Beast of Reincarnation Review Buzz: Famitsu Scores 35/40 for Game Freak’s Action RPG
Game Freak’s first non-Pokémon blockbuster is already drawing strong early notices, with Japanese outlet Famitsu awarding Beast of Reincarnation a combined 35 out of 40 in the first review to surface ahead of its worldwide launch. The score came from Famitsu, which gave the game 35 out of 40, with one reviewer awarding it an 8 out of 10 while the other three each gave it a 9 out of 10. The result lands just as the studio best known for three decades of Pokémon games ships its most ambitious project yet.
Beast of Reincarnation is an action role-playing game developed by Game Freak and published by Fictions, marking the studio’s first AAA title outside the Pokémon series, directed by Kota Furushima, who previously worked on the battle system and sound for various Pokémon titles. The premise centres on a young swordswoman navigating a ruined future alongside her canine companion, a pairing that has become the game’s defining hook well ahead of launch.
Emma, Koo and the “One-Person, One-Dog” Combat System
Set in Japan in the year 4026, the story follows Emma the Sealer, an 18-year-old woman with blight powers who can manipulate plants to traverse and fight enemies, and her companion, a stray dog known as Koo, as the pair work together to free post-apocalyptic Japan from a corrupted creature that has blighted the natural world. On the ground, that translates into a hybrid battle system pairing Emma’s real-time swordplay with command-based skills issued to Koo.
Reviewers who have gone hands-on describe a roughly 30-hour campaign built around that split-focus loop. This “one-person, one-dog” action RPG drops players into a roughly 30-hour campaign blending real-time swordplay with tactical companion commands. Speaking to GamesRadar+, Furushima framed the design as deliberately putting players on the back foot between reflex and planning, explaining that the combat aims for “a contrast between real-time actions requiring split-second decisions and command selections that involve a bit of deliberation.”
Furushima has leaned on his own Pokémon background to sell the pitch, telling GamesRadar+ that the fights are built around “the joyful dilemma of choice” drawing directly on his years as a battle planner on the Pokémon series.
A Post-Apocalyptic Japan Built on “Growth”
Ahead of launch, Game Informer spent 90 minutes with a preview build and came away struck by the game’s world-building. “Growth” is what makes a good RPG, according to Furushima, the Game Freak veteran directing the studio’s newest project, a word fitting considering the lush environments, plant-riddled animals, and a main character named Emma who can grow vines at will. Furushima expanded on the idea directly, telling the outlet the concept applies to “Growth from a game system perspective” but also “story… and how players connect with that.”
On Steam, the game’s own listing leans into that ever-shifting environmental design, describing how players travel through a beautiful yet harsh post-apocalyptic world, experiencing the ever-changing scenery in the blighted forest and the Bosses that rule this world. That art direction has become one of the most consistently praised elements across early coverage, with French outlet InsertCoins.press calling the finished game proof that “Beast of Reincarnation proves Game Freak had far more to offer than we thought.”
Not a Flawless Soulslike, but a Bold Swing
Early critical consensus isn’t unanimous praise. InsertCoins.press, which reviewed the PC version, tempered its enthusiasm by noting that its limits, a few rough edges and a soulslike demand that will not suit everyone are the price of a studio venturing outside its comfort zone, and they do not weigh heavily against what the game achieves. That caveat echoes chatter among genre fans who, per hands-on previews circulating before launch, worried the parry-centric combat could alienate players expecting something closer to a traditional Pokémon-style system.
Still, the overall tone from outlets that have logged hours with the finished build leans positive, with Famitsu’s four-reviewer panel landing solidly in “great game” territory and hands-on previews consistently singling out the parry-driven combat and Koo’s tactical layer as standout ideas.
Release Timing, Price and Game Pass Access for AU/NZ Players
Beast of Reincarnation arrives on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC, with the Standard Edition priced at $59.99 and the Digital Deluxe Edition at $69.99. Steam’s own storefront lists the game as live from August 3, while other platforms confirm the wider global rollout for August 4; a Steam developer blog confirmed the game launches on August 4 at 00:00 UTC, which works out to roughly midday NZST and mid-morning AEST on launch day for players across Australia and New Zealand.
Xbox players get the easiest low-cost entry point, with the title confirmed as a day-one addition to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate alongside Xbox Play Anywhere support, letting subscribers move save data between console and PC without an extra purchase. No Nintendo Switch or Switch 2 version has been announced for the game at this stage.
Read also: Game Freak’s Beast of Reincarnation, Marvel Tōkon Fighting Souls Launch This Week
For a studio whose commercial fortunes remain tied almost entirely to Pokémon, an early Famitsu score in the mid-thirties and generally warm hands-on reaction suggest Game Freak’s gamble on a darker, original IP is paying off critically, even if the full spread of Western review scores has yet to land.
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