Beast of Reincarnation preview: Game Freak's Sekiro-inspired action-RPG launches August 4

Game Freak and co-developer Fictions are launching Beast of Reincarnation on August 4 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. Press got 90 minutes of hands-on time with the opening section, and the consensus is broadly positive — though reviewers warn this is a game that rewards patience with its systems rather than rushing through them.

The combat draws clear inspiration from Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, but director Kota Furushima's game is more forgiving. Parry windows are wider, and players have far more tactical options than FromSoftware's 2019 classic allowed. The core loop works like this: protagonist Emma fights in real time, and every successful parry fills a Florescence Points gauge. Spend those FP to summon wolf companion Koo, which throws the action into slow motion — similar to Final Fantasy VII Remake's command pause — letting you pick from a menu of Bloom Arts attacks. Koo's moves include Higanbana Seeds for ranged chip damage and Higanbana Roots to bind up to three enemies at once. Landing a QTE after selecting a Bloom Art determines its effectiveness, a mechanic that echoes Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Emma also has her own plant-based toolkit — growing vines to grapple, build bridges, launch herself into the air, and execute stealth drop kills. Both characters have separate upgradeable skill trees, and defeating bosses unlocks new powers for the pair.

The game spans roughly 10 stages and is estimated at 30 to 40 hours for a full playthrough. It is not an open-world game, but each region is wide enough for side exploration, optional loot, and gear materials. The story is set 2000 years in the future in a post-apocalyptic Japan overrun by a blight that fuses plant matter onto animals and turns them feral — Emma appears immune and can weaponize the virus herself. Multiple previews flag the opening as deliberately cryptic, and Polygon noted that the early mechanical explanations were too minimal, with a full tutorial codex tucked away at campfire save points rather than surfaced upfront. The atmosphere drew NieR: Automata comparisons from at least one outlet, and the orchestral score apparently leans into that.

Reaction from the preview event is enthusiastic, with several writers calling it Game Freak's most ambitious project outside Pokémon — the studio is simultaneously developing the next mainline entry, Pokémon Winds and Waves, for Switch 2 in 2027. The main caveat across previews is that the game's depth only becomes apparent once you slow down and dig into its systems, so expect a learning curve in the opening hours. Beast of Reincarnation hits PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S on August 4.