Game Freak is particularly known for the development of the Pokémon games. However, they have now announced their latest project, which thematically and especially graphically differs greatly from their usual formula – and confuses fans quite a bit.
Which game is being discussed? It is the new action RPG “Beast of Reincarnation,” which was announced during this year’s Xbox Games Showcase. It will be released in 2026 on Steam, the PS5, and Xbox and will also be included in Game Pass from day one.
Game Freak’s latest project is set in 4026 in a post-apocalyptic Japan, where a young woman named Emma must fight alongside a wolf against monsters and mechanical foes to save humanity from extinction. One travels through decaying landscapes, discovers hidden powers, and battles against opposing creatures that are not just of natural origin.
From the structure and atmosphere of the trailer, the characters and environments, “Beast of Reincarnation” is quite reminiscent of Studio Ghibli’s Princess Mononoke:
No one expected Game Freak’s new look
What is the reaction to the trailer? Under the trailer for “Beast of Reincarnation,” the community expresses a mix of surprise and unexpected anticipation, but also confusion and incomprehension. Because Game Freak and the look of the latest Pokémon games have been under scrutiny for some time.
- “I’m just saying what everyone is thinking – GAME FREAK IS DOING THIS????”, writes TrashStack. (via Reddit)
- “They made this game to prove to everyone that they can make good-looking games,” responds Schitzl1996 (via Reddit), “Now they just need to get the framerate under control.”
- “It seems like Game Freak knows how to make video games, but the Pokémon Company doesn’t let them… when it’s for Nintendo,” says @cha-cha_supercazador under the trailer on YouTube.
What does the community say about the comparison with Pokémon? For most, Game Freak is directly associated with the Pokémon Company. Besides Beast of Reincarnation, they are also responsible for the upcoming Pokémon Legends: Z-A. For this reason, it is inevitable that the two games are compared directly, resulting in the look of the latest Pokémon games being scrutinized even more.
“Both are games by Game Freak. Lmfao the Pokémon fans are going to be really TOXIC soon,” writes @pory_leaks in a post on X with a screenshot of both games showing the stylistic, but especially graphical difference.
Frustration among Pokémon players is also evident on Reddit:
- “Game Freak?? Where was this team during the Pokémon releases?”, writes Taurus24Silver.
- “Why do they make good-looking games like this, but Pokémon games still look terrible?”, questions RandomRedditor44.
- “This shows that they are obviously being held back by the development of Pokémon games,” writes Pen_dragons_pizza.
“Beast of Reincarnation” seems to have been a delightful surprise for many players at the Xbox Games Showcase 2025. Even though some of them are already worried about the optimization and framerate issues seen in the trailer, it will still be a while before they can see and play the final result. Those who want to learn more about current announcements can inform themselves here on MeinMMO: Summer Game Fest 2025: All announcements and the most important information at a glance
