Game Freak’s Beast of Reincarnation Runs 30+ Hours, but What’s It Really Selling?

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Beast of Reincarnation, the new action RPG from Game Freak, is set to launch on August 4, and IGN's final preview says a straightforward main-story run should take around 30 to 40 hours. For a brand-new original IP from a studio stepping outside the Pokemon series, 30 to 40 hours suggests a focused campaign rather than a bloated open world or a short action game.

For a first swing at a new IP, that runtime feels deliberate. It doesn't sound like a map-stuffed game chasing scale, or a lightweight action title over in a dozen hours. Instead, it sounds like a debut focused on getting the main path, combat feel, and overall density right, then layering in depth through exploration. For an action RPG, 30 to 40 hours for the main route lands in a relatively restrained middle ground.

Based on what has been reported so far, Beast of Reincarnation uses a largely linear level structure, but still includes freely explorable areas, hidden routes, and secret content. That kind of structure usually gives developers tighter control over pacing and encounter flow than a full open world. And because most of the game is built around pushing the main story forward, it's less likely to run into the open-world problem where travel time starts to crowd out meaningful play. For a team building this kind of original action RPG for the first time, that's a restrained approach—and probably the smarter one.

The other big takeaway is that 100% completion won't be quick. Based on the trophy list, players going for every trophy will need to collect every collectible, unlock every skill, and complete New Game Plus. Based on the available information, clearing all of the collectible content alone could add another 5 to 10 hours beyond a normal playthrough. Since New Game Plus is effectively close to another full run, total playtime for full completion is expected to exceed 80 hours.

That creates a pretty clear divide in the game's overall length. Most players are getting a 30-to-40-hour main-story experience. More dedicated players only move into the 80+ hour range if they commit to collectibles and a second playthrough. That's more honest than games that sell a giant runtime up front, because it separates the main campaign from the completionist layer instead of quietly counting repeat content in the headline number.

In the context of Game Freak, that makes the project more interesting. This is a new original IP made while temporarily stepping away from Pokemon, and that alone makes it feel like a meaningful test case for the studio. Pokemon typically extends its lifespan through long-term progression, creature collecting, and trading. Beast of Reincarnation is clearly taking a different route: a mostly linear action RPG framework, Soulslike combat, then replay value driven by hidden routes and New Game Plus. It's a very different approach, and it suggests the team is more interested in proving its combat and level-design chops than in simply stacking up content.

For anyone deciding whether to buy in, the appeal seems pretty clear. If you care most about main-story pacing, combat challenge, and the density of a single complete run, that 30 to 40 hour estimate is a friendly one. If what you want is a huge map and a 100-plus-hour sprawl, this probably isn't that game. On the other hand, trophy hunters and full-completion players should go in ready for the New Game Plus requirement, because that's where the time investment rises sharply.

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