Review: Beast of Reincarnation is Game Freak’s best non-Pokémon swing in years — 8.0/10

Game Freak remembered it can make something that is not a gym badge tour. Beast of Reincarnation launches August 4, 2026 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC — including Xbox Game Pass day one — as a one-player, one-dog action RPG about Emma and companion beast Koo. The pitch that stuck in previews: real-time movement for Emma paired with command-style skills for the dog, a hybrid that feels like a tactical pause without freezing the whole arena.

What it gets right

Combat readability is the star. Koo’s kit turns fights into choreography instead of button mush, and the emotional leash between hunter and beast sells the reincarnation theme without a three-hour lecture. Exploration stays tighter than an open-world checklist farm, which is a blessing after a decade of Ubisoft towers. On Game Pass, the risk-free download removes the last excuse not to try a non-Pokémon Game Freak experiment.

Where the fur snags

Some progression menus and mid-game systems still feel like a studio learning a new engine’s UI grammar. Performance on base consoles will need day-one patch watch, and anyone expecting Pokémon creature collecting will bounce hard — this is a duo story, not a box of 150. Length sits in the “finishable vacation week” zone rather than hundred-hour encyclopedia.

Who should play today

Recommended for action-RPG fans who liked the idea of The Last Guardian’s bond without the camera trauma, and for Game Pass subscribers who can refund the afternoon with a cancel. Skip if you only wanted another Pokémon with a darker coat of paint.

Score: 8.0 / 10 — best non-Pokémon Game Freak energy in a long time. Pet the dog. Clear the dungeon.