Game Freak’s first major non-Pokémon action RPG has officially launched worldwide — and if you’ve been watching since the Famitsu score dropped ahead of release, the day-one reception data is now in. Beast of Reincarnation is available globally on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (Steam) as of 4 August 2026, and critics and players are giving it notably different verdicts.
What Critics Are Saying — Metacritic 73
The critical consensus on Metacritic sits at 73, which slots the game into the “generally favourable” band — a solid if unspectacular debut from a studio that has spent almost three decades making Pokémon. Famitsu’s pre-launch verdict of 35/40 (the individual scorer breakdown was 9/9/9/8) was among the more enthusiastic notices; other outlets landed in the 6–8 range. Recurring praise covers the Sekiro-adjacent combat, the haunting post-apocalyptic Japan setting, and Yui Ishikawa’s performance as protagonist Emma.
Steam Players Are Less Convinced — “Mixed” After 1,200+ Reviews
On Steam, the picture is cooler. Beast of Reincarnation sits at “Mixed” on launch day, with roughly 55% of over 1,200 user reviews recommending it. That gap between critical and player reception is the story right now: players who expected a rich open world to match the combat’s ambition report finding the environment hollow and under-populated, while critics generally treated the moment-to-moment action as enough to carry the experience.
It is worth noting that Steam reviews on a game’s first day often skew more polarised than they settle at a week or two in — especially for a game with an active combat system that rewards investment. Whether the “Mixed” rating stabilises or softens as more players sink deeper into the runtime is something to watch.
What Singapore Players Are Getting for S$59.99
On Steam in Singapore, Beast of Reincarnation is priced at S$59.99 for the base game. A Deluxe edition DLC is also listed separately. The PS5 version is available through the PlayStation Store in the same region. Given that Game Freak is the studio behind every mainline Pokémon game — a franchise that dominates Singapore’s gaming retail — this is their most-watched non-Pokémon launch by a considerable margin.
If you’re on the fence: the combat is where the game earns its score. Players who came in hoping for a world to get lost in report disappointment; players who wanted a tight, stylish action experience with a strong mechanical loop are warmer on it. At S$59.99, it sits in a range where a “try it and see” approach is reasonable — and if the Steam rating shifts meaningfully in either direction over the next week, we’ll flag it.
Beast of Reincarnation is out now on Steam and the PlayStation Store. Check out more Game News on GameTrader.SG.