Beast of Reincarnation Exposes 2-Mode Difficulty Gap, Leaving No Middle Ground
Updated
Updated · Polygon · Aug 9
Beast of Reincarnation Exposes 2-Mode Difficulty Gap, Leaving No Middle Ground
3 articles · Updated · Polygon · Aug 9
Summary
Game Freak’s new action RPG swings too sharply between its two settings: Normal mode can kill Emma in a single hit, while Story mode makes many of the same enemies barely threatening.
That gap undercuts the game’s core loop, because Beast of Reincarnation is built around mastering skill trees, gear upgrades, spirit stones and timing-heavy combat to survive its wasteland and Nushi boss fights.
Story mode still helps newcomers and players who want to focus on the plot, but its heavy damage reduction and weaker enemy behavior can make exploration rewards, progression choices and survival tension feel meaningless.
A third setting between the 2 existing modes would better fit the game’s design—preserving challenge without demanding full mastery of its often opaque systems.