The Beast of Reincarnation Has a Severe Difficulty Problem

In a bleak, distant future on the brink of collapse, a formidable heroine named Emma navigates a brutal wasteland bent on eradicating humanity. Beast of Reincarnation, the latest action RPG from Game Freak, chronicles her perilous expedition and places the burden of survival entirely on the player’s shoulders.

The title is relentlessly demanding, occasionally featuring mechanics that feel deliberately obscure. While brief introductory tutorials attempt to decode its complex systems, players are immediately thrust into a reality where a single misstep can prove fatal—at least, that is the standard experience on Normal mode. However, a much more forgiving “Story” setting is available, though it ultimately misses the mark.

On Normal difficulty, adversaries present an authentic danger. Emma stealthily treads through floral fields accompanied by her loyal canine companion, Koo. While invaluable for flagging hidden threats that might otherwise blindside her, he occasionally disrupts the thrill of unearthing buried loot. Still, miss a warning, and Emma’s journey could terminate abruptly.

Even with a full health bar, a savage golem can dispatch Emma in a single precise strike before she registers the threat. Head-on confrontations with elite map guardians are equally treacherous, while towering Nushi boss monsters can obliterate the protagonist in mere seconds.

That design philosophy is entirely acceptable. The game intentionally leverages steep challenges to make victories feel earned, handsomely rewarding those who persevere. Embrace the punishing nature of the experience, and success will follow; reject it, and the alternative difficulty awaits.

Regardless of the chosen setting, Beast of Reincarnation demands complete engagement with its mechanics. Players must adapt to adversity by equipping superior armor, upgrading weaponry, and utilizing spirit stones. Mastering unique skill-tree abilities is essential for executing devastating attacks, healing amidst makeshift flower patches, and administering stimpacks during intense boss encounters.

Yet, the gulf between Story and Normal modes is jarring. Lethal foes that previously decimated over-leveled players in a single blow suddenly inflict negligible damage. These once-formidable creatures crumble effortlessly under volleys of arrows they previously brushed off, stripping away their menacing presence.

Admittedly, my initial attempts with Beast of Reincarnation were rough. I repeatedly struggled against the opening Nushi, falling short because I neglected Emma’s advanced techniques. My attempts to maintain distance failed as bosses rapidly closed the gap while I fumbled with projectile swapping.

Ultimately, utilizing the game’s flexible difficulty scaling, I tested Story mode—an experience that quickly made failure feel entirely impossible.

Accessible options in games have never bothered me. Titles like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild offered approachable wilderness exploration that could be scaled up in danger later. Because I appreciate well-crafted difficulty settings, I feel the creators of Beast of Reincarnation missed a valuable middle ground.

The Story option serves its intended purpose for genre newcomers, casual participants, or players uninterested in decoding convoluted, poorly explained tutorial systems. This accommodation makes sense; after a long workday, players may prefer mindless combat over tending post-apocalyptic gardens for stat boosts or navigating labyrinthine skill trees.

However, Story mode reduces incoming damage so drastically that exploration rewards and survival instincts lose their purpose. Complex skill trees become obsolete when basic attacks suffice against major bosses. The preset simply dials down the challenge too far from Normal.

An intermediate difficulty setting bridging Story and Normal would be ideal. Requiring tactical awareness without demanding absolute mastery—perhaps enemies dealing half their usual damage while taking double—would strike a wonderful balance. Players seeking moderate challenge could build their combat proficiency before stepping up to higher tiers.

Beast of Reincarnation has immense potential, but it expects genuine effort in return. By flattening every obstacle into a minor inconvenience, Story mode neuters the thrill of overcoming overwhelming odds, transforming a tense expedition into a leisurely stroll.