Beast of Reincarnation: The Final Preview

[00:03] barely any semblance of humanity other than the robots they created and perhaps a few survivors who've scraped by in a post-apocalypse. A blight has swept the gone feral with a zombie-like virus where tree roots sprout from their

[00:17] bodies and make them hostile. But Emma, she's a little different. She's the protagonist in Beast of Reincarnation and is able to wield this virus as a superpower where her hair can create platforms to jump off, boost her into

[00:29] platforms to jump off, boost her into the air, and attack her enemies. have a Final Fantasy 7 remake- like RPG element to complement the fast securesque action. What this all told me in the hour and a

[00:45] developer Game Freak is shooting for something bigger, more ambitious, and previously made. It's drawing from several games we've seen before and piecing them together in its own way while setting up a story that touches on

[00:59] embracing our humanity. And now that I've played it, Beast of Reincarnation feels like Game Freak's best opportunity to break out of Pokémon shadow.

[01:18] establishing its science fantasy contrast as Emma vows to protect a recovering in their deacto headquarters which is an atat looking walker. She jumps out, dawning her samurai sword and a Ronin inspired fit. And the precious

[01:32] orchestral tune with dramatic choir vocals build an atmosphere that veers so close to near automa that I couldn't shake the comparison.

[01:48] classic, you're dropped into a war zone as the tutorial mission. Missiles drop from the sky, blighted creatures are on the attack, and robots fight alongside Reincarnation's fast-paced action works. Timing parries, and Emma's fancy blade

[02:01] art special attacks, along with commanding coup as if he was a Pokémon himself, I quickly saw how this game's combat system is both easy to pick up combat system is both easy to pick up and incredibly fun to engage with.

[02:16] some lore that hints at how humanity destroyed its own world. And the broken overgrown environment are the results of its own corruption. But there's hope in Emma is headed as you're dropped into the first open region. This isn't

[02:31] folks from Publisher Fictions explained to me that there are several open goes on. They aren't exactly interconnected, and the story will push opportunity to return once you're past them, giving the impression that it's

[02:45] straightforward than its map would imply. It's estimated to be about 30 to 40 hours for an earnest full playthrough. So, it doesn't appear that won't be racking up side quests to fill up a quest log since it's not that kind

[02:59] of game, there's still a lot to find off the beaten path with gear and upgrade stuck to the main quest to see as much of this story as I could and really test of this story as I could and really test its combat system.

[03:17] generous. Even as it evokes the pacing and rhythm of a Seiro or Neo, it won't be nearly as hard. At least that's my initial impression. Still, recognizing dodge or to be aggressive with parries are key to controlling Emma and creating

[03:32] windows for blade arts or gruesome finishers. And thankfully, the controls are swift and responsive as any decent action game requires.

[03:47] he's how this game leans into the RPG realm a bit more. Time stops when you pull up his command menu, giving you a chance to be more tactical and cast prowess. Coup spell casting works similar to FF7 remakes ATB system where

[04:01] you build up points during the action to then spend on casting his abilities. And when you do, there's a little QTE prompt to amplify his effectiveness. In the demo, I could have him cast fireballs and inflict burn status,

[04:15] sprout a tree for me to launch up to, or blast tree roots to bind multiple they're part of an attack rotation showed me that there's potential depth playing it straight like a tough action game. There's a lot to dig into with the

[04:30] since they share the same pool of skill points, I suspect there will be a sense of build crafting, or at least ways to emphasize the parts of combat you like most. The fiction's rep explained to me that progression was built in a way that

[04:43] for those who aren't as in tune with action combat and vice versa. For me, I like a good mix of both since I think they work extremely well in tandem, especially in challenging boss fights where difficulty seems to ramp up.

[05:01] this fight where Beast of Reincarnation's systems started to interlock clearly. It was hanging out in a river basin below, so I used Emma's hair as a platform to get the jump on it with a leaping aerial strike to start

[05:15] the battle with the upper hand. From there, my primary plan of attack was to nail down the parry timing of its antler swings and read its animations parry and sword strike, I would dwindle its stagger meter. Simultaneously, who

[05:29] moment so I could get a few more swings in or help me chip away at its health with fireballs? This boss is also physically towering. And sometimes the camera has trouble locking onto a much bigger target, especially when backed

[05:42] into a corner. So having Ku's tree sprout up as a grapple point helped me Eventually, it'll start dashing around the arena, letting me use the longrange before bracing for another round of parries.

[05:56] Country. So, based on what I've played so far, I think Beast of Reincarnation blends its traversal mechanics, RPG elements, and hard action foundation into a singular flowing combat system. And while I don't think any one of those

[06:09] parts are particularly outstanding on their own, it's the smart confluence of all three that make it stand out in a sea of soulsish action games that try principles. What I'm looking forward to now is how it's going to evolve as the

[06:22] story goes on and how boss fights further along will challenge me in further along will challenge me in increasingly interesting ways.

[06:34] that's going to completely win me over with Beast of Reincarnation. This is also Game Freak's chance to show its chops as storytellers. Say what you want about Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, but seldom have I seen a

[06:46] game elevate its story to completely unpredictable heights in its final hours like that. Of course, different folks work on various projects within that Game Freak has that potential within.

[07:03] to a flashback sequence where Emma was held captive by one of the more sophisticated robots. It's established here that Emma is also seen as a malifact given her blightborne powers with her hair that can be wielded like

[07:15] tree roots. She's told she has quote no heart, no humanity, no pity for your fellow malifax. To which she replies, quote, "What's pity?" Only to be left with quote your appearance is the only reminder you were human. And I believe

[07:28] the implication from this cut scene is that Emma is being used as a weapon humanoid robots to destroy the very thing that made her. Emma has a ghostly little girl named Violet by her side who

[07:40] "Empathy isn't beyond you, Emma. I'm understand." This push and pull on finding humanity in someone who seems devoid of emotion is pretty standard storytelling material, but when done

[07:53] well, it could still hit deep. The cut scenes feel a little stilted with limited animation, but that's where the writing needs to do the heavy lifting. coup as a pet who's experiencing the same struggle of being blightborne, it's

[08:06] easy to see how Beast of Reincarnation could be tugging on my heartstrings.

[08:18] or Ghost of Yot when it comes to action and style and of course near with its tone and narrative themes. I also can't help but see parallels with my favorite anime film of all time, Princess Monoke. a blight taking over the land caused by

[08:32] humanity's ignorance and abuse as a warrior girl and her wolf companion tucked within that messages about the importance of preserving your world. I'm the twists and turns we've come to expect from these kinds of stories

[08:46] already has me invested in the conflict Emma is caught between with what seems to be a world itself rebelling against civilization. From so many aspects, I reflected in Beast of Reincarnation, and that has me excited to see what it does

[08:59] with this foundation. Surprisingly though, director and writer Coto conversation that his biggest influence has been Bladeunner. In creating a new science fantasy world, Fushima said that he wanted to tap into visual themes of

[09:12] how technological creations have dwarfed the very people who made them. He also aesthetically, the vision of a retrofuturist dystopia stuck with him and he wanted to write his own version of that kind of story.

[09:26] I'm aware that Game Freak has made games outside its long history with Pokémon like Giger and Little Town Hero, but Beast of Reincarnation is on a different about 5 or 6 years, born out of an

[09:38] studio branch out and try new things. And I'm glad we won't have to wait long since it launches on August 4th for PlayStation, Xbox, and PC.

[09:53] coverage of The Blood of Dawn Walker. And for everything else in the world of And for everything else in the world of games, stick with IGN.