Leveling Up Projectiles in Beast of Reincarnation Makes Parrying Unnecessary for Players Who Dislike It
I’ve spent the past week diving into Beast of Reincarnation, and I’ve had a blast, even though parry-heavy gameplay isn’t usually my jam. This game is all about parrying, but there are definitely ways to make combat less dependent on those precise timing moments.
You start off as Emma with a crossbow, and at first, I thought it was just a gimmick, similar to the rifles in Bloodborne or the companion drone in Stellar Blade. But I quickly realized that focusing on the crossbow and the longbow—available about an hour in—essentially gives you an easy mode without actually switching to the game’s designated easy mode.
By upgrading your projectiles, you can tear through enemy health bars at an impressive rate. While some bosses, especially those with multiple forms, might outlast your ammo, using projectiles allows you to chip away at their health from a safe distance, minimizing the risk of getting hit in a game where two hits can spell doom.
Spoilers ahead, but here’s a look at my showdown with the first major boss in New Game +. The video isn’t just to showcase how easy it can be; it’s more about the sheer chaos of crossbow action when you invest in it. This boss has a second phase, but I was fortunate enough to have not used any arrows yet.
(Keep in mind, enemies can still close in on you if you’re not careful. Relying on projectiles won’t completely remove the need for parrying and dodging.)
It’s a thrill to hover in mid-air, thanks to Emma’s entanglement gauge, while unleashing a barrage on enemies that can’t reach you. Arrows and bolts are replenished at every checkpoint campsite, and since these spots are plentiful (maybe too plentiful), you can stock up on projectiles from about a third of the way through the game.
To kick off your projectile upgrades, head to the bottom left of Emma’s skill tree where you’ll find Tracking Shot as the first option. This skill allows your arrows to home in on enemies. Later, you can boost the chance of shots not consuming arrows or bolts by up to 15%, which pairs nicely with a skill that gives a 50% chance to replenish up to 10% of your ammo for every enemy you take down.
Another skill, Magic Bullet, makes each tracking shot loop back to hit an enemy again after the initial impact. Combine this with Scatter-Shot, which splits every ranged projectile into three shots, and you can imagine the explosive potential for some serious visual and audio effects. When I was firing bolts, it felt like a New Year’s celebration.
To unlock Scatter-Shot and the equally impressive Entangled Shot—where every ranged attack slightly restores your entanglement gauge—you’ll need to invest in Emma’s Hair skills as well. My focus on projectiles meant I didn’t spend much time upgrading the dog, Koo, during my first playthrough, but there’s always New Game + for that.
The skill tree isn’t the only way to enhance your projectiles. At workbenches and campsites, you can upgrade each ranged weapon to at least +11, which includes boosts to reload speed and damage. You can also upgrade individual arrows and bolts. For instance, I upgraded my acid arrows to +2, increasing their damage and the quantity in my quiver. I poured most of my amber into upgrading projectiles, which might seem odd in other action games, but it totally works here.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by how effective a projectile-focused playthrough of Beast of Reincarnation can be. Now, it’s time to shift my attention to the dog…
