Beast of Reincarnation is the most interesting thing Game Freak has done in years, and that has nothing to do with Pokémon. This is the studio’s first major original game outside that franchise and its first release ever on PlayStation and Xbox. Published by Fictions and out since August 4, it is a mature action RPG set in a ruined future Japan, and the ambition on display is real.
The reception has been positive but divided. It holds 76 on OpenCritic, in the site’s “Strong” tier, with 62 percent of 45 critics recommending it, and sits around 74 on Metacritic. Those are respectable numbers for a studio stepping well outside its comfort zone. They also mask a genuine split over whether the game’s strengths outweigh its rough patches.
Who this is for
This is a game for players who want atmosphere and combat depth over polish, and who do not mind a slow start. If you came in expecting anything family-friendly or Pokémon-adjacent, reset your expectations. It leans closer to a soulslike, with demanding fights and a somber tone, though it is more approachable than the hardest games in that mold.
What works
The world is the standout. Critics repeatedly reached for the same comparison, calling it NieR meets Princess Mononoke, a post-collapse Japan being swallowed by nature. The bond between the protagonist Emma and her canine companion Koo carries the emotional weight, and it lands.
Combat is the other clear win. It blends real-time action with turn-based abilities in a way that sounds awkward and plays better than it reads. Koo’s powers cost energy that Emma earns through Sekiro-style parrying, so the system rewards aggression rather than caution. When it clicks, it is among the more distinctive fighting systems this year.
What does not
The problems are structural, not cosmetic. Reviewers flagged uneven storytelling and thin supporting characters, and Kotaku’s verdict summed up a common complaint, praising the ideas but faulting too much repetition in how the game reuses its ideas. A slow opening compounds this, asking for patience before the good parts arrive.
Technical performance is the other caveat, and it depends on your platform. The PS5 version is described across outlets as the most stable at launch, while the Xbox Series X and S versions drew the most criticism for frame-rate drops. A day-one spot on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate makes it easy to try, but Game Pass players on Xbox hardware should expect the roughest version.
Verdict
Beast of Reincarnation is a flawed game worth playing, especially if a striking world and inventive combat matter more to you than consistency. It does not fully stick the landing, and the repetition and technical issues are fair reasons some critics held back. But as a statement that Game Freak can build something ambitious and strange outside Pokémon, it succeeds, and that makes it one of the more notable Japanese releases of the year.
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC. Developer: Game Freak. Publisher: Fictions. Release date: August 4, 2026. Metacritic: around 74 (76 on OpenCritic).