Exploring the Combat Mechanics of Beast of Reincarnation
Over the past week, my journey through Beast of Reincarnation has been quite enjoyable, even though I typically don’t gravitate towards parry-centric action games. This title, however, is steeped in parrying mechanics, making it nearly impossible to avoid them. Yet, there are strategies to minimize reliance on precise parries and dodges, allowing for a more accessible combat experience.
The protagonist, Emma, begins her adventure armed with a crossbow, which I initially dismissed as a mere accessory, akin to the rifles in Bloodborne or the companion drone in Stellar Blade. To my surprise, focusing on the crossbow and the longbow—acquired about an hour into the game—reveals an effective approach to combat, essentially providing an “easy mode” without resorting to the game’s designated easy setting.
By prioritizing upgrades to projectiles, players can significantly deplete enemy health bars from a distance, a strategic advantage in a game where two hits can spell doom. While certain bosses, particularly those with multiple forms, may outlast your ammunition, utilizing projectiles offers a reliable method to chip away at their health without exposing oneself to close-range dangers.
Spoilers follow. In my encounter with the first major boss during New Game +, I aimed to showcase the effectiveness of crossbow attacks rather than demonstrate ease. Remarkably, I had yet to expend any arrows by the time the boss transitioned to its second phase. It’s worth noting that while investing in projectiles can reduce the need for parrying and dodging, it does not eliminate them entirely.
One of the most exhilarating aspects of gameplay is the ability to hover mid-air, thanks to Emma’s entanglement gauge, while unleashing a barrage of projectiles on foes that struggle to reach you. With arrows and bolts replenished at every checkpoint campsite—of which there are plentiful—you can effectively maintain a projectile-heavy strategy from about a third of the way through the game.
The skill tree offers a promising starting point with the bottom left option, where Tracking Shot allows arrows to home in on enemies. As players progress, they can enhance their chances of conserving arrows or bolts by up to 15%, complemented by a later skill that replenishes a portion of ammo for each enemy defeated.
Another intriguing skill, Magic Bullet, enables tracking shots to loop back and strike an enemy again after the initial hit. Coupled with Scatter-Shot, which divides each projectile into three spreading shots, the potential for spectacular visual effects is immense. The thrill of launching bolts felt akin to a celebratory atmosphere, reminiscent of a New Year’s dancehall.
However, to unlock the full potential of skills like Scatter-Shot and Entangled Shot, which slightly restore the entanglement gauge with each ranged attack, players must also invest in Emma’s Hair skills. My focus on projectiles during my first playthrough meant that I didn’t delve deeply into upgrading the companion dog, Koo, but the prospect of a New Game + offers a chance to explore that avenue.
Beyond the skill tree, players can enhance their ranged weapons at workbenches and campsites, allowing upgrades to reach at least +11. These enhancements include improvements to reload speed and damage, with individual arrows and bolts also subject to upgrades. For instance, I managed to boost my acid arrows to +2, increasing both their damage and quantity in my quiver. Investing heavily in projectile upgrades proved to be a wise choice, a strategy that might seem unconventional in other action games but feels entirely justified here.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by the viability of a projectile-focused playthrough in Beast of Reincarnation. Now, the challenge lies in shifting my attention to the dog companion.