Platform(s): PC (version reviewed), Xbox Series
Genre: 2D, Pixel, Indie, Adventure, Action, Cyberpunk

The cyberpunk genre may never go out of style -thanks, Bladerunner, Ghost in the Shell, and Cyberpunk 2077. But would you believe that it can even be more unique and stand out even more among its eclectic peers?

Developer Sad Cat Studios seems to hit that magic button with its new 2D action-adventure game Replaced, which further beautifies and glorifies the dystopian sci-fi trope with lovely pixel art, a neat soundtrack, an interesting premise, and fun modern day-influenced combat. And it all mixes well, if you mind the small game dev issues that come with it.

Like A Phoenix From The Ashes…

The year is the 1980s that’s altered to be pretty futuristic & desolate. You play an AI named R.E.A.C.H. (eventually shortened to “Reach”) who is accidentally trapped in the body of one Warren Marsh after a laboratory mishap in Phoenix-City. Pretty soon, you’re chased out of the city and end up in the other side of the literal wall where the poor and desolate, dubbed Disposals, reside. Together with a few rebels, you attempt to infiltrate the city and expose the Corporation’s hidden agenda, and find out why you were created.

Everything in Replaced all happens in one flow, with little to no breaks save for the times you explore the outskirt city where the survivors are. You find clues to how the world works and how Phoenix took over the whole world through little news posts, data logs, and private entries, all stored in your pocket device that also lists down your objectives, stores found music, and contains your tutorial in case you missed out on that important bit of text.

As Reach, you pretty much move like how a 2D action hero does in a cinematic action-adventure title; a bit of lag and extra animations, some weight and heft in your jump and running, and some fighting moves to back it up. This is similar to past titles like Another World or more recently Planet of Lana 2, but with its unique gritty flair.

Fortunately, you aren’t empty-handed. You can beat enemies up with your baton that also transforms into a gun, break enemy armour with your pickaxe, and can counter and parry enemy attacks. If you played the Batman: Arkham and PlayStation Spider-Man games, it’s just that but 2D. And a handgun that insta-kills fools when its meter is full. And a shockwave move in case things get too crowded.

Does a 3D battle system with free-flow combat work in 2D? It does, but with one extra challenge: armoured enemies and regular enemies can share the same space, so when you’re landing hits, you prioritize the bigger threat, meaning you may be using the wrong attack at times when a targeting system would have solved that problem. Still, the fighting works for the most parts as you still need to use single-out methods to weed out the weak ones like the ranged attackers and shieldless grunts from the pack. What the game lacks in variety makes it up with volume and smooth controls; the kind that makes you feel good beating up waves of crooked cops and cannibals called Termites.

Your tools aren’t just for fighting. There’s a lot of platforming and environmental puzzles to solve in Replaced, ranging from stealth against turrets and drones to swinging from pole to pole. You use your gun as a double jump tool via air currents, and  your pickaxe to hang onto special cracked holes. You can also hack into consoles and play a short match-the-space minigame to turn off switches or open up pathways. Each component of Replaced’s gameplay is simple, but not brain-dead as it chains them all really well in its action-slash-platforming-slash-stealth structure, mixing it all in accordance to its narrative.

This cinematic adventure game does not miss a beat, nor wastes its time going through its action setpieces while giving you a break at appropriate times. It also knows when to punctuate the moment with a short vista shot of its sci-fi backdrops, establishing mood and context to your journey while also dazzling you with its deft use of colours and pixel art. Sad Cat Studios spent blood, sweat, and tears making each backdrop and landscape a work of art, and it pays off big time. My favourite moments include looking past a sky city vista of my destination, then being waylaid by a drone a second later in a tough chase sequence through the rooftops and construction area.

There’s a lot more you’ll remember in Replaced’s plot and cinematic gameplay beats, but I won’t spoil it as I rather you experience it yourself. Replaced’s 1980s Blade Runner-inspired sci-fi feel and grit needs to be witnessed in motion on any computer or TV screen.

A Glitch In The System

That said, the game has some bugs. You can get softlocked out of certain parts if you skip cutscenes. u can’t revisit areas for fear of crashing, and you can’t skip cutscenes for fear of possible game-breaking glitches. Once in a while, even finished combat trials have you restarting from the checkpoint since that one enemy is stuck and can’t be touched.

I’m not trying to make excuses, but it’s an indie game: unfortunately these things happen with a very small team that can’t spot everything at once much like, say, a big triple-A team that is doing the same kind of action-adventure beat with a unique coat of paint and mechanic.

Still, you can’t fault the game and its team for having ambition. Its attempt at immersing you in its lush and beautiful-yet-dystopian future, and its intriguing premise accompanied with a rockin’ synth soundtrack; it really works when you experience that early in-game chase scene and how Reach/Warren figure out their conundrum in the game’s short-but-sweet runtime. Just like with this week’s many narrative-driven releases in this particular week of April, Replaced is that one title you can’t pass up. Even if it attempts to piss you off with its shoddy framework.

Final Score: 80/100

Review copy provided by publisher.