Beast Of Reincarnation Deep Dive

Could this be Game Freak’s best game yet?

Beast of Reincarnation is my most anticipated game of 2026. It’s hard to believe that Game Freak is developing this upcoming action RPG. Yes, I’m talking about the same Game Freak that develops the Pokémon games.

After seeing the gameplay showcase, I’m even more excited about the game. Who knew that Game Freak could manage to create such a promising game like this? And you bet we’ll be diving deep into this game.

Premise

Beast of Reincarnation is described as “one person, one dog” action RPG. It takes place in a post-apocalyptic Japan in the year 4026. The world has been taken over by Blight. Most of humanity has fallen victim to the Blight.

The game’s protagonist is an exiled girl named Emma. Emma is the sole person who can hunt the Malefacts and absorb the blight in her body. This is also the reason behind her exile.

One day, Emma meets Koo, a mysterious stray dog. Emma is given the duty to defeat the Beast of Reincarnation. To accomplish this, Emma and Koo need to defeat the Nushi and absorb their power.

Development

Concept

How was this game born? The game's director and writer, Kota Furushima, wanted to create a new experience. Furushima previously worked as a battle planner and sound manager for certain Pokémon games.

Game Freak has an internal program called Gear Project. Gear Project is an internal contest run by the company’s president, Satoshi Tajiri. The purpose of this contest is to make original IP for the company.

Furushima submitted his design doc, which included concept art of a lone woman in the forest. His concept art was meant to express certain feelings to players. These feelings were warmth, trust, and loneliness. These feelings, along with the game design, coalesced naturally around the concept.

The concept also involves going on a journey with a companion. Another core concept that Furushima pitched, along with feeling and game design. This aspect naturally fused with the game’s other core concepts and feelings.

Inspiration

Furushima is a huge fan of science fiction movies. He wanted to create a new world that no one had seen before. With his love of science fiction and worldbuilding, he started to think about how he wanted to build Beast of Reincarnation’s world. Blade Runner was a huge inspiration to him regarding the movie’s excellent world-building.

Development Structure

Beast of Reincarnation is developed by Game Freak. Visions is the game’s publisher. A small internal team from Game Freak is leading the project. The team’s main role is art direction and management between themselves and their outside contractors.

Gameplay

Combat

The gameplay will have a blend of real-time and command-based elements. Emma will swiftly attack enemies with her sword.  Koo will support Emma by issuing commands via a menu. Time slows down when selecting a command from Koo’s menu.

The commands that Koo uses are called Bloom Arts. Bloom Arts are plant-based attacks. While there are some Bloom arts that allow Koo to support Emma.

Emma parries allow you to earn points so you can execute Koo’s abilities. There will be three difficulty settings that will adjust the parry timing and damage value.

The fusion of real-time combat and command-based elements reminds me of Final Fantasy VII Remake’s combat. While we don’t know if FF7R’s combat was the direct inspiration for this combat system. The game was inspired by Nier: Automata, another beloved game by Square Enix. Another inspiration is Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.

Difficulties

The game will have three difficulties. The first is a story mode. Furushima wants as many players as possible to play the game. This is why story mode is an option. There’s also a normal mode for those who want a challenge while experiencing the story. Finally, there is a hard mode with very powerful enemies for those seeking a greater challenge.

Field

Emma can use the power of plants. Her hair has vine-like features, so she can use it to manipulate the environment. This is how she can traverse while solving puzzles.

The game does not have traditional puzzles. But the world is in ruins thanks to the Blight. So, you will come across broken bridges and chasms. Emma's plant abilities enable you to cross chasms and repair bridges.

Beast of Reincarnation is not an open-world game. Instead, it is described as “Single Wide Road” with multiple routes. The game is comprised of different stages with a lot of opportunities for exploration.

The game is not completely linear. It’s also not an open world either. Furushima also described that there is a lot of radiation across different environments and similar factors.

Progression

The game has two types of progression. There are individual skill trees for both Emma and Koo. Two, there is equipment progression for both characters as well.

Skill Trees

Emma and Koo have their own skill trees that complement each other. As Emma and Koo’s bond grows, the more skills you’ll be able to unlock. In addition, ranged and stealth builds are available to Emma depending on the skills you unlock. Emma can also wield bows, crossbows, and other ranged weapons.

Equipment Progression

Emma can equip spirit stones, which will grant her stat bonuses. These bonuses are triggered when Emma successfully parries. Koo can equip charms, which will give him passive abilities. The charms will affect Koo’s Bloom arts and his passive abilities.

Emma and Koo

Furushima describes Emma as a blank slate. She has no memories, emotions, or feelings when you first meet her. The reasons could be because of her status as a blighted one. As a blighted one, Emma is treated as an outcast by other humans. Emma lives an isolated lifestyle due to her exile.

Koo is also a blighted one. He is a malefact: a creature that has the blight or corruption inside them. Usually Emma hunts malefacts, but she ends up teaming up with Koo. Then, they go on a journey together.

Since Emma and Koo are blighted ones, I hope the bond between them develops and unlocks Emma’s character. We may learn why Emma is a sealer, how she became a blighted one, and other aspects of her past. I have the same things for Koo, too.

Mythology

For myths and legends, Furushima says there will be a lot of natural environments. These natural environments will consist of plant life, flora, and fauna inspired by Japan. Plants and animals will also be based on Japan’s history.

Furushima referred to the Sakura tree, or cherry blossom, as a good example. He goes on to say that Beast of Reincarnation will have a sort of local feel with the creatures you meet. I don’t know about you, but I find this to be fascinating.

I like the fact that this game will be set in Japan. Considering their work with Pokémon and their designs, I think there will be some cool lore and creature designs. The creatures and lore could have Japanese mythology to them as well. There are plenty of regions and Pokémon based on mythology. Prime examples of this are Legendary Pokémon.

Mysteries Beyond

Beast of Reincarnation will have further mysteries about its world. One peculiar mystery is looking up at the sky. Some people are told to never look up at the sky as a vital rule. There is an ancient legend that says something is floating up there.

Beast of Reincarnation’s world will have multiple factions, like Golems. Thanks to the Blight, humanity is nearly extinct. Humans have transferred themselves into Golems. Golems are described as mechanical enemies Emma will have to face.

Wrapping Up

There you have it. That’s all of the information about Beast of Reincarnation. As I mentioned before, this is a promising new IP by Game Freak. It makes me glad that Game Freak is getting the chance to grow and really flex its muscles.

From what we have seen so far, I’m excited about the story, lore, characters, and the combat. Emma, Koo, and their world sound intriguing and exciting. I look forward to Emma and Koo’s bond as it will affect and grow their individual selves.

The combat also has me excited, as it’s a hybrid system like FF7R and Trails of the Sky. Recently, I have been playing games with hybrid combat systems. I’m starting to love them as much as I do action RPGs.

If there is one concern I have with Beast of Reincarnation, it is the performance. While Furushima has attempted to lay those concerns to rest. I can’t help but be a little concerned about that.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s performances were really bad. Pokémon Z-A Legend’s performance was a lot better, though. Game Freak did learn from their past mistakes with balancing visual fidelity and performance. So, I hope the same lessons have been applied to Beast of Reincarnation.

Nonetheless, I’m excited for this game.  I don’t think I have ever this excited or hyped have been about Game Freak’s game.  I can’t wait to play it and dive into its world.

Sources: IGN, VGC, The Games Wiki- Beast of Reincarnation