Nintendo Life has rounded up early reviews for Game Freak's new action RPG, Beast of Reincarnation, which launches on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC rather than Nintendo formats. The Pokémon studio's departure into an entirely new IP has drawn a broadly positive but uneven critical reception, with reviewers weighing its combat and storytelling against some structural shortcomings.

Scores range from a glowing 9.5/10 from Vice, which likened it to Sekiro and NieR: Automata, down to a more measured 7/10 from Game Reactor UK. Common praise includes its combat system, soundtrack, world design and emotional storytelling, particularly the bond between its human and animal protagonists, while criticism centres on repetitive enemies, a confusing skill tree and occasional overdesign.

– Vice: 9.5/10 – praised for kinetic combat and emotional narrative
– Games Radar+: 4.5/5 – liked traversal and weapon variety, though fairly linear
– PlayStation Universe: 8.5/10 – strong soundtrack and combat over a 30-hour campaign
– RPG Site: 8/10 – praised human-animal bond despite some overdesign
– Digital Chumps: 7.8/10 – good story let down by repetitive enemies and a confusing skill tree
– Game Reactor UK: 7/10 – an enjoyable if lower-scoring side project