Replaced, the review: an AI with a human heart

It made us wait, and that's undeniable. However, after many delays, Replaced has shown its strong identity in a dystopian future that embraces the beauty of timeless masterpieces like Blade Runner. The impressions it left us (which you can read here) were mostly positive, although from the little we played, it was very difficult to understand how far Sad Cat Studios' video game could go. 

After spending more than 15 hours with it, completing most of the secondary objectives, we can tell you upfront that what you're facing is a true love letter to all science fiction enthusiasts, even more so for those who loved milestones like Terminator, the aforementioned Blade Runner, and the settings of Dredd - I Am the Law, the latter sharply marked by the effects of a nuclear war. And it is precisely in such a context that Replaced shows all its dystopian beauty, with places where people survive and cling to each other to not give in (as much as possible) to corporations that do not know the meaning of benevolence.

Replaced takes us to those very streets, in an alternative world with references to American history (it's no coincidence that presidents Kennedy and Nixon are also mentioned) and which at the same time rewrites the context like an American blockbuster. A high-impact adventure that we substantially enjoyed, even if perhaps a little diluted in some sequences. Despite some minor quibbles, Sad Cat's debut work is perfectly suited to the tastes of enthusiasts, amidst neon lights and a pouring rain that makes everything so gloomy. 

Replaced: being replaced by an extraordinary AI

In the context we are living in, artificial intelligences have been integrated into everyday life, also generating various human and social controversies. Replaced touches on this difficult issue, proposing an unusual protagonist, an AI that will remain trapped in the body of one of its creators: Warren Marsh. And as if that weren't enough, R.E.A.C.H. (the name of the artificial intelligence) was created by the Phoenix Corporation, a company that, apparently, is second to none in dark secrets, so much so that it has established itself over a society now brought to its knees.

For Reach, everything is new: moving in a human body and understanding its needs will not be easy, and from the very first moments, it will speak with William without ever receiving a response. It seems that the scientist has been "overwritten," and for us, it will be like being born, learning the needs of others, and developing a kind of empathy towards those human beings of whom, at least for the moment, we seem to be a part.

There would be so much, too much to say, but we are limiting ourselves so as not to spoil the experience that you will have to enjoy in its entirety. What we can tell you is that, during the various explorations and dialogues you will face, you will discover how an artificial intelligence can also understand the needs of others, sometimes showing itself to be decidedly more human than many brutes corrupted in soul and who only reason with brute force.

And, even if one should not respond with the same weapon, the AI will be forced to give tit for tat to defend William's body and ensure the salvation of both. Being endowed with an extraordinary intelligence given by its great processing capacity, Reach will mold William's body to make it perfect for combat, also stating that it will need many hours of rest to recover from the so-called "human overflow."

Our hero will therefore know how to defend himself by counterattacking at the right moment and delivering blows with the stun baton, as well as knowing how to exploit all the peculiarities of the weapon, including firing powerful projectiles after accumulating a special indicator. During combat, we can skillfully move among the various villains, dodge their attacks with formidable somersaults, and destroy shields or armor with a very peculiar pickaxe. The combat system vaguely resembles what was already experienced in the Batman: Arkham series but developed in two dimensions, with groups of termites (a ruthless gang of criminals) or corrupt police officers who will take turns in the various phases.

In Replaced, depending on the chosen difficulty level, we will have a limited number of medi-stims, injectors (of adrenaline?) suitable for partially restoring residual energy. These are partially restored every time we start a fight: using them in the most appropriate way could make a difference, especially in the more advanced stages of the game where you will face multi-section boss battles that will give the player a hard time.

As we progress through the chapters, Reach will acquire new abilities for his stun baton, including the ability to deflect a shot at the right moment and return it to the sender or towards anyone in its trajectory. And here, timing will be crucial, because if there is any moment of indecision, we will take the hit that will make us stagger slightly backward. Obviously, there are also other surprises behind this particular gadget, and we prefer not to reveal anything else to avoid unnecessary spoilers. What we can tell you is that the combat system is particularly functional, dynamic, and explosive enough, although those who are not particularly accustomed to "Batman" or "Spider-Man" style battles might find it a bit complex.

Life beyond the wall: predator or prey?

Replaced presents a harsh reality, one where a corporation (Phoenix) dictates the law and people pay the consequences. Yet, everything had been erected for a just cause to create a livable world after nuclear destruction. Those who lived beyond the Wall, a boundary that divides wealth from poverty (to use simple terms), were supposed to possess all basic necessities, but alas, it wasn't exactly so. Reach will find himself at the Railway, a true hub where people "embrace" and try to create an environment that is as comfortable as possible, even if sometimes they will have to make important decisions for the group's survival.

Resilience, this is one of the cardinal principles of Replaced, where our hero will put his nascent humanity at the service of the community. In fact, in moments when we are not out beating ruffians or solving intrigues, we can listen to the requests of the locals and give them a hand: these are essentially side missions that expand the global vision of the world and will also allow us to obtain upgrades to our arsenal, including greater effectiveness of medi-stims or doubled recharge speed for the empowered shot.

Side missions are mainly social in nature, so we will never be called upon to hunt down psychopaths outside the station, but rather to find lost comics or accessories to repair '80s arcade cabinets. And these latter can "be played" and completed to achieve a certain score: we are talking about variants of games like Space Invaders or Frogger that proved challenging and well-integrated.

Each chapter will therefore give us access to new missions that will prove entirely optional: our advice is not to skip them because they will provide an overall view of the world of Replaced. And once we go out on reconnaissance or in an attempt to save some innocent, we can intercept several logs, documents that tell many small anecdotes about characters and events, also highlighting certain alternate histories, what-ifs that involve real historical figures. These documents will be scanned and recorded in the Wingman 2, a monochromatic red plasma handheld device that we can also use as a tool to hack drones or surveillance devices: nothing revolutionary, but it enriches this Cyberpunk universe. 

A world to discover!

When we're out there, we'll never know if we'll return to base camp. These are human limitations, especially when an artificial intelligence pushes the body beyond its maximum endurance, carefully evaluating the risks but no longer reasoning like a machine, but rather like an inexperienced human. Free will, indeed: Reach will in fact face impossible challenges that will lead him to climb time-worn windows or swing on grates to overcome paths fraught with tension (and by that, we mean electrical current).

Every corner out there has been crafted with meticulous attention to detail, highlighting brilliant pixel art that manages to give the production that old-world charm. Not an easy feat, but one that the creative team managed to achieve in every area of Replaced, where you will pass through technological laboratories to post-apocalyptic zones where echoes of a bygone era resonate. From a sound perspective, this production also hits the mark, with music that accompanies the narration smoothly, almost as if the events were cradled by the sound to express themselves excellently.

Replaced is essentially divided into three phases: exploration along mostly horizontal paths, environmental puzzles where we will be called upon to solve some small conundrums to open a path, and of course, combat. And these three aspects travel on separate tracks, making everything more sequential than expected. To be clear: once the puzzles are overcome and the various scenarios explored, there will immediately be a sequence in which to take out every villain that stands along a predefined route.

We agree that Replaced is a mostly linear experience that strongly focuses on the narrative factor, without neglecting a good combat system, but we would have liked to see more amalgamation of these elements to make the experience less diluted and as dynamic as possible. Some variety is guaranteed by stealth, where you avoid overly aggressive sentinels that sometimes make you sweat a little more than necessary. We have a video game that works, and there's no doubt about that, but sometimes there's a small "forced" feeling in the duration of some sessions that, perhaps, we would have avoided.

In any case, this production was a real discovery, both from a narrative point of view and in the creation of credible characters. Yes, this '80s cyberpunk world works, and perhaps you should treat yourself to a trip to one of those cities where it can't rain forever.