Game Freak, famed for the Pokémon series, steps into fresh territory with Beast of Reincarnation, launching August 4. Players embody Emma the Sealer in a post-apocalyptic Japan, purging world corruption to rescue humanity. Expect gritty real-time combat, a haunting score, and breathtaking visuals—a stark shift from Pokémon’s vibrant clashes. Emma relies on her fluffy dog companion, Koo, to navigate blighted flora and massive Golems in this melancholic yet striking landscape.
Project Origins and Development
Kota Furushima, game director, initiated Beast of Reincarnation through personal passion. “To put it simply, this project started because I wanted to make it,” Furushima states. “I had always wanted to create a title based on my own idea, something with a unique feeling that players could only experience through this game.”
The concept emerged via Game Freak’s Gear Project pitch contest, reviewed by Satoshi Tajiri. Furushima’s proposal won an award six years ago, starting as a solo prototype before expanding with team backing into full production.
Key Inspirations and World Design
Furushima crafted the game around themes of warmth, reliability, and loneliness, envisioning a brutal world that demands intense close-quarters swordplay. Emma’s plant-fused hair allows independent control for fluid movement during swings or sprints.
The setting draws from Japanese animistic spirituality, emphasizing nature’s dominance. “I wanted to express the overwhelming presence of nature, especially the sense of being attacked by plants themselves,” Furushima explains. This birthed Malefacts—vegetation-clad foes embodying a savage, overgrown realm.
Pokémon Influence on Design
Furushima applies Pokémon-honed logic to evoke specific emotions. Rather than preset genres or styles, development began with a core feeling: the mood evoked while playing or upon completion. “We began with the question, ‘What kind of feeling do we want the player to have?'” he notes. This guided gameplay, art, sound, story, and characters.
Emma and Koo’s Vital Bond
The duo’s relationship anchors the narrative. Furushima chose a silent animal companion to heighten loneliness while enabling command-based gameplay. “A dog felt like the most intuitive choice,” he says, as it naturally obeys orders in turn-based battles, fostering a poignant human-animal dynamic that explores humanity.
Emma starts corrupted, isolated, and emotionless. Furushima hopes players interpret her growth through hands-on play, leaving personal discovery open-ended.
Innovative Combat Mechanics
Described as an “action RPG about one person and one animal,” battles fuse real-time action for Emma with strategic pauses for Koo. Successful parries charge Koo’s Bloom Arts—powerful moves selected via a command menu that slows time, enabling thoughtful choices like binding foes, dealing damage, creating escape points, targeting weaknesses, or providing support.
“These skills can be activated at any time, they allow players to respond to constantly shifting battle conditions,” Furushima details, blending split-second reflexes with tactical depth.
Director’s Closing Thoughts
After six years of development, Furushima conveys deep gratitude for fan support. The hybrid battle system delivers exclusive emotional highs and surprises. “We cannot wait for you to step into the world we have built,” he concludes.
