Score status: not yet available. Metacritic and OpenCritic aggregate scores only appear once reviews go live, typically 1–2 days before or on release day. Bookmark this page — we update it live.
Is Beast of Reincarnation good?
Too early for a definitive answer, but the pre-release signal is cautiously positive: previews praise the combat feel and the distinctive art direction, while the big unknown is whether the "one-person, one-dog" system and stage-based structure hold up across a full playthrough. Game Freak's director has publicly framed the studio's priority as the gameplay experience over raw visual fidelity, which sets expectations — this is a systems-and-feel game, not a graphics showcase.
What the score will hinge on
| Factor | Why it matters to the score |
|---|---|
| Combat depth | Whether the parry → time-slow → Koo loop stays engaging or gets solved early. |
| Boss design | The genre's make-or-break — colossal Nushi set pieces need to deliver. |
| Technical state | UE5 performance and bugs at launch heavily sway review scores. |
| Story payoff | Emma and Koo both "carry a heavy secret" — narrative landing affects the ceiling. |
How this compares to expectations
As Game Freak's first AAA and first non-Pokémon action RPG at this scale, the bar is "does it prove the studio can do this?" A strong score would reframe Game Freak entirely; a weak one confirms skeptics. Our own independent take lives on the review page — written from a finished playthrough, not a preview build.
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Last updated: July 7, 2026