Game Freak¡¯s Beast of Reincarnation arrives with high expectations. The action role-playing game, due Aug. 4, was widely seen by fans as a chance for the Pokemon developer to show what it could do beyond the long-running series.

Early previews indicated a massive departure from the creature-capturing and battling mechanics Game Freak has become known for. Even skeptical fans had hope for a new action RPG franchise and a potentially renewed creative spark for future Pokemon titles.

On July 23, I was among about 20 reviewers invited to a closed-door demo of Beast of Reincarnation limited to the game¡¯s prologue and first chapter.