Beast of Reincarnation, the new action-RPG with big Sekiro and Nier vibes from longtime Pokemon developer Game Freak, is releasing on PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC this summer. It'll also be available day one on Xbox Game Pass.
Game Freak announced the date during today's Xbox Developer Direct alongside a developer presentation and some flashy new gameplay sequences. Beast of Reincarnation is the first full-blown AAA game outside of the Pokemon series to be developed by Game Freak, and untraditionally, it's releasing on PlayStation, PC, and Xbox instead of Nintendo hardware.
The game takes place in post-apocalyptic Japan in the year 4046, following a blight that parasitizes all forms of life and turns them into corrupted creatures called malefacts. Fortunately, you play as a gifted young woman named Emma, who has special powers that let her manipulate plant life to traverse unforgiving terrain and fight back against the malefacts. Emma is aided in exploration and combat by her fiercely loyal dog friend Koo, who can carry out ability commands in battle while Emma fights using real-time sword-based action. Here's hoping you can pet Koo endlessly.
Director Kota Furushima tells GamesRadar+ that when you manage to pull off parries, you earn points that can be used to activate Koo's abilities. "The command menu for Koo can be opened at any time, allowing players to move seamlessly between action and command-based combat. Through this flow, Koo's presence is constantly felt by your side," says Furushima.
Beast of Reincarnation is billed as a "one-person, one-dog action-RPG," and I can't wait to see what Game Freak is capable of outside of the Pokemon IP (and the lackluster Little Town Hero) when it releases this summer.
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