Beast of Reincarnation presents a formidable challenge, blending familiar Soulslike combat with its own distinct mechanics. While mastering its rhythm can be rewarding, the game offers little in the way of explicit guidance, particularly for newcomers. To help players gain an early advantage as Emma and her companion Koo face the world's beasts, several key strategies and observations are worth noting.
Voice Acting and Subtitles
An English voice-over option exists in Beast of Reincarnation, though the game does not actively direct players to this feature. For those who do not understand Japanese, relying solely on the small on-screen subtitles during intense combat can lead to missed dialogue. The English voice track can be enabled within the main menu settings, not the in-game pause menu.
Companion AI and Environmental Hazards
Koo, Emma's canine companion, is capable of engaging enemies independently. Players may be tempted to assist him, but he can often handle threats alone. Emma, however, has a critical vulnerability: she cannot swim. Attempting to flee combat by entering bodies of water will result in the character being deposited back on the shore, often directly in front of pursuing enemies.
Prioritizing Mobility Upgrades
Early in the game, Emma possesses a side-step dodge with a very narrow timing window and limited spatial coverage. This makes it difficult to evade enemy lunges effectively. The game's skill tree offers a dodge roll ability under the Tracking Shot path, which significantly improves survivability. Prioritizing the unlock of this dodge roll is highly recommended for easier evasion.
Strategic Boss Preparation
Many boss encounters in Beast of Reincarnation are preceded by a nearby campsite. These campsites serve as crucial points for resting, saving progress, and applying upgrades. However, some are not immediately obvious. It is advisable to locate a campsite before engaging a boss to ensure a checkpoint is available should the fight prove difficult.
Environmental Interaction and Exploration
Players are cautioned against looking at the sky, as a superstition within the game world suggests this leads to death. Furthermore, Emma's blight-stricken braid is a versatile tool for traversal and combat. It can extend to lift her off the ground, create bridges to reach new platforms, or provide advantageous high ground for ranged attacks. This ability is also useful for avoiding unwanted combat scenarios.
Base Management and Companion Interaction
While it may be tempting to push through areas without interruption, returning to the player's base of operations is beneficial. Here, players can restock supplies, manage growing crops, and have Koo and another companion, Kagura, conduct research for new items. Importantly, returning to the base also unlocks character-specific scenes and dialogue. Campsites will indicate when companions have new dialogue options available, encouraging players to engage with them.
Observing Wild Encounters
Occasionally, players will witness wild enemies fighting amongst themselves. It is often advantageous to observe these skirmishes rather than immediately intervening. Allowing one group to defeat the other reduces the number of immediate threats the player must face.
Difficulty Options
For players struggling with the game's difficulty, a Story difficulty setting is available. This mode significantly reduces the damage Emma receives. However, it does not eliminate the need for core Soulslike mechanics such as parrying, dodging, and utilizing Koo's abilities to exploit enemy weaknesses. Choosing Story difficulty will lower the frequency of challenging boss encounters but does not transform the game into a simple hack-and-slash experience.