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Game Freak’s Beast of Reincarnation splits critics despite thin story consensus
Developed over time first seen 3 months ago
Reviews of Game Freak's Beast of Reincarnation have converged on a broadly middling verdict, with critics agreeing the Souls-inspired action game leans too heavily on its inspirations while offering little of its own beyond serviceable combat. The Pokémon studio's departure from familiar territory drew comparisons to Sekiro, Nier: Automata, Stellar Blade and Final Fantasy 7 Remake across multiple outlets, with most reviewers finding the game competent but derivative rather than a genuine creative reinvention.
The title launched on 4 August for PlayStation 5, Windows PC and Xbox Series X, and sits at 74 on Metacritic based on 27 reviews. IGN's Travis Northup and Game Informer's Wesley LeBlanc both scored it 6/10, criticising repetitive enemies and forgiving combat, while Eurogamer's Matt Wales awarded three stars, citing a chaotic, poorly explained introduction to its systems. Giant Bomb and Polygon likewise judged the story and characters "underwhelming," though a notable outlier came from GamesRadar's Luke Kemp, who gave the game 4.5 stars for what he described as unexpected philosophical depth beneath its familiar apocalyptic-Japan setting.
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In short
- Game Freak's Soulslike Beast of Reincarnation gets mixed, mostly average reviews.
- Metacritic score sits at 74 from 27 reviews after 4 August launch.
- GamesRadar praised its depth; most others called the story thin.
How this story developed
- 3 months ago Named critics sharpened the complaint, as Polygon's Giovanni Colantonio branded the game "an act of conformity" that "never earns its heart" and Giant Bomb's Shawn McDowell called its story and characters "underwhelming at best," even as both praised the combat, leaving Kemp's 4.5-star outlier as the sole dissent from an otherwise settled 74 Metacritic verdict.
- 3 months ago Additional outlets weighed in as the score held steady at 74 from 27 reviews, with Eurogamer's Matt Wales and Giant Bomb joining the chorus of criticism over a chaotic tutorial and underwhelming narrative, cementing a consensus that the game is competent but derivative rather than a bold departure for its Pokémon-making studio.
- 3 months ago Game Freak followed up its Pokémon legacy with Beast of Reincarnation, a Souls-inspired action title launched 4 August across PS5, PC and Xbox Series X, drawing a 74 Metacritic score from early reviews that praised its combat but faulted a thin, derivative story, with GamesRadar's Luke Kemp standing out by awarding it 4.5 stars for unexpected philosophical depth.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Derivativeness in mechanical structure need not negate artistic value if a game explores compelling themes with genuine philosophical depth. Familiar frameworks can serve as effective vehicles for meaningful ideas; beneath surface similarities to established titles, Beast of Reincarnation pursues thematic concerns worthy of engagement. A work should be evaluated on the artistic vision it achieves rather than merely the architectural similarities it shares with precedents.
The case against
When experienced studios venture into established genres with substantial resources, audiences reasonably expect either innovation or exceptional execution that justifies engaging with familiar formulas. Beast of Reincarnation's reliance on frameworks from superior games—coupled with forgiving mechanics, repetitive enemies, and underdeveloped characters—offers limited reason to prefer it over its influences. Competent derivativeness does not necessarily fulfil the creative possibilities available to such an undertaking.
Explained simply
Game Freak, the studio behind Pokémon, has branched out into a new genre with Beast of Reincarnation, an action game influenced by the "Soulslike" style popularised by titles such as Dark Souls and Sekiro. These games are known for tough, methodical combat and cryptic storytelling. Beast of Reincarnation is set in a bleak, futuristic version of Japan and launched on 4 August for PlayStation 5, PC and Xbox Series X.
Because it comes from a studio so closely tied to one of the world's biggest gaming franchises, the release has drawn attention as a test of whether Game Freak can succeed outside its usual territory. Reviews are judged partly on how the game measures up against well-established rivals in the same genre, including Sekiro, Nier: Automata and Stellar Blade, which have set the benchmark for what these games typically offer.
Aggregate review scores, such as those compiled by Metacritic, gather ratings from multiple critics into a single figure to give an early snapshot of how a game has been received. This matters because such scores can shape a game's commercial success and public perception in its crucial first days on sale, even though individual reviewers often disagree sharply on its merits.
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Originally published by Polygon as “Beast of Reincarnation review roundup: Pokémon team’s Soulslike can’t escape its inspirations”.