Beast of Reincarnation: A Golden Idea Trapped in Messy Execution
Beast of Reincarnation from studio Game Freak (yeah, the Pokémon people) and publisher Fictions launched on August 4, 2026 with gamers riding high on expectations. It's an action RPG set in post-apocalyptic Japan in the year 4026, starring Emma the Sealer — an 18-year-old girl with plant-control powers accompanied by a stray dog named Koo. On paper, everything looked amazing. Honestly, I thought I was about to witness something special.
But after hours grinding through it on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, I realized the solid core concept was drowning under the weight of terrible design choices and sloppy execution.
Combat System: The One Thing That Actually Works
Let me be fair here — the combat system is genuinely good. It's built on abilities called "blight" that you unleash against towering mutated beasts and robots, and critics have compared it to Black Myth: Wukong and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Responsive moves, dynamic encounters, a solid parry-and-counterattack flow — it all makes sense and feels satisfying. This is the game's real gem.
Critics definitely praised this aspect. But sadly, a smart combat system isn't enough to save a project from its bigger mistakes.
The Real Problems: Performance, Dead World Design, and Frustrating Camera
Anyone who heard this was built on Unreal Engine 5 expected cutting-edge, polished visuals. What I got was disappointing:
- Noticeable performance issues — especially on PC via Steam and the Microsoft Store
- Graphics that look like a last-gen throwback according to The Verge
- A camera that fights you during intense fights, which completely ruins what would otherwise be fun combat
- Weak world design — environments don't feel carefully crafted or alive
The Verge nailed it: the game "has all the makings of 2026's surprise hit but stumbles under its own ambition." That's exactly what my experience felt like.
The Scores: Same Story Everywhere
The Metacritic numbers tell the tale clearly:
- Xbox Series X|S: 81/100 — generally positive
- PS5: 73/100 — mixed reviews
- PC: 72/100 — middling scores
On OpenCritic, only 55% of critics recommend it out of 66 reviews — that's genuinely low. Right after launch it was slightly better (61% from 49 reviews), but the more people played, the lower the recommendation rate dropped.
That tracks with what I felt: first impressions might be decent thanks to the combat, but the deeper you go, the more you realize those other problems are deal-breakers.
Who Should Buy This?
If you're a skill-based combat junkie who loves brutal challenges and don't mind tolerating design flaws and performance hiccups, you might have fun with this. Especially if you've got Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass — the game drops day one on both, so you're not paying extra.
But if you're expecting a polished, bug-free experience, or you want a rich world with smooth camera controls — I'd pass for now. Wait and see if Game Freak drops serious updates that actually fix the performance, camera, and world design problems.
The game's out on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, but launch day proved that not everything Game Freak touches turns to gold.
