If you hankering for more REPLACED following the announcement the game isn’t coming until Spring 2026, fret not. Thanks to Gamescom (and one of the developers being very kind) I got access to an early preview build to take for a spin. Join me in a dystopian alternate history 1980’s America in the XboxEra Hands-on Preview for REPLACED.
Defying Expectations
Every now and then a game will come along that defies expectations, and REPLACED certainly fits that bill. It’s an utterly stunning 2.5D dystopian sci-fi adventure, dripping with atmosphere and an eye-catching pixel art style that has to be seen in motion to truly appreciate. I first played a demo of the game last year at Gamescom, and I’ve been dying to play more. Thankfully, my prayers were answered this week, as the team at Sad Cat Studios gave me access to a preview-build of the game to take for a spin, and oh boy – REPLACED is something truly special.
The setup is a curious one, and I still don’t have all the answers. You play as a man named Warren, but not really – because that’s what this body used to be called. Instead, you’re the organic host of an AI construct named R.E.A.C.H who is fully in control, but will regularly converse with us anyway, even though we seemingly can’t reply.
We’ve been left for dead on the outskirts of Phoenix City, a body dumped among a mass grave of subjects who seem to have been experimented on. We should be dead, but luck is on our side. As I understand it, this is the very beginning of the game, and it’s dripping with imagination, style and some pretty cool world-building.
Sublime Combat
Once we’ve taken care of the biological aspects of our human host Warren, warming him up with a stylish coat to protect from the cold (and to look pretty fucking cool, thank-you-very-much), and a quick med-stim injection, we’re as fit as a fiddle and ready for action. Deep underground, we find the corpse of a policeman, who’s baton-pistol is malfunctioning, meaning we can use it.
Combat is this 2.5D game is nothing short of sublime. Yes, it’ll draw direct comparisons to the Batman Arkham games (that’s no bad thing), with counters to certain attacks on Y and a dodge-roll on A for heavier strikes. Opponents will gather around you and attack en masse, surrounding you to try and take you out. Build up enough energy through whacking punks with the baton-pistol and you can unleash a kinetic energy shot with Right Trigger, with a variety of stylish finishers if you’re close enough to see an enemy off for good. It feels extremely satisfying to play, and I can’t wait to see how the game evolves the combat come full release.
The preview shared a few combat encounters to grapple with, and as I progressed, enemies with guns would start lining up shots, their aim turning red to indicate to me when I should dodge out of the way. The last encounter featured a much heavier opponent who’s attacks couldn’t be countered, so dodge rolls were the order of the day. I didn’t find it particularly challenging, but this is early game stuff – I have high hopes for plenty of depth and style here.
Cinema and Style
Combat isn’t the only challenge. As we peel apart the layers of what’s happened to R.E.A.C.H and Warren, we set out to break back into the laboratory from which we originated. The world of REPLACED is dark and brooding, with wonderful lighting and tons of lore to discover and flesh out the narrative.
Players can find posters, newspaper clippings and diary entries that help build a picture of the nuclear disaster that occurred, and why the project that became Phoenix City went so wrong. Hidden items flash white on the screen, and while some are obvious, others are hidden away, encouraging you to explore this cyberpunk 80’s world. Even character upgrades can be found, which suggests some sort of RPG-style upgrade system will come into play as the game goes on. The in-game lore items you discover can be viewed on a nifty little device called a Wingman. There’s a neat little animation that zooms into our character, his thumb moving up and down as you navigate the device.
The games presentation is also noteworthy, with the developers at Sad Cat Studios opting for a 21:9 presentation (similar to Hellblade 2) throughout, and it feels even cooler because of it – especially on my Ultra-wide monitor. Animations, from the player character through to enemy combatants are all excellent, and it is already up there as one of the most stylish cool-looking games I’ve ever played. Even the camera dynamically bucks and weaves as you traverse the world, moving with a sense of cinema that is rare in most games, let alone a 2.5D sidescroller. And to be honest, forget the word sidescroller – before long, REPLACED will allow you to move in and out of different planes, climbing stairs into what was my background or foreground. It smartly introduces platforming elements, with our character able to climb, push boxes, swing on outcrops and clamber over obstacles with a stylish combat roll.
I also had the opportunity to try the preview out on my ROG Ally X, and the preview ran as smooth as butter, at a rock solid 60FPS. My only real criticism came from the size of some of the text and button prompts. On the Ally’s 7″ screen, they were quite tricky to read, but I’ve been assured by the developers that the full game will allow for these UI elements to be adjusted.
The Wait is Killing me
I think it’s fair to say that my time with REPLACED has achieved two things. One, it’s stormed its way up to the very tippity-top of my most anticipated games list, and two, I realise how freaking impatient I am to get my hands on it again.
It may have taken a little extra time in the oven, but the developers at Sad Cat Studios have worked some magic here, and REPLACED is shaping up to be something very special indeed. A 2.5D action-adventure at the very height of the genre, redefining what’s possible and providing players with an immersive, stylish world to simply get lost in. I can’t fucking wait.
