagination, Emma is dressed like an actual fighter who takes her job seriously. She also behaves like an actual, real character – unlike many similar heroes, her aloofness has a specific reason behind it which is slowly revealed. She even experiences character growth.

It's a good thing Emma's well armored too. Beast of Reincarnation has combat that is challenging from a very early stage. I was tempted to knock the difficulty down within the first hour or so, in fact – and if that works best for you, it's a perfectly good way to enjoy this or any other game – but, in my case, I'm glad that I didn't. There's a real sense of satisfaction to be had emerging from a tough fight battered, low on resources, close to death – but alive.

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

. Emma carries a sword and (soon) two bows, and that's it for weapons. There is only one attack button for the sword, the depth coming from the mechanics around it. I'll make this clear now: parrying is an integral part of the game. I'm rather tired of the industry's obsession with parry mechanics, and I'm glad that it finally seems to be petering out, but here it works really well. I'm far from perfect at it, though. Many is the time I've hit the button too soon or too late, and been punished with a large chunk of health disappearing as a result. But when it works, it produces a beautiful flow, particularly in boss fights. Like

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

(with a touch of Nier), it's akin to a rhythm game, where you learn to parry to the tune of each enemy's unique attack pattern. Tap-tap-taptaptap—tap—tap and then you can unleash vengeance.

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

(Image credit: Fictions, Game Freak) It's time to address the elephant – or, rather, the giant mutated dog – in the room. Koo (for that is his name) is another crucial slice of the combat pie. While you can order him to go on ahead to attack an enemy alone if you haven't been spotted, he otherwise acts and attacks independently. You're in charge of leveling up his attributes alongside your own though, and you decide which abilities and stat-altering charm to equip. It's in this way that you direct his presence in battle – particularly when it comes to Bloom Arts.

Koo will use items and abilities independently, but the more powerful Bloom Arts are dependent on points earned during battle, activated only when you command. Much like in

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

, communicating with Koo slows time to a crawl (even if no Arts are ready yet – useful for getting a breather) and you can choose from your currently equipped list.

A successfully executed Bloom Art will restore a little of Emma's HP, and also deal damage – but rarely very much. They're more useful for triggering effects, especially when you start unlocking modifications for them. While building up status, you can bloom a plant for Emma to close the distance, instantly triggering a sword's special effect that usually requires a parry; all these benefits and more are on the menu with Koo.

Blooming heck

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

(Image credit: Game Freak) Moments like those had me use some very interesting language that I'd get told off for trying to repeat here. Thankfully, such moments are rare and (usually) fairly brief, and so easy to forgive within the context of the wider game. On top of everything else, Emma's traversal abilities make wonderful use of space, and offer multiple options for enemy engagement while unseen. She can use her hair (don't ask, I don't know) as a grapple, a portable water spout to let her rise into the air, and a temporary bridge to walk onto from pretty much anywhere.

Beast of Reincarnation is a very linear game (areas are large and open, but it's not strictly open world), but the sense of agency afforded you by such traversal – as well as a wide range of Arts and swords with unique effects to unlock – help make the journey your own. New Game Plus offers one final sword and a couple of cool new, powerful abilities, which just might be enough to encourage me to do it all over again.

Beast of Reincarnation was reviewed on PS5, with a code provided by the publisher.

If you're looking for more combat, check out our

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

ranking for plenty of action with a bit of RPG'ing sprinkled on top.

[/url]

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up