Gorgeous 2.5D Pixel Art

Replaced doesn’t just hit you with its art style – it is its art style, but not just because it’s exquisitely crafted 2.5D pixel art. Or even that it’s inspired by titles like Flashback, Another World and The Last Night (which is still MIA). There’s a sense of style and atmosphere that is the most fitting evocation of Blade Runner yet. It’s cinematic (and very often cinema), whether you’re nervously running through abandoned buildings, avoiding being blown up by psychotic Termites, or casually strolling through a busy marketplace, taking in all the little details.

Alternative 1980s Setting

Where it all goes down isn’t necessarily as important as when. It’s the 1980s, but an alternative timeline where nuclear disaster has reshaped the United States. The Phoenix Corporation has emerged in the aftermath, promising jobs and hope, but also conducting some shady experiments (as is expected from any megacorp in the future). R.E.A.C.H., an artificial intelligence, is seemingly one of them, having been trapped inside Warren’s body and escaping from the corporation’s clutches to Phoenix City, which is confined within The Wall. To what end?

AI and the Meaning of Humanity

You would have to think that R.E.A.C.H. wants to undo this whole mess because he’s not very good at acting human. Nevertheless, he tries, and while the meaning of being human is a core theme, developer Sad Cat Studios is also keen on exploring the dark turns that A.I. usage can take, especially when it comes to bio transplantology, namely replacing damaged organs and tissues through various means. Kind of gives a whole new dimension to the name “Replaced”, doesn’t it?

Cinematic Platforming

Like all those previously mentioned classics, Replaced involves platforming. There’s a sense of weight to R.E.A.C.H.’s movement, at least based on the recent demo, as he leaps across gaps, swings from bars and climbs up ledges. However, it’s less precision-focused and more cinematic with the cinematography, lighting, and overall atmosphere coming into play, especially when it comes to the…

Realistic Level Design

As director Yura Zhdanovich and composer Igor Gritsay told us, the goal with the environmental design is to keep them grounded – not just to accommodate the game’s cinematic feel but also from a setting standpoint. It’s not unlike what you would see from titles like Inside, but keeping to more realistic scenarios, as the art direction does a lot of the heavy lifting, bridging the gap between the surreal and the depressingly life-like.

Free Flow Combat

Of course, running through these gorgeous levels is only one component of Replaced’s gameplay. The other is combat, and Batman: Arkham fans rejoice, because it’s a clear nod to the glorious days of Free Flow (except on a 2.5D plane). You can seamlessly transition between enemies, hitting faster if you remain unscathed, and countering when necessary.

The Huxley

The Huxley is R.E.A.C.H.’s handgun, and it progressively builds charge as you smack enemies around. When fully charged, it can take down an enemy in one strike, and even works at range, making it ideal against gun-toting threats. Hanging back or rolling around too much means losing any charges. So on the one hand, you need to keep swinging, but on the other, also dodging to avoid the heavier hits. There’s a rhythm and flow here which feels good, and where R.E.A.C.H.’s weightiness feels the most appropriate.

Pickaxe and Heavy Strikes

One function that isn’t available in the demo is the Heavy Strike. It’s tied to the mechanized pickaxe that players unlock later, and is required to break through armored foes to hit them where it hurts. This is the only other tool that we currently know of, but it’s not just for combat – the pickaxe also adds in traversal, specifically wall-climbing. Perhaps even opening up previously locked-off areas?

Huxley Upgrades

The Huxley can also receive some upgrades to unlock more combat options, like deflecting bullets, and much like the pickaxe, it also provides a unique non-combat function (specifically double-jumping, and no, I don’t know how to reconcile the two). You would have to think that deflecting is better than wasting shots for takedowns, or that it would help in building weapon charge, but we still need to wait and see how it feeds into the overall combat loop.

Exploration and Dialogue Choices

The third and arguably most important aspect of Replaced? Exploration. We’re talking about entering the Station in Phoenix City and simply walking around, mingling with its residents to learn more about the world, their plight and what to do next. There’s a lot to see – especially lore entries that outline just how thoroughly everything’s gone to hell – and dialogue choices when conversing with the likes of the Council, even if it’s just to inquire about their backgrounds.

Side Quests

You’ll also take on side quests, and while they don’t currently offer much beyond “go collect and deliver things,” there are some notable NPCs to meet. Like Susan, who stays in the arcade and won’t give R.E.A.C.H. her binoculars if he doesn’t find a rectifier to help repair one of the broken machines. Thus, he sets out to find a ticket machine and, in true A.I. fashion, rips out everything and hopes one of the components is what she’s looking for.

Playable Arcade Games

Funnily enough, Susan won’t part with those binoculars, even if you help her fix the machine. Instead, she invites you to beat her high score, which confirms yet another distraction: Arcade mini-games. Described by IGN as a mix between Crazy Taxi and Operation, it’s pretty straightforward. Whether other such games exist is unknown, but seeing R.E.A.C.H. in all his hulking glory in this kind is…unorthodox, to say the least.

Stealth and Hacking

We’ve seen a bit of the stealth mechanics, which mostly comprise crouching behind objects to avoid detection (and a high-powered explosive shot to the face). However, another later scenario involves mixing in with crowds to avoid detection, not unlike the old-school Assassin’s Creed titles. Hacking also comes into play as a dedicated mini-game, especially when having to manipulate traffic lights.

Average Playthrough Length

Despite everything that Replaced has to offer, the development team isn’t “forcing side-content” on players. An average playthrough will take about eight hours, but going out of your way for optional content will bump it up to 11 to 12 hours. It’s about as expected, especially for a finely-honed experience that blends cinematic platformer with tense combat, and we can’t wait to see where the story goes.

Xbox Series X/S Performance and Minimum PC Requirements

Sad Cat Studios touts the game as “rather heavy graphics-wise,” but those on Xbox Series X won’t have to worry, as it runs at 4K and 60 FPS. Series S owners can expect 1440p resolution and the same frame rate. And while recommended PC requirements have yet to be confirmed, the minimum demands a Core i5-8400, 16 GB of RAM, a GTX 1060 with 6 GB VRAM and 8 GB of installation space.

Of course, it depends on the side content, especially since the developer isn’t “forcing any” on players. “We’re not forcing any side content on players, so it really depends on your playstyle. I would say that the average might be around 8 hours, and 11-12 if you’re really searching for optional stuff.”

At the time of our interview, the team was “still in the process of final polishing (the game is rather heavy graphics-wise),” but the goal is to lock the resolution and frame rate on Xbox Series X to 4K/60 FPS. Xbox Series S players can look forward to 1440p/60 FPS gameplay if everything goes well.

You have to wonder, though – why didn’t Sad Cat Studios consider releasing on PlayStation 5? “When we first started developing Replaced and speaking to the various platform partners, we decided to launch it as an Xbox-first and Game Pass title as we felt this was the right fit for us.” When asked about Nintendo Switch 2, however, the developer said, “We can’t confirm any additional platforms at this time.”

Given the length of the development process, especially with challenges like Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it’s not unreasonable for the studio to focus on the currently announced platforms. If Replaced ends up successful, perhaps it will have more resources (and demand) for other versions.

In the meantime, it’s available on April 14th for Xbox Series X/S and PC. Check out the latest extensive gameplay here, which sees R.E.A.C.H. arriving at the Station and meeting up with its various residents, including the Council and Susan, who runs an arcade.

Replaced has a striking art style. What were the biggest inspirations behind this look, and how did you translate those influences into the final visual direction?

While the artstyle of Replaced is not particularly new, we have been hard at work combining different approaches and experimenting with what works and what doesn’t when it comes to 2.5D pixel-art. With notable, recent inspirations being games like Octopath Traveler and The Last Night, we have obviously been inspired by classics like Flashback and Another World as examples of more grounded approaches to making a sidescroller.

"We have been hard at work combining different approaches and experimenting with what works and what doesn’t when it comes to 2.5D pixel-art"

Going beyond the pixel art aesthetic, we have also gathered quite a lot of knowledge from games that do completely different visuals, while driving for a more cinematic feel. The likes of Limbo, Inside, Deadlight and other games that have been praised for their general atmosphere, lighting or camerawork.

And how can we forget Disney’s Hercules for PSX? Total next gen 2.5D!

What are the core themes you are exploring in Replaced, and how important is the presence of AI to the story given the current state of the world?

The main topic of our story is “what does it mean to be a human?”. AI is always present in some shape or form in the context of the cyberpunk/retrofuturistic genre, so it was just a means to explore this topic within a setting that we adore. For us, being relevant in terms of news agenda was never the point, since we started the development of Replaced much earlier than the current AI boom has happened. Our own reality is much more bleak and mundane in terms of actual problems that have arisen due to AI overuse. Meanwhile in Replaced, we wanted to explore AI usage gone wrong when applied to a much more complex task – that of biotransplantology – and the societal consequences this may have.

How do you approach the balance between combat and exploration across the full experience?

Even though our game is heavily focused on a cinematic and atmospheric component, we still have quite a bit of combat encounters, which tend to get progressively harder towards the end of the game. It’s not our goal to be hardcore, so at one point we had to lessen the difficulty of late combat encounters.

It’s important to have an internal sense of rhythm so that one part of the game ends at the right time, leaving room for the next one.

"The main topic of our story is “what does it mean to be a human?”."

As players progress, what kinds of new moves or abilities will they unlock, and how do these additions change the flow of combat?

We have several gadgets that players will obtain during their playthrough. Most of them have dual purposes for both combat and platforming. For example: the mechanized pickaxe destroys enemy’s armor, but it also allows you to climb walls. Or, let’s say, one particular pistol upgrade allows you to deflect enemy’s bullets while in combat, but during platforming it grants you a double jump ability.

Replaced has been described as a cinematic action platformer. What does that mean in practical terms, and what sets it apart from more traditional platformers?

It mostly comes down to the amount of pain in the butt that we have to overcome while developing it! The main difference is the way the story is connected with the gameplay. All the camera work, VFX, overall cinematography – this is something that is usually not present in traditional arcade platformers.

The second main difference is level design: level structure and design can be absolutely abstract and random in classic platformers. In a cinematic platformer we have to make level design believable: we have to incorporate all platforming elements in a 2D manner, while keeping the surroundings grounded, as if this is something that could happen in real life.

What is the intended balance between melee and ranged combat, and is there a preferred style you expect most players to lean on?

We’re locked within a 2D framework, so our main focus is melee combat. Ranged combat is a part of core combat, but it’s mostly a method of getting rid of the most annoying enemies. Our game rewards aggressive playstyle. Your gun charges when you hit enemies. If the player is being passive and rolls a lot, they will lose gun charge. And since the Huxley (the name of the gun) is your most powerful option in combat, you really want to keep it charged. The protagonist – R.E.A.C.H. – also gets progressively faster in his attacks if you chain a combo without being hit or without being passive for too long.

"Ranged combat is a part of core combat, but it’s mostly a method of getting rid of the most annoying enemies."

The lighting in the trailers and screenshots stands out a lot. How did the team achieve that look, both artistically and technically?

Lighting is the core component of any cinematic scene, and with Replaced the goal has always been to make the game look and feel as cinematic as possible throughout the whole experience. To make it look like it does in the videos and screenshots, while running decently on the lower-end hardware, we have spent a lot of time developing our own Scriptable Rendering Pipeline for Unity, combining some of the great visual features and post processing effects found in Unity’s HDRP with the tailored performance optimizations specific to our game.

After that it’s all about carefully planning out the scenes to not only support the game design needs, but also have space for dramatic lighting opportunities, all while navigating the peculiarities of this particular style.

Roughly how long is the game expected to be, and how much optional content is there for completion focused players?

We’re not forcing any side-content on players, so it really depends on your playstyle. I would say that the average might be around 8 hours, and 11-12 if you’re really searching for optional stuff.

Is there a specific reason Replaced is not coming to PS5?

When we first started developing Replaced and speaking to the various platform partners, we decided to launch it as an Xbox-first and Game Pass title as we felt this was the right fit for us.

"We’re not forcing any side-content on players, so [the game’s length] really depends on your playstyle."

What resolutions and frame rates are you targeting on Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X?

We’re still in the process of final polishing (the game is rather heavy graphics-wise), but we hope that we can lock it at 4K/60 for Series X and 1440p/60 for Series S.

Do you have plans to bring Replaced to Nintendo Switch 2?

We can’t confirm any additional platforms at this time.

He meets up with Susan, who stays at the local arcade while her mother works in the mines. After some small talk and R.E.A.C.H. revealing his need for binoculars, she offers to think about it if he can retrieve a rectifier. Eventually, he meets up with the Council, headed by the Matriarch and Ironwood, after a tense conversation with Tempest.

While keen to help, R.E.A.C.H. is advised to explore the Station as she finishes up some other work. Throughout all of this, players can engage with various NPCs and select dialogue choices, whether it’s learning more about Ironwood or what Tempest meant about Prospero. Shortly after meeting with Tempest, R.E.A.C.H. discovers some electrical components and returns to Susan.

Unfortunately, she isn’t giving up the binoculars yet, instead inviting him to beat her high score in an arcade mini-game. There isn’t really any combat, but this entire walkthrough highlights the sheer attention to detail, whether it’s the bustling marketplace or the dim glow of the arcade’s neon signs.

Arriving on April 14th, Replaced will be available for Xbox Series X/S and PC. Check out this overview trailer for more details.

“As a small team working on our very first title, we’ve poured everything we have into this project,” wrote Sad Cat Studios on Steam. “While the game is technically finished, reaching this final stretch has shown us that we need just a few more weeks to ensure the experience is exactly what you deserve. We want the version of Replaced you play on day one to be polished, stable, and true to the vision we’ve shared with you.”

It also addressed the reaction to its Steam demo, and while “nerve-wracking” to release, “Seeing your gameplay, reading your reviews, and hearing your excitement has been overwhelming in the best way possible. We are constantly reading your comments, and that feedback is helping us make the final tweaks that will make the full game shine.”

“We are super close to the finish line, and we can’t wait for you to experience the final results of years of hard work.”

Looking back on its initial announcement from E3 2021, Replaced has definitely come a long way. The graphical style has evolved into something truly stunning, but it’s also worth noting the real-world issues that Sad Cat Studios faced during development. Based in Ukraine, it saw numerous setbacks due to Russia’s invasion in 2022. Of course, the team has also insisted time and again that it doesn’t want to “release a sub-par game.”

The current demo offers a very small slice of the game, introducing players to R.E.A.C.H., an AI developed by Phoenix Corporation, suddenly trapped in a human body. Escaping confinement to Phoenix-City, players take on hostile bandits while coming to terms with this alternate 1980s America.

Its exploration and platforming are pretty straightforward, and you can also get a feel of the Free Flow combat, inspired by the likes of Rocksteady’s Batman: Arkham series. Of course, there’s a lot more to look forward to, including free roam and taking on requests from other NPCs.

Replaced will be available for Xbox Series X/S and PC on release alongside Game Pass. Stay tuned for more updates leading up to its new release date.

Following the AI R.E.A.C.H., which suddenly ends up in a human body, you’re on the run from the Phoenix Corporation, venturing into Phoenix-City. But despite the 1980s setting, this isn’t the United States that many would know. Due to a nuclear catastrophe, a third of the country has become uninhabitable, and Phoenix-City is full of bandits, slums, and other horrors that players must combat.

Not that R.E.A.C.H. is helpless by any stretch. Replaced offers Free Flow Combat akin to the Batman: Arkham titles, but on a 2.5D plane. You can dodge bullets, counter blows, and effortlessly chain attacks on foes. There’s even a sidearm for executions, be it from afar or up close. Of course, there’s a lot more to the gameplay, including platforming and puzzle-solving. You’ll even encounter various side quests and requests in a location to complete.

Arriving nearly five years after its initial announcement, Replaced has evolved significantly, especially with the gorgeous art direction. It will be available on March 12th for Xbox Series X/S and PC alongside Game Pass.

The story revolves around R.E.A.C.H., an AI confined to a human body. Created by the Phoenix Corporation, he’s on a mission to find out why while also exposing other secrets and navigating Phoenix-City in an alternate-history United States. Despite its sci-fi trappings, the 1980s period gives Replaced its own unique cyberpunk flavor.

Of course, this isn’t just a beautiful platformer where you explore and interact with intriguing characters. It also boasts a surprisingly fun-looking melee combat system that reminds us of the Batman: Arkham series.

Regarding the release date, game director Yura Zhdanovich said in a press release, “It feels great to finally have a set date for the release of Replaced. It’s no secret that it’s taken longer for us to get here than we initially thought, and we want to thank everyone for your continued patience and support. We’re looking forward to making it worth your while on March 12!”

For more details, check out this overview of all the gameplay systems. You can watch even more gameplay of Replaced here.

Xbox One has also seemingly been dropped, with only Xbox Series X/S and PC mentioned (though it’s still coming to Game Pass). On the bright side, Zhdanovic revealed several improvements and “evolved” environments, highlighting the increased detail and fidelity over previous gameplay. Between more vibrant backgrounds, additional animations, and gorgeous lighting, it’s been time well spent.

Zhdanovic caps off the video by revealing the new release window “with confidence.” The team requires “just a little more time” to polish the title and will reveal the final trailer later this year with an exact release date.

Replaced was first announced at E3 2021 and has been in development since 2018. It’s set in an alternate 1980s US as players control R.E.A.C.H., an AI occupying a human body (and far from thrilled about it). Check out an extensive gameplay overview here, detailing the combat, free roam, and more.

In the interview, Gritsay spoke about the studio’s decision to go with a hybrid 3D and pixel art visual style for Replaced. He revealed that this decision largely came about because the studio wanted to make a visually striking game, but lacked the capability or budget to go with full AAA-level production values. However, he noted that despite the studio believing that going with this art style would be easier, “spoiler alert, it was not.”

“You don’t see many of those games like Inside, maybe Little Nightmares and stuff, but those are far in between,” he said, referencing how games with striking art styles tend to not come out too often. “And this is for a reason, because even if a game is fully 3D, it’s really difficult to compose everything in a cinematic way. But we shot ourselves in the leg with doing all the pixel art because, to do proper camera work so that you don’t break the illusion of sprites being 2D is a lot of work.”

When it comes to gameplay itself, we get to see the player taking on the role of an AI named R.E.A.C.H. as they explore the world in their efforts to uncover deep secrets. Quite a bit of the gameplay shown off revolves around the player exploring places that have already been inhabited and having conversations with various characters from throughout the story.

The gameplay also shows off quite a bit of the cinematic flair of Replaced, including dynamic camera work depending on the situation, and plenty of evocative scenes framed with excellent lighting and detailed backgrounds that juxtapose with the pixel art designs of the game’s various characters.

We also get a look at the game’s primary setting, which takes place in a cyberpunk dystopia where there is vast income inequality, including an entire category of people referred to in the story as “disposals”, who were victims to corporations having taken their organs before disposing of them outside of the city. Replaced largely takes place in Phoenix City, which is surrounded by a wall.

The video also gives us a glimpse at some platforming gameplay from Replaced, with the protagonist hopping around debris and trying to get a stable foothold without accidentally falling into a river of what looks like sewage. Some combat is also shown off, offering players a mix of ranged and melee options as they start getting swarmed with enemies. Along with standard gun and melee attacks, players will also have access to defensive options like dodging.

The interview caps things off by giving us a look at some enemy variety, which seemingly ranges from underground gangs that attack in more feral ways, to well equipped soldiers that not only have guns themselves, but also plenty of bulky armour.

Replaced is currently slated for release later this year, and is coming to PC, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.

The platforming reveals the title’s attention to detail in cinematography. Zhdanovich notes that it’s tweaked for each situation, shaking when your character hits the ground hard and focusing on important things. The sequence sees protagonist R.E.A.C.H. running from the law, culminating in the death of an officer and a big drop.

Combat is next and will appeal to fans of the Batman: Arkham series (which Zhdanovich noted to be an inspiration). You’ll beat up enemies, dodge-roll cut through armor, counterattack, and unleash handgun shots for ranged damage. The transitions and animation work are incredibly smooth throughout.

Finally, there’s free roam, with players let loose in a single location explore as they please. A diverse set of characters await alongside side quests, collectibles, and more.

Replaced launches in 2025 for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC, with a hands-on demo available at Gamescom from August 21st to 25th. Stay tuned for more details in the meantime.