Beast of Reincarnation is fun but won't outgrow Pokémon
This review of Beast of Reincarnation finds fun combat, gorgeous post-apocalyptic vistas, and rewarding exploration — yet Game Freak’s biggest non-Pokémon swing still won’t outgrow Pokémon anytime soon. Mashable’s George Yang scored it 3.4 overall: a decent effort with real bite that never quite becomes the emotional home run fans hoped for.
Key Takeaways
- Beast of Reincarnation is Game Freak’s biggest game yet outside Pokémon, available on PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC for about $60, with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate access.
- Combat, vertical exploration, and art direction are the standouts; Mashable rated gameplay a 4.0 and vibes/charm a 3.5.
- Story pacing, underdeveloped characters, and dull English voice acting blunt the ending’s emotional punch.
- Expect a 25–30 hour action-adventure that feels fun in the moment but remains in Pokémon’s shadow.
For readers who revisit old franchises and new spin-offs side by side, this lands squarely in our Nostalgia: Then & Now lane: a studio famous for pocket monsters trying to prove it can build something else.
What is Beast of Reincarnation, and why does this review matter?
Beast of Reincarnation is an action-adventure from Game Freak, the longtime developer behind Pokémon alongside Nintendo. According to Mashable’s full review by George Yang, it is the studio’s biggest game yet after smaller diversions such as Giga Wrecker Alt, Little Town Hero, and Tembo the Badass Elephant.
You play as Emma, a young girl traveling through a post-apocalyptic Japan. Her mission is to stop the titular Beast of Reincarnation from rising again and spreading a corruption called Blight.
The pitch matters because Game Freak’s public identity is still “the Pokémon developer.” A successful breakout here would signal a real second act. Yang’s verdict is cooler: a decent effort, not the kind of home run some fans hoped for.
Is the combat and exploration actually fun?
Yes — this is where the review of Beast of Reincarnation finds most of its fun. Yang calls the combat sublime and gives gameplay the highest category score of the bunch.
Early on, the sharp difficulty curve can feel Soulslike. As Emma unlocks skills, the fight rhythm opens into a more straightforward action game. Parrying is central, in a vein similar to Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Successful parries fill an Entanglement meter for devastating hair-powered attacks, and breaking an enemy’s stamina unlocks flashy finishers.
Different katanas add special payoffs on a clean parry, including short health recovery or late-game poison and electric effects. Emma’s canine companion, Koo, fights on his own, and you can slow time to issue commands — vines that immobilize foes, or a flowerbed that restores HP — in a setup Yang compares to Final Fantasy VII Remake’s “Classic” combat mode.
Exploration is not a pure open world, but there are 12 distinct zones: rustic forests, giant craters, and flooded city ruins. Because Emma is immune to the Blight, she can use plant-like powers through her hair to climb and create ledges for Assassin’s Creed-style ambushes. Koo sniffs out items and collectibles, including Dragon Shrines that reward extra battle stims.
Visually, the game leaves Pokémon’s cartoony look behind for a more realistic, plant-heavy apocalypse Yang likens to Studio Ghibli hopefulness rather than the dread of The Last of Us. Hostile golems and blighted wildlife keep the world feeling alive. The weak spot in the field: many Nushi boss fights share similar attack patterns and designs, so the spectacle wears thin.
Why won’t it outgrow Pokémon anytime soon?
Story and character work are the muzzle. Yang argues Beast of Reincarnation reaches for Nier: Automata-style themes — existentialism, AI, sentience, humanity — but misses the ingredient that made that game land: memorable people.
Emma stays flat until a late exposition dump about how the world came to be. Side characters who appear mid-game suddenly return with crucial roles, and the jarring pacing leaves little room for real development. English voice acting sounds bored throughout, which undercuts immersion even when Emma is written as emotionally muted. Subtitles are also extremely small, with no option to enlarge them — a problem if you switch to Japanese audio.
Mashable’s scorecard reflects that split: overall 3.4, with gameplay at 4, vibes/charm at 3.5, and performance and bang-for-buck both at 3. At roughly $60 for a 25–30 hour campaign — longer if you explore thoroughly — Yang still calls it a good value, especially with Game Pass availability.
Fun, yes. Franchise-defining, no.
Pokémon’s cultural gravity remains enormous in the meantime. Mashable’s recent hands-on with the Lego Pokémon Smart Play Sets ahead of their Aug. 1 launch is another reminder of how deeply that brand still owns nostalgia — and how hard it is for any Game Freak side project to step out of that shadow.
Should you play Beast of Reincarnation right now?
If you want stylish action, vertical traversal, and a beautiful ruined Japan to climb through, Beast of Reincarnation is worth a look — especially on Game Pass. If you need a story that sticks or characters who feel fully alive, temper expectations.
The bottom line of this review is simple: Beast of Reincarnation is fun enough to recommend with caveats, and not close enough to dethrone Pokémon as Game Freak’s defining achievement.