Screenshots & trailers
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (OpenCritic) | – | 72 | 200 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 58% | 59 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 63 | 182 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 61% | 61 | 134 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Aug 31, 2026) · 0 reviews sampled · 134 total reviews in window · weighted 0 up / 0 down · computed 1h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (136)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 40
“Unfortunately, Beast of Reincarnation is a complete failure for Game Freak. Graphics straight out of the last decade, unresponsive controls, bugs, and performance issues are just a few of the elements that work against this game. I’m incredibly sad about this, because the game had enormous potential before its release, which was completely destroyed when we received the final product.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Is it worth giving the game a chance? Yes, but don't expect to suddenly discover a "hidden gem." In Beast of Reincarnation, there's roughly an equal mix of what can captivate you and what makes you yawn. Moreover, Game Freak isn't doing itself any favors by borrowing so heavily from other projects without managing to fully deliver on any of it.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“An atmospheric and occasionally touching action game from a studio that has never done anything like it, and unfortunately, it shows. The plot is depressing, exploring the locations isn't particularly engaging, and the bosses are repetitive, but the excellent combat system alone makes it worth checking out. Waiting for a huge discount, of course.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“Beast of Reincarnation is like a cheap soda, as the first fizzy sip may excite you, but it only ever gets flatter from there.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Beast of Reincarnation is a bold step outside Game Freak’s comfort zone, and much of what works here showcases a genuinely talented studio trying something new. The problem is that the experience as a whole is held back by decisions that undermine its potential: a narrative that takes too long to get going, an excessive reliance on recycled bosses, repetitive environments, and PC optimization that still needs some work. It’s a game with genuine moments of brilliance, but they’re surrounded by quite a bit of padding, repetition, and a constant sense of “almost there.” It’s worth checking out for fans of the genre who are willing to overlook some missteps, but it falls well short of being the definitive leap Game Freak may have been looking for beyond Pokémon.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Beast of Reincarnation delivers flashy and flexible combat through the strong partnership between Emma and Koo, but dull storytelling, repetitive environments, and a persistent lack of polish prevent its ambitious journey from reaching its full potential.”
read full review ↗ - 73
“Beast of Reincarnation boasts distinctive visuals and easy action, but meaningless, repetitive boss fights and generic level design keep it firmly short of what action-game fans expect, a game that fails to realize its own potential.”
read full review ↗ - 65
“Beast of Reincarnation provides a very engaging, organic exploration with remarkable freedom of movement. It is also full of systems that aren’t always well designed and tedious cutscenes that take ages to tell a relatively simple story. It’s a decent game that comes very close to being really good, but the latter half drags it down by neglecting its greatest strengths. Ultimately, I still think the game is worth a go for fans of the genre.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Its combination of atmosphere and discovery, even at the expense of a little jank, ultimately gives Beast of Reincarnation a distinct experience that more polished games lack. There is plenty of room for refinement, but Game Freak has nevertheless delivered a solid action RPG.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“Game Freak has crafted a very good action, role-playing game in Beast of Reincarnation, and minor gameplay quirks and a so-so story don't detract from the fun.”
read full review ↗ - 73
“Beast of Reincarnation is most compelling not because it reinvents the action RPG, but because of what it represents for Game Freak. For a studio so closely identified with Pokémon, stepping into a darker, more mature and mechanically demanding world is a meaningful creative departure in itself. The game does not always match the ambition of its ideas, but it consistently reveals a studio willing to experiment, to question the boundaries of its established identity and discover what might exist beyond them. At the heart of that experiment are Emma and Koo, whose relationship remains the game’s defining achievement. Game Freak could easily have treated Koo as a conventional companion, but instead makes him inseparable from both the emotional and mechanical structure of the adventure. The player does not simply watch their bond develop; they learn to depend on it. Emma’s attacks, Koo’s abilities, defensive options and opportunities for coordination gradually become part of a shared combat language, giving their relationship a tangible presence that few narrative partnerships manage to achieve. That philosophy carries directly into the combat system, which is at its strongest when it asks the player to understand rather than simply overpower. Timing, positioning, parries, evasive manoeuvres and Koo’s abilities all contribute to a rhythm that becomes increasingly satisfying as its rules reveal themselves. The Nushi encounters are the clearest expression of this design. These bosses are not simply larger enemies with more health; their behaviour, attack patterns and visual cues demand observation and adaptation. The most satisfying victories therefore come not from numerical superiority, but from understanding how an encounter works. Progression complements that approach without overwhelming it. New abilities, equipment and powers acquired through major encounters provide a clear sense of growth, while the ability to shape Emma’s build gives the player room to experiment with different approaches. The system is not particularly revolutionary, but it serves the combat well, ensuring that progression feels connected to the challenges the player is overcoming rather than existing merely as an external reward structure. The same confidence can be found in the game’s visual identity. Japan in 4026 is one of Beast of Reincarnation’s most convincing ideas because Game Freak understands that a post-apocalyptic world does not have to be defined by destruction alone. Here, civilisation has been gradually absorbed by the world that followed it. Trees split apart abandoned structures. Vegetation overwhelms infrastructure. Waterways reclaim spaces once controlled by humanity. Technology remains scattered throughout the landscape, but increasingly resembles the archaeological remains of a vanished age. This relationship between decay and renewal gives the setting a personality of its own. Some of the game’s most memorable images emerge not from its largest set pieces, but from quieter moments in which Emma and Koo move through landscapes where human architecture and natural growth have become almost impossible to separate. The world often feels as though it has continued living after humanity stopped being its dominant force. The irony is that the strength of this world also highlights one of the game’s greatest limitations. Beast of Reincarnation frequently creates the impression of an environment that should invite deeper exploration than its level design ultimately allows. The landscapes suggest hidden histories and possibilities, yet the structure remains relatively controlled, with exploration generally serving the forward momentum of the campaign rather than challenging it. There are optional discoveries and resources, but rarely the kind of systemic freedom that makes a world feel genuinely unpredictable. The narrative follows much the same pattern. Its strongest material is found in the personal journey of Emma, particularly in the relationship between memory, identity and loneliness. Her inability to fully understand her own past gives the story a natural reason to investigate the world alongside the player, while Koo provides an emotional constant as she gradually learns how to connect with others. These ideas give the narrative genuine weight, even when some of its broader developments fall back on more familiar science-fiction and JRPG conventions. For all its narrative ambitions, Beast of Reincarnation is therefore most effective when it remains intimate. Emma and Koo are more compelling than the mythology surrounding them, and their relationship often communicates more than the larger exposition ever could. The game has plenty of interesting ideas about humanity, technology, memory and the natural world, but it is the emotional simplicity of two characters learning to rely on one another that gives those ideas their strongest foundation. The soundscape reinforces that intimacy. Environmental audio gives the reclaimed wilderness an almost constant presence, while subtle details, from insects and vegetation to distant wildlife, make the world feel active even when nothing is happening on screen. Combat sounds provide equally important feedback, helping the player read impacts, parries and successful actions, while the vocal-driven soundtrack gives key moments a distinctly emotional character. Audio rarely feels like decoration; at its best, it becomes another way of communicating what Emma cannot always express herself. There are, however, moments when the experience loses that sense of cohesion. The pacing occasionally becomes uneven, with narrative interruptions breaking the momentum established by exploration and combat. Some secondary activities feel noticeably less developed than the game’s central encounters, while the RPG systems provide meaningful progression without offering the depth that more systems-focused players may expect. Technically, the move to Unreal Engine 5 demonstrates the scale of Game Freak’s ambitions, but it also reveals an uneven level of refinement across environments, animations and secondary details. These shortcomings ultimately prevent Beast of Reincarnation from reaching the level of greatness its strongest moments occasionally suggest. Yet they do not diminish the importance of what Game Freak has attempted. In fact, the contrast is revealing: whenever the studio embraces its new ideas, the game becomes considerably more distinctive; whenever it falls back on familiar structures, that individuality becomes less pronounced. That is ultimately why Beast of Reincarnation works best as a statement of intent. It is neither a flawless action RPG nor a genre-defining reinvention, and judging it by either standard would miss what makes it interesting. What Game Freak has created instead is something more valuable at this particular stage: a clear indication of where the studio might want to go next, and of what becomes possible when it steps beyond the enormous shadow of Pokémon. Beast of Reincarnation may leave some of its potential unrealised, but what it does accomplish is difficult to dismiss: it proves that Game Freak’s creative identity extends far beyond the world that made its name.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“Beast of Reincarnation hides one of the best parry systems of the year beneath a stillness that sometimes weighs too heavy. When it all clicks, it's pure elegance; when it doesn't, you feel every extra second of silence.”
read full review ↗
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Patch history
- Beast of Reincarnation PC Patch Notes: v1.0.10Aug 31, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Beast of Reincarnation PC Patch Notes: v1.0.9Aug 24, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Beast of Reincarnation PC Patch Notes: v1.0.8Aug 15, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Beast of Reincarnation PC Patch Notes: v1.0.7Aug 9, 2026significant · resets scoring window