Pokémon fans may be giving Game Freak’s upcoming PS5 RPG Beast of Reincarnation some serious side-eye.
The post-apocalyptic game – developed using Unreal Engine 5 – looks lightyears ahead of studio’s Nintendo-bound efforts, even if its art does border on a little generic.
Pitched as a “one-person, one dog RPG”, the gameplay – as demonstrated during yesterday’s Xbox Developer Direct – looks a little bit like Final Fantasy 7 Remake, blending character action combat with turn-based RPG gameplay.
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Essentially, the protagonist, Emma, fights with a katana in fast-paced action combat. However, her dog, Koo, can assist with menu-based commands. When you parry enemy attacks you’ll build up a meter, which will allow you to call in your pet for assistance, while time slows down.
The press release reveals:
“Rather than forcing players to rely solely on split-second reflexes in high-pressure situations, we wanted to create moments where you can pause, think carefully, and fight with the tactical mindset of a command-based RPG.”
One other neat feature in the game is that Emma can leverage the power of plants to navigate her environment – but this “blight” has made her an outcast, and so comprises a core component of the plot.
Meanwhile, Koo is known as a “malefact”, or a creature that poses a threat to society.
Interestingly, Emma has been tasked with hunting and killing these divine beings, so their partnership is based on a fundamental incompatibility. In conjunction with their shared isolation, there are some interesting narrative dynamics at play here.
Which is all to say, this looks pretty good – surprisingly so. It’s definitely among the most ambitious side projects we’ve seen from Game Freak.
There’s no date attached to the title just yet, but it’s targeting a Summer 2026 release, so this will definitely be one to keep an eye on – especially if you enjoyed titles like Enslaved: Odyssey to the West on the PS3, which this project reminds us of.