- Key Update: Game Freak’s latest IP is a bold action-RPG departure from its traditional Pokemon-style games, featuring Emma and her companion Koo in a post-apocalyptic world.
- Status: Confirmed
- Last Verified: January 22, 2026
- Quick Answer: Beast of Reincarnation is Game Freak’s new action-RPG, featuring real-time combat, boss battles, and a companion system, unlike their usual turn-based Pokemon formula.
Beast of Reincarnation, Game Freak’s latest IP, feels like a totally different game from what they’re used to.
Nintendo fans have long recognized that Game Freak is largely responsible for Pokemon’s success over the years, spawning numerous entries from the franchise with its traditional “gotta catch ‘em all” motif. To add to that, Pokemon’s vibrant palette of colors and cute aesthetic made it a very marketable game among kids.
With Beast of Reincarnation, Game Freak takes a bold departure from its usual turn-based exploration formula, instead embracing an action-RPG approach similar ot the likes of NieR: Automata and Capcom’s Okami, with a little bit of art direction taken from Studio Ghibli's Princess Mononoke.
Players who’ve seen its gameplay can notice a few Soulslike inspirations, as they constantly dodge attacks from towering boss fights. However, Beast of Reincarnation isn’t trying to go in that direction with its easy to learn combat system.
While Game Freak’s Beast of Reincarnation dabbles in new genre territory with its action-RPG elements, the studio hasn’t completely abandoned its Pokemon roots.
One of the game’s familiar elements is the bond between its protagonist, Emma, and her mysterious silver-furred canine companion, Koo. Much likea Pokemon Trainer and their partner Pokemon, Emma and Koo embark on a shared journey across the game’s post-apocalyptic world, taking on a rogue’s gallery of notorious monsters, as well as learning to rely on each other.
Both Emma and Koo share one ultimate goal: defeat the Beast of Reincarnation. However, doing so is no easy feat. They must build more strength by slaying "Nushi" or Bosses across the game world. Pokemon fans will immediately recognize this gameplay loop, where players take down Gym Leaders to earn recognition and power. That structure also exists in Beast of Reincarnation, but it’s reimagined on a far grander and more dangerous scale.
Even with its Pokemon inspirations, Beast of Reincarnation is set to be Game Freak’s most ambitious game yet, especially in how it prioritizes performance and player experience first. In an interview with IGN, game director Kota Furishima addressed Game Freak’s focus on delivering a more polished game experience for players, saying, “Our focus is on that gameplay experience. Part of that, of course, is making sure that it performs really well, but our attention is more on getting the experience over to you and making sure that our vision can get to your hands and your hearts.”
Many fans are wondering how Game Freak pulled off a gorgeous game like Beast of Reincarnation since their previous entries, notably Pokemon Legends Z-A, were critcized for its barebones visuals and unoptimized performance. Some even joked that maybe it was “Nintendo’s problem all along” and Game Freak really had the talent to do something like this from the beginning.
Overall, Beast of Reincarnation is shaping up to be a great title, but it’s still too early to tell how it competes against more popular action-RPGs in the market like FromSoftware’s Elden Ring. One thing is clear: Game Freak is really taking bold risks that break from its traditional Pokemon gameplay with real-time action and a more ambitious refocus when it comes to optimization. This is unlike Game Freak’s repertoire, and many curious Pokemon fans are willing to try what this game is really all about.
Beast of Reincarnation is slated for release in 2026 on PlayStation 5, PC, and Xbox Series X/S, and will also be available day one on Xbox Game Pass. Oddly enough, the complete absence of a Nintendo Switch 2 version has already raised questions among fans.
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