Beast of Reincarnation Review Scores: Game Freak’s Action RPG Gets Mixed Praise

Game Freak’s first big-budget action RPG outside the Pokémon universe, Beast of Reincarnation, has landed with review scores that suggest a solid game with clear rough edges: praised for its combat, but held back by story pacing, technical performance, and camera/targeting issues. The reception is already shaping expectations ahead of what could be the studio’s next steps.

Metacritic snapshot: 73 overall, “mixed or average” on PS5

With early reviews live worldwide, Metacritic is currently listing Beast of Reincarnation at an overall average of 73. That figure is based on 50 reviews at the time of reporting and is expected to shift as additional outlets publish results.

• Global Metacritic score: 73 (based on 50 reviews)
• PS5: 73 based on 50 reviews, categorized as “mixed or average”
• Xbox: only a small number of reviews so far
• Famitsu (JP): 35/40

Where critics agree: the parry-focused combat stands out

The critical consensus lines up around a simple split. Reviewers say the game’s best feature is its combat—highlighting a deep, satisfying parry system, a solid variety of playstyles, and meaningful progression. They also point to a visually appealing post-apocalyptic setting and, in particular, the relationship between the protagonist Emma and her dog Koo.

At the same time, multiple criticisms repeat. The narrative is frequently described as slow and at times convoluted, with gameplay loops that can become repetitive. Technical complaints include camera problems and target-lock/targeting behavior, along with performance drops—reported as stutters or frame pacing issues.

A major studio bet—now the technical fixes matter

Beast of Reincarnation was positioned as Game Freak’s high-stakes test: a first move away from Pokémon’s comfort zone into a demanding action RPG, released beyond Nintendo’s ecosystem on PS5, Xbox, and PC. The reviews indicate the studio has the ability to build an original, compelling combat system—often the hardest part of this genre.

However, the same pattern that has affected recent Pokémon releases appears again, especially around optimization and performance. The overall takeaway from the early scores is that this looks like a promising foundation rather than a fully polished debut—one that Game Freak can improve if it prioritizes stability, camera behavior, and narrative pacing.

What to watch next

As more outlets publish their scores, Metacritic’s number may move, especially on platforms with fewer reviews so far (notably Xbox). More importantly, players should watch for post-launch attention to the issues reviewers repeatedly flagged—performance stutters, camera/targeting problems, and repetitive gameplay pacing—as these are the areas most likely to determine whether Beast of Reincarnation can grow beyond its “good but not great” first impression.