Game Freak is best known for its worldwide smash-hit, Pokémon . However, the developer has been working with other publishers like Sega and Rising Star Games to release other titles like 2015’s Tembo the Badass Elephant and 2019’s Giga Wrecker Alt . These were departures from the turn-based monster-collecting games that Game Freak worked on, as they were both platformers — they were steps toward Game Freak’s next evolution. Game Freak has stepped up to the plate with its most ambitious project yet, Beast of Reincarnation . It follows a young girl named Emma as she travels through a post-apocalyptic Japan that’s been ravaged by a deadly blight. Koo, her dog companion, walks alongside her as she uncovers the dark secrets behind humanity’s destruction. I spoke with game director Kota Furushima about working on Beast of Reincarnation ’s real-time action battle system, the realistic art direction compared to Game Freak’s past animation style, and the studio’s history of designing monsters. Beast of Reincarnation is very rooted in Japanese culture. It takes place in the year 4026, but it has a magical atmosphere, like a Studio Ghibli vibe, yet there are still robots and machines scattered about. What inspired the setting for Beast of Reincarnation ? Kota Furushima : We began by considering what kind of setting would best realize the game’s core concept.