Beast of Reincarnation Review: Game Freak's NieR-Style Action RPG
Game Freak, the Pokémon developer, has stepped into a proper AAA-style with a title that wears its NieR:Automata influences openly, and the review's job is to judge whether that work stands on its own.
Reporting from 1 source: Anime News Network.
Anime News Network reviews Beast of Reincarnation, the action RPG from Game Freak, the Pokémon developer, published by Fictions, Inc. for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. Set in the year 4026, the story follows Purifier Emma and her giant blighted dog Koo as they fight a corrupting blight. The review frames the game as a clear NieR:Automata influence and asks whether it carves its own identity.
Game Freak, the studio behind Pokémon, has shipped its action RPG Beast of Reincarnation, published by Fictions, Inc. for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. The review was written on a PS5 code.
The story is set in the year 4026, where the Beast of Reincarnation has spread a corrupting blight. Purifier Emma can absorb the blight and use it against enemies, and she is joined by Koo, a giant blighted dog with a mysterious connection to her. Together they cross a ruined world to destroy the Beast.
The reviewer opens with a confession of fondness for NieR:Automata and a determination to play this game since its 2025 reveal trailer, which they describe as a blend of NieR, Bayonetta, and Princess Mononoke. The review's central question is whether the game can carve an identity of its own under the weight of those obvious parallels.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.
Sources
- Anime News Network Game Review