Issue #84: A Summer of Surprises! – July/August 2026

The only thing that’s ever truly predictable about Nintendo is their unpredictability. Listen, a lot of us longtime fans and game journalists and “insiders” may claim to have the ability to anticipate...

nintendoforcemagazine.com

Beast of Reincarnation Review

Beyond the Blight I never thought I'd be writing about a Game Freak game without mentioning Pokémon. Beast of Reincarnation is such a dramatic departure from the studio's usual work, but that's exactly what makes it stand out. It presents a bleak vision of post-apocalyptic Japan, where humanity has already lost its battle for survival. Civilization has all but disappeared beneath an ever-spreading blight, leaving behind scattered ruins and powerful creatures that dominate what remains of the world. Standing against that destruction is Emma, a young woman tasked by the mysterious Administrator with defeating the monstrous Nushi that govern each region before finally confronting the Beast of Reincarnation itself. The premise is intriguing, but the idea of a world-ending threat and a chosen hero tasked with stopping it is hardly new. Stories centered around this idea have become increasingly common. The story improves as the journey progresses, but it never escapes its predictable foundation. Emma begins the adventure almost entirely devoid of emotion, with her lost humanity gradually returning as she encounters new allies, locations, and memories throughout the journey. While this personal growth offers the story its strongest emotional thread, it never develops beyond the surface level, leaving many of its more meaningful moments without the impact they seem to be aiming for. The broader narrative follows a similar trajectory. Several twists help keep the adventure moving, and additional lore gradually expands the history of the world, but few revelations prove especially compelling. Beast of Reincarnation tells a perfectly serviceable story, but its greatest strengths lie elsewhere. [caption id="attachment_197799" align="aligncenter" width="640"] A clash of convictions.[/caption] The game is at its best when its exploration and movement is able to shine, most notably when players reach the later zones. Emma is remarkably agile, capable of using her hair to propel herself high into the air, scale buildings, and traverse terrain in ways that make exploration feel wonderfully fluid. Climbing over cliffs, scaling ruined structures, or discovering shortcuts encourages players to think beyond simply fighting every enemy they encounter. There is a great sense of freedom to the traversal that sets it apart from many action RPGs. Navigation also benefits from an excellent map system. Koo, Emma’s loyal canine companion, will frequently point out collectibles along the way and mark them on the map. This makes it easy to locate objectives and points of interest without diminishing the satisfaction of discovering hidden areas. That freedom occasionally comes at a cost. Beast of Reincarnation can be pretty rough around the edges, with the ambitious movement system exposing some noticeable bugs. Characters sometimes clip through scenery, while enemy reinforcements can occasionally spawn inside trees or other objects, leaving them unable to participate in combat. Traversal can occasionally feel a little janky as a result, but these moments are usually just brief distractions. In many ways, they feel like a worthwhile trade-off for just how liberating the experience can be. Tightening every aspect of the movement system may have resulted in a more polished game, but it also risks sacrificing the flexibility that makes simply moving through the world so enjoyable. The structure of the world has similar issues, though it improves considerably over time. The first region is a large, open environment that often feels repetitive, particularly as the same enemies begin to reappear. Later regions adopt a much tighter design philosophy, replacing sheer size with greater environmental variety and more memorable layouts. Abandoned buildings evoke comparisons to NieR: Automata, presenting haunting remnants of humanity long after civilization has disappeared. Exploration remains rewarding throughout thanks to hidden items, optional routes, and the ability to bypass certain encounters entirely by approaching objectives from different angles. Invisible walls occasionally restrict what appears to be a viable path, making the world’s openness feel slightly inconsistent, but Beast of Reincarnation steadily becomes more impressive as each new region introduces more creative environments than the last. [caption id="attachment_197800" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Emma is never short on enemies.[/caption] Combat is an interesting blend of deliberate action and RPG customization. Defensive play is heavily encouraged, with successful parries creating opportunities to counterattack while rewarding careful timing over reckless aggression. Emma's moveset remains satisfying throughout the adventure, but much of combat's personality comes from Koo. Well-timed parries allow Koo to unleash a variety of special abilities, and the game briefly slows time while players choose which skill to activate. The system introduces a welcome layer of tactical decision-making without interrupting the flow of battle for long, creating encounters that often feel like a blend of Sekiro's emphasis on timing and a more traditional action RPG. Elite enemies also provide some of the game's most exciting battles. Unfortunately, regular enemy encounters never evolve at the same pace. While the battle system itself is great, the standard enemy roster begins repeating itself surprisingly early, making many overworld battles feel overly familiar by the latter half of the game. Larger encounters can also become somewhat chaotic when multiple enemies surround Emma, occasionally tanking the frame rate and making it difficult to react accordingly. These issues do not undermine the combat system itself, but they do lessen the appeal of the semi-open world, where repeated encounters gradually lose much of their excitement. That said, Beast of Reincarnation continues introducing more creative bosses and skills as the adventure progresses, ensuring the overall experience steadily improves even as regular encounters become repetitive. While the story is rather formulaic, Beast of Reincarnation still creates a memorable world. In a sense, it feels like the developers saved their best ideas for the latter half of the game, with each region introducing more creative environments and stronger ideas than the one before it. The downside is that it takes time to reach that point, and the earlier areas feel underwhelming in comparison. By then, however, the world itself does most of the storytelling, with documents and collectibles scattered throughout each region further enriching its lore and encouraging players to piece together what happened long before Emma's journey began. [caption id="attachment_197801" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Light at the end of the forest.[/caption] Beast of Reincarnation's visuals are mostly carried by the game's art direction, with character models and environmental details lacking the polish found in many recent high-profile games. The game’s graphics often feel like they belong to an earlier generation, with character models and environmental details lacking the polish found in many modern games. However, its distinct atmosphere helps overcome those limitations. The contrast between decaying ruins, overgrown landscapes, and the remnants of human civilization creates a world that remains visually interesting even when the underlying assets are rather unimpressive. The art style does much of the heavy lifting, transforming a technically lacking presentation into one that still has its own charm. The soundtrack complements that atmosphere well. The music is consistently enjoyable and enhances exploration and combat alike. That said, there is not enough variety across the adventure, with each region relying heavily on a single overarching theme that repeats throughout extended periods of exploration. The music itself remains pleasant throughout, but repeated loops gradually diminish its impact. A broader selection of environmental tracks would have helped each region develop a stronger musical identity. Beast of Reincarnation rewards patience. RPGamers who venture further will find an adventure that becomes increasingly engaging, thanks to excellent traversal, satisfying combat, and a memorable companion in Koo. Although the story is underwhelming and technical issues can disrupt the experience, its focus on exploration and movement remains its greatest strength. Its combination of atmosphere and discovery, even at the expense of a little jank, ultimately gives Beast of Reincarnation a distinct experience that more polished games lack. There is plenty of room for refinement, but Game Freak has nevertheless delivered a solid action RPG. Disclosure: This review is based on a free copy of the game provided by the publisher. The post Beast of Reincarnation Review appeared first on RPGamer.

rpgamer.com

Donate to Help us keep living while I sew, organized by Carey Means

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