The scoreboard: Metacritic 72 (“Mixed or Average”, 63 critic reviews) · Metacritic user score 6.1 (363 ratings) · OpenCritic launch aggregate 76 (“Strong”, 68% of critics recommending, 41 reviews) · Steam “Mixed”, 65% positive of ~2,000 reviews.
Is Beast of Reincarnation good?
The honest one-liner: a very good combat game inside an average package. The score spread is unusually wide for a AAA release — from Vice's 95 (“incredibly fun” was the theme of the raves) down to a handful of scores in the 50s — because reviewers weighted two different halves of the game. Those who scored the deflection-and-companion combat loop scored it high; those who weighted pacing, environment variety and launch performance landed low. RPG Site's 80 captured the middle: a bold new direction for Game Freak with a “dose of overdesign.”
Individual outlet scores from the launch wave ran from Famitsu's 35/40 and multiple 8–8.5s (PSU, DualShockers, PlayStation LifeStyle, GamingTrend) through 7s (Push Square, TheSixthAxis, IGN Italy) down to Game Informer's 6 and Game Rant's 5 — the full outlet table is on our review page.
Why players score it lower than critics
The 6.1 user score and Steam's “Mixed” (65% positive of 1,993 reviews as of August 31) sit visibly below the critic consensus. Reading the negative player reviews, three complaints dominate: performance at launch, camera behavior in boss arenas, and pacing between fights. Notably, two of those three are exactly what the post-launch patches have chipped at — 1.0.7 adjusted the camera and boss balance, 1.0.8 added DLSS 4/4.5 and FSR 4 with camera-distance options, and 1.0.9 brought ultrawide support, frame generation and skippable cutscenes. A launch-week review and a today review are describing different builds; see the patch notes.
The spread, in the critics' own framing
| Outlet | Score | The gist |
|---|---|---|
| Vice | 95 | The high outlier — praised the real-time/turn-based blend as a “perfect blend” and scored on inventiveness |
| Famitsu | 35/40 | Japan's flagship outlet landed near the top, weighing the combat systems heavily |
| RPG Site | 80 | The representative middle: a bold new direction carrying a “dose of overdesign” |
| Game Informer | 60 | The mainstream skeptic position — combat praised, pacing and world criticized |
| Game Rant | 50 | The low end, weighting technical state and repetition hardest |
Same game, forty-five point range. The variable is not what the reviewers saw — everyone describes the same excellent combat and the same uneven surroundings — but how much each half counted in their scoring. That makes the individual reviews more useful than the average: find the reviewer whose priorities match yours.
How to read a 72
Metacritic tracks each platform separately, and most launch reviews tested the PS5 or Xbox builds. A 72 with a wide spread is not a “7/10 game” in the flat sense — it is a strong-identity game that specific players will love. If deflection-heavy action in the Sekiro mold sounds appealing, the parts critics scored 8+ are the parts you will spend your time in. If you want an even, polished, story-led RPG, the parts that dragged the average down will bother you too.
Should the score stop you buying?
On Xbox or PC with Game Pass Ultimate the question answers itself — it is included day one, so try it. On PS5 it is a $59.99 decision: combat-first players are well served; if you weigh story pacing and technical polish heavily, the user score is the honest warning label. There is still no demo on any platform.
FAQ
What is Beast of Reincarnation's Metacritic score?
72, from 63 critic reviews, with a user score of 6.1 from 363 ratings (read August 31, 2026). At launch OpenCritic aggregated it at 76 (“Strong”) with 68% of critics recommending.
Why is the Steam rating “Mixed”?
65% positive of roughly 2,000 reviews — just under Steam's 70% threshold for “Mostly Positive.” The negative reviews cluster on launch performance and camera issues, both targeted by patches 1.0.7–1.0.9 since.
Do PS5, Xbox, and PC have different scores?
Metacritic tracks platforms separately, so the numbers can drift apart; the 72 headline figure is the most-reviewed page. OpenCritic combines all platforms into one score.
Is there a demo I can try instead of trusting the score?
No — four weeks post-launch there is still no demo. Game Pass on Xbox and PC remains the closest thing to a trial.
Has the score changed since launch?
The critic score settled quickly once the 63 reviews were in. The moving number is Steam's rating, which reflects patches in near-real time — worth checking alongside the static Metacritic figure if you are deciding today.
Related
- Full review & impressions
- How long to beat
- Editions & pre-order bonuses
- FAQ — difficulty & Game Pass
Sources
- Beast of Reincarnation — official Steam store page
- Xbox Wire — Beast of Reincarnation at Developer Direct 2026
- PlayStation.com — Beast of Reincarnation (PS5)
- Metacritic — Beast of Reincarnation — metascore, critic count, user score (read August 31, 2026)
- Steam — user review summary — 1,993 reviews, 65% positive (read August 31, 2026)
Last reviewed: August 31, 2026 · Game version checked: 1.0.9 · Moving figures state the date they were read