At a glance, Beast of Reincarnation, a soulslike post-apocalyptic RPG, seems like a pretty big departure from Pokémon, but as someone who spends loads of time in the Pokémon universe, I definitely see how this team arrived at something like Beast of Reincarnation. The most important connective tissue between Beast of Reincarnation and Pokémon, however, is the connection between humanity and animal kind. The culture of Beast of Reincarnation has taught humans to fear these creatures, and yet several characters have partnerships with animals just like a Pokémon trainer has to their starter. Beast of Reincarnation isn’t perfect, and I waver back and forth between liking the game and thinking it was merely fine. But as a Pokémaniac, I like seeing the stuff Game Freak does well in a game full of things it’s trying for the first time.