Combat System

Overview

Beast of Reincarnation features a hybrid combat system that blends two distinct gameplay styles reflecting its two protagonists. Emma fights using sword-based actions in real time -- fast-paced katana combat with demanding, technical precision -- while Koo battles by unleashing skills via commands through abilities called Blooming Arts. The two systems are connected through a parry-driven resource loop that rewards defensive play with offensive options.

The combat has been widely compared to several acclaimed action games. The demanding parry and deflection mechanics draw comparisons to Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice's precise dodge-and-parry system. The melee intensity and stylish action recall Black Myth: Wukong and NieR: Automata respectively. However, the addition of the command-based companion layer sets Beast of Reincarnation apart from any single comparison.

Director Kota Furushima described the combat design philosophy: "Rather than forcing players to rely solely on split-second reflexes in high-pressure situations, we wanted to create moments where you can pause, think carefully, and fight with a tactical mindset." He drew directly from his Pokemon battle planning experience, citing "the joyful dilemma of choice" as the core sensation he wanted players to feel during combat.

The Core Loop

The fundamental combat cycle follows a clear pattern that alternates between action and strategy:

1. Action Phase -- Emma attacks enemies with her katana, bow, or crossbow in real-time combat, using slashing combos, dodges, and positioning.

2. Parry -- Emma parries incoming enemy attacks with precise timing, earning FP (Fuel Points) with each successful parry. The parry system demands technical skill comparable to Sekiro's deflection mechanics.

3. Command Phase -- The player opens Koo's command menu (specifically the Triangle button on PS5). Time slows but does not fully stop, maintaining tension while providing strategic breathing room to assess the battlefield.

4. Koo Executes -- The player selects a Blooming Art from the menu. Koo performs the chosen ability, dealing damage, applying status effects, or manipulating enemy positioning.

5. Return to Action -- Combat resumes at full speed as Emma capitalizes on Koo's effect -- attacking launched enemies in midair, exploiting grouped targets, or pressing the advantage against debuffed foes.

This creates a rhythmic flow where aggressive play builds resources for tactical decisions, and tactical decisions create openings for more aggressive play. The system rewards players who master both halves.

Multiple Combat Approaches

Beast of Reincarnation provides significant flexibility in how players approach combat encounters. Rather than forcing a single playstyle, the game supports several distinct approaches:

The three skill trees available to both Emma and Koo (close-range, long-range, and stealth) further reinforce these different approaches, allowing players to specialize or hybridize their builds.

Resource Systems

FP (Fuel Points)

The primary combat resource. FP is earned through successful parries and spent to activate Koo's Blooming Arts. The parry-to-FP connection means that defensive mastery directly translates to offensive power. Players who consistently land parries build a larger FP reserve, enabling more frequent and powerful Blooming Arts activation.

Entanglement Gauge

Powers Emma's own special plant-based abilities. These include vine grapples, bridge creation, wall climbing, and aerial attacks that serve both combat and traversal purposes. Plant abilities create advantageous three-dimensional positioning, allowing Emma to fight from elevated vantage points and approach encounters from unexpected angles.

SP (Skill Points)

A progression currency used to upgrade both Emma's and Koo's skill trees. SP investment determines the player's combat specialization and playstyle.

Emma's Action Combat

Emma's real-time combat revolves around her primary katana, supplemented by ranged options:

Emma can perform stealth assassinations, air combos from elevated plant-ability positions, falling assassinations from above, and a devastating finishing move described as slicing opponents in half. Her plant abilities extend her combat toolkit with grapples, aerial launches, and environmental manipulation that create three-dimensional combat opportunities unavailable in purely ground-based action games.

Koo's Command Combat

Koo's Blooming Arts introduce a command-based strategic layer into the real-time action. When the command menu opens (Triangle on PS5), time slows dramatically but does not fully stop -- the battlefield remains dynamic, maintaining tension while giving the player space to think.

Director Furushima explicitly designed this system so that "even people who aren't good at action games can enjoy it." The command menu provides regular moments of strategic calm within the combat flow, allowing less action-oriented players to contribute meaningfully through tactical Blooming Arts selection rather than relying solely on reflexes.

Koo battles by unleashing skills via commands -- he is not a passive AI companion but an active participant whose abilities the player directly controls through the command interface. His presence is constantly felt through this system, making every encounter a collaborative effort between the two characters.

Synergies and Build-Crafting

Emma and Koo's skill trees are designed to complement each other. Skills from one character's tree can impact the other's effectiveness. For example, Blooming Arts that launch enemies into the air create openings for Emma's air combos, while Emma's parry skills generate more FP for Koo's abilities.

Blooming Arts can also be enhanced with mods that create feedback loops -- such as HP regeneration per hit or FP generation against burning enemies, allowing players to craft self-sustaining combat cycles. A fire-based Blooming Art modded with FP generation, for example, partially refunds the cost of its own activation when used against the right targets.

Spirit Stone Integration

Spirit Stones equipped to Emma's armor provide stackable bonuses across five core stats (HP, Attack, Defense, Skill Power, and Critical Rate) that compound when she performs parries. This reinforces the core loop: mastering the parry timing not only generates FP for Koo but also amplifies Emma's own stats through Spirit Stone effects, creating a powerful incentive for technically skilled play.

Difficulty Modes

The game offers three difficulty settings that adjust the combat experience:

Director Furushima explicitly pushed back against labeling Beast of Reincarnation as a Soulslike, emphasizing that the multiple difficulty options and the command-based Blooming Arts system provide accessibility features that differentiate it from purely reflex-driven action games.