Replaced: preview of the anticipated cyberpunk sci-fi

Back in 2021, Replaced was showcased to an audience of enthusiasts as an Xbox exclusive, a dark fantasy thriller in a exquisitely 80s cyberpunk setting. One of the most anticipated independent productions, let's be frank, that had somewhat "gotten lost in time" due to numerous delays. But now, finally, the time has come: on March 12 on PC, Xbox Series, and Game Pass, we will finally be able to shed light on the dark schemes of the Phoenix Corporation (a multinational of bad guys, when is it ever not?) in an interesting 2.5D platformer.

But while waiting to discover the experience in its entirety, we sat down at the table (at our workstation, incidentally) and explored all those American locations marked by post-nuclear consequences. We're talking about a rather intense forty-minute trial version that whetted our appetite, in the sense that we wanted more.

No big deal, the general idea seems promising but it's really too early to give a judgment. For now, we leave you with some very first hot impressions.

Replaced: a man and an AI for a common goal

The 80s: just thinking about that decade immediately brings to mind the magic word "dystopia". Yes, because the best cyberpunk/futuristic works are set precisely in these years (Blade Runner leads the way) and no one would try to change such a safe harbor. We will step into the shoes of Warren, a tough-as-nails man who seems to coexist with R.E.A.C.H., an artificial intelligence created by the Phoenix Corporation, those bad guys we mentioned earlier. 

Obviously, it's a forced coexistence, but apparently R.E.A.C.H. seems to have found a suitable symbiosis in this human body. The goal is always one of the noblest and toughest of the 80s: to dismantle the corporations' strongholds, put to bed the criminals who seem to have escaped directly from Carpenter's film "Escape from New York", and of course, discover the reasons behind our creation.

Intriguing premises, perhaps not entirely original, but they make us perfectly understand our role within this experience. Replaced is therefore an action-platformer game developed with refined pixel art, through decaying yet fascinating locations. An oxymoron when we talk about Replaced, where you are a tough-as-nails man, somewhat like a Bruce Wayne in the alleys of Gotham. This comparison is not at all casual: in fact, Sad Cat Studios' debut work seems to draw inspiration from the Batman Arkham series, at least concerning the combat system… but we'll get to that.

Hiding, climbing, and fighting: an essential moveset

Our first steps in Replaced see us fleeing beyond the wall of Phoenix City with the goal of surviving and, of course, discovering the true intentions of the Phoenix Corp. Our hero will be able to jump, climb, and move certain objects or platforms to reach elevated levels: nothing revolutionary after all, it's a fairly elementary platform-style gameplay that didn't cause us any trouble, at least in the trial version.

Warren will also be able to overcome some stealth sections, meaning avoiding light beams from sentries to avoid being wiped out and literally riddled with holes. However, there are no moments where you can silently take down an opponent, or at least there weren't in the demo we tried: we will verify everything when we delve into the city in the full version of the game. Progress through the areas is sequential, similar to any platformer/metroidvania, with the exception of some zones where you can move up and down the scenery, changing perspective: after all, we are still dealing with a 2.5D video game. 

After passing the sentries, you'll have to fight: and here the most action-oriented component of the experience comes into play, where you feel like the "toughest of the tough" in the story. Once groups of shady figures are identified, there's nothing left to do but pull out the Huxley from its holster, a standard police firearm produced by Phoenix, and wipe them out once and for all.

Warren will engage in classic rhythmic combat (free flow), meaning fluid and fast movements characterized by dodges and quick attacks. The Huxley, for the occasion, will become an effective baton that will inflict lethal blows on opponents who struggle offensively. By hitting repeatedly, the pistol's indicator will gradually fill up, and we can unleash an effective, absolutely lethal shot.

During the combat phase, and here the Batman Arkham saga is strongly felt as we mentioned, we can perform effective counterattacks that sometimes provide an almost cinematic action. On the other hand, we will also have to pay close attention to unblockable attacks and gunshots which, we won't hide it from you, will really hurt (especially our pride). As communicated in the demo, the Huxley pistol ability will unlock in an advanced stage in the full game, so we assume that the entire first part could be more focused on stealth and survival: these are obviously assumptions that we will have to verify in the complete release.

A city and a story to discover?

Replaced seems like a stimulating video game, set in an alternative America, with morally unstable characters and hidden power structures in every dark alley. The walks we took with Warren and R.E.A.C.H. didn't give us a full overview, but rather made us understand what kind of product we will have in our hands in less than a month: a hand-drawn pixel art cyberpunk experience, with an intuitive combat system (even if not entirely unprecedented) and a city with secrets to discover.

In the trial version, you can retrieve some documents, viewable on an orange plasma handheld (how beautiful!), which give a global overview of the events. Of course, being at a probably more advanced point, it's not possible to fully understand what happened, but we believe that reading them could prove to be a fundamental aspect of the entire adventure: in fact, we intercepted many of them in the various alleys of Phoenix City.

Replaced is a video game that has been long-awaited, perhaps some had even forgotten its existence, but the preview seemed like a fairly mature work, with those nostalgic and dark notes that few video games manage to deliver. If the full version manages to maintain a perfect balance of the features we've discussed, then Replaced will be able to emit a sharper sound than the beating rain on the streets of Phoenix City itself.