What is Beast of Reincarnation, the New IP Coming From Pokemon Developer Game Freak?

When Beast of Reincarnation‘s first trailer dropped, I was immediately floored by the reveal that Game Freak, of all developers, would be making it. Pokémon fans will no doubt perk up when they see that name, as Game Freak has stewarded the monster-collecting video game franchise for decades, effectively serving as a factory for mainline entries in the series. Beast of Reincarnation will be Game Freak’s first non-Pokemon AAA game—an historic moment that’s hard to overstate.

It would be one thing if Beast of Reincarnation were something of a Pokémon clone or spiritual successor, but it most certainly is not. The game looks closer to Princess Mononoke than The Pokémon Company’s eponymous media giant, with simplified turn-based combat replaced with Sekiro-style slashing, dodging, and parrying. The tone is considerably darker than anything Game Freak has made before, and the art design is decidedly somber as well. It’s still quite mysterious, but its reveal trailer, and the sparse story information Game Freak has shared so far, offer a lot to chew on.

What is Beast of Reincarnation About?

Beast of Reincarnation release date: TBA 2026

As it’s slated for a 2026 launch, one can imagine that more information about Beast of Reincarnation is forthcoming; as it stands, though, we only have some cursory elements to speculate about, one of which being the game’s story. Beast of Reincarnation is set in a post-apocalyptic future, likely brought about by the titular beast itself, which appeared “long ago,” according to the reveal trailer. The Beast of Reincarnation spreads “blight” wherever it goes, “corrupting all living things.” Visually, this beast is depicted as an elk-like creature that speeds up the growth and decay process of all flora it touches.

The Beast of Reincarnation’s appearance and birth-regrowth symbolism are extremely reminiscent of Princess Mononoke‘s Spirit of the Forest, to the point where it’s probable that Game Freak is paying a deliberate homage to Studio Ghibli.

Players fill the role of Emma the Sealer, a “Blighted One” who is cast out of society. Alongside a dog named Koo, Emma must travel through the game’s lush world to stave off humanity’s extinction, perhaps by killing the Beast of Reincarnation itself. Again, this is all quite vague, but Beast of Reincarnation seems to be prodding at some interesting themes, such as the balance between humanity and nature, and the horrors of inevitable death and decay. Needless to say, it seems much more complex thematically than Pokémon.

What Is Beast of Reincarnation’s Gameplay Like?

Part of Emma’s “Blighted” condition is an ability to control plant life, which in turn gives her certain advantages in combat and traversal situations. In Beast of Reincarnation‘s reveal trailer, we can see Emma growing a thick coil of vines to form a bridge, as well as generating a sort of viney grapple hook to pull herself toward a boss. The mid-battle grapple hook in particular looks like it was pulled straight from Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. That’s far from the only parallel between Beast of Reincarnation and FromSoftware’s 2019 samurai masterpiece: they seem to have very similar swordplay and parry mechanics.

There have been countless Sekiro-likes over the years, though perhaps Beast of Reincarnation‘s plant-based and dog-based abilities will help set it apart from the likes of Stellar Blade and Lies of P. Also worth noting is Beast of Reincarnation‘s science-fantasy premise: Emma will encounter grotesquely beautiful monsters and hostile machines in equal measure, it would seem. This is likely due to the game’s 4026 setting; it would be interesting to see Game Freak flex its sci-fi muscles here, offering a deep, multifaceted look into this far-future tech.

Beast of Reincarnation is certainly a far cry from Pokemon, and it would appear that Game Freak is looking to appeal to new demographics. Gamers will have to wait and see how it turns out, but at the moment, Beast of Reincarnation looks like a pretty solid, albeit slightly generic, action-slasher.