Beast of Reincarnation Mountain Route is the full story path you can choose after Great Wall Terraces in update 1.1.01. It takes you through Pilgrim’s Zone, Matsukawa Colony Zone and Fuji Frontier Zone instead of skipping them with the new Hasten to the Capital option.
Why take the longer road? For a first playthrough, those regions contain story, battles and exploration you’ll otherwise bypass, and the developer warns that the shortcut prevents their available achievements from being earned on the current New Game run. Here is how the branch works and what changes in New Game+.
When the Mountain Route choice appears
Complete the mid-game Great Wall Terraces Zone after installing the October 9 update. That’s when the new route decision becomes available. You aren’t selecting a world-map destination at the beginning of a brand-new save, and the October notes don’t introduce a collectible key to unlock this journey. The Mountain Route keeps the conventional story progression. If the option isn’t visible yet, make sure you’ve actually cleared the Great Wall Terraces milestone and that you’re running the updated game.
Beast of Reincarnation Mountain Route: Which areas the Mountain Route includes
Beast of Reincarnation Mountain Route follows the original three-region stretch: Pilgrim’s Zone first, then Matsukawa Colony Zone, then Fuji Frontier Zone. These are exactly the zones the Hasten shortcut bypasses. Older location guides sometimes call Matsukawa Colony Zone simply Matsukawa Zone, so the different wording doesn’t mean there’s an additional fourth region. Each area has its own encounters and things to explore. Taking Mountain Route means you play through them rather than being moved ahead in the story.
How to select the normal path
When the branch appears after Great Wall Terraces, choose Mountain Route instead of Hasten to the Capital. The developer confirms that decision and its consequences but hasn’t published a button-by-button interface walkthrough or a proven method for reversing a confirmed choice. Read the in-game prompt before accepting. Beast of Reincarnation Mountain Route is not a secret passage hidden somewhere in Great Wall Terraces; it’s the named alternative offered at the progression point introduced by patch 1.1.01.
Why achievement hunters should choose it
The October update warns that achievements obtainable in the three skipped zones cannot be earned during the New Game run if you select Hasten. Continuing through Mountain Route keeps you on the path where you can complete those regions’ requirements. It does not automatically grant a trophy simply for choosing the route: you’ll still have to meet each achievement’s conditions. Beast of Reincarnation Mountain Route is the least disruptive choice for players following a collectible or trophy walkthrough written around the complete first journey.
Pilgrim’s, Matsukawa and Fuji: what to plan for
Think of these three regions as your opportunity to handle ordinary regional progression before heading onwards. Take time to explore shrines, campsites and other trackable collectibles if you’re pursuing completion, and check achievement descriptions as you go. The new patch doesn’t introduce a reduced-price or shortened version of these three areas through Mountain Route. If a guide gives you a detailed route through a specific shrine or boss fight, you can still follow its ordinary path instead of bypassing the region.
Beast of Reincarnation Mountain Route: Mountain Route in New Game+
Beast of Reincarnation Mountain Route matters just as much during New Game+. Game Freak expressly says players who skipped the regions on New Game can still earn their achievements in a New Game+ run by selecting this route. You’ll have to reach the branch again and travel through the skipped regions; the achievements aren’t automatically unlocked by starting another cycle. New Game+ also has its own difficulty choices, introduced separately in version 1.1.0, so don’t confuse selecting Mountain Route with selecting an easier or harder combat difficulty.
Is Hasten better if you’ve already completed everything?
It can be. The developers added the shorter route partly to make additional playthroughs faster. If you already know the three regions, have completed the relevant achievements and simply want to push the story forwards, skipping them avoids repeated travel and combat. Beast of Reincarnation Mountain Route is still there for players who enjoy those sections or want more time exploring. There isn’t a universal best choice: it depends on the purpose of your current run.
Can you revisit skipped areas after taking Hasten?
The patch specifically confirms New Game+ Mountain Route as the way to earn achievements unavailable during a New Game skip. It doesn’t establish that you can reverse the decision immediately, teleport to every skipped region on the same run, or retroactively collect all rewards. Don’t plan a completion run around an unverified trick. If you’re unsure whether you’ll want those areas before finishing the story, choosing Beast of Reincarnation Mountain Route now avoids relying on a later workaround.
Which option should a new player take?
A first-time player who wants the full adventure will generally be better served by Mountain Route. The additional exploration makes the world and Emma and Koo’s journey more complete, and it removes the new achievement risk associated with skipping the three zones. A player replaying for speed has a perfectly valid reason to use Hasten instead. Beast of Reincarnation Mountain Route is about retaining the full path, not a requirement for anyone who only wants to reach the ending.
Related Guides
Official source: Game Freak and Fictions’ October 9 patch notes.
