"I bet they didn't crunch this in a year or 2": As Switch 2 gives Pokemon Scarlet and Violet a needed FPS boost, fans blast GameFreak one last time as it unveils its gorgeous new action RPG

There are some developers you just can't believe aren't owned by a parent company. I've been a Pokemon fan all my life and a games journalist for almost five years, and I'd have bet money that Game Freak only worked with Nintendo. But during Summer Game Fest, it revealed Beast of Reincarnation, a third-person action game it's making for PC, Xbox Series, and PS5 – not Nintendo Switch 2. No one can believe this is the same company that made Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.

Beast of Reincarnation looks like a modern triple-A game, because it is. Gone are the saturated hues and sparse environmental details of Pokemon, in are dense foliage, colossal bosses, and swift combat. The difference is night and day – or Sun and Moon.

"GameFreak, Gen 10 better look amazing on Nintendo Switch 2 next year if you all are capable of making games look like this compared to Pokemon," writes one awestruck fan on Twitter. "Same developers. Game Freak cannot be serious," writes another.

People have been clowning on Game Freak for how bad Pokemon Scarlet and Violet run for ages. It's a lot better on the Switch 2, but people still can't believe the company is capable of this.

Over on Reddit, one person writes, in all caps which I shall spare you from, "Game Freak made this?! Bro, this is Game Freak?" I know, we're all just as shocked, honestly.

"I bet they didn't crunch this in a year or two," replies one person. Since a new Pokemon Game is released every couple of years by Game Freak, a lot of people believe the team is overworked.

GAMEFREAK MADE THIS?! BRO THIS IS GAMEFREAK from r/PokemonScarletViolet

However, even though Beast of Reincarnation is due out in 2026, with Pokemon Legends: Z-A coming later this year, Game Freak introduced a four-day work week back in 2022, so we have no evidence crunch is an issue.

On BlueSky, one person jokes: "Game Freak: We hired a guy who told us what textures are. It has really revolutionized our whole deal."

It's unbelievable how different this looks to Pokemon. Considering Cyberpunk 2077 is coming to Switch 2, it's not like Game Freak couldn't make a game look like this on the hardware, but clearly that's just not the aesthetic direction either it or Nintendo wants to take Pokemon in.

While we wait for next year, check out all the other upcoming games you have to look forward to.