Review - Replaced

Developer: Sad Cat Studios

Publisher: Thunderful Publishing

Platforms: PC (Steam), Steam Deck, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Game Pass

Reviewed on: Steam Deck

Artificial Intelligence. We have heard of the dangers and pitfalls of AI for decades, most notably popularized by science fiction such as James Cameron's The Terminator. Today, AI is everywhere, and attempting to brute force its way into human roles, as well as creative spaces and productivity. It's an evolving endeavor, one that hopefully won't replace the hard-working humans that make the world turn. In the chaos, that word human takes on a new and more poignant meaning. What it means to be human. What it means to create something. What it means to be shaped and feel.

Bleak, dystopic, sad, yet poignant and hopeful, Replaced is an exceptional narrative adventure and action game, with a breathtaking presentation, a timely story, and engaging combat, even if there are a few glitches. When all is said and done, Replaced is an unforgettable experience that I will surely remember for quite some time.

It is the future

It is 1984. In an alternative history, Project Trinity, the world's first nuclear detonation, becomes a catalyst for futuristic technology and devastating war. In an uncertain world, corporate interests begin to emerge, becoming far more powerful than the likes of John F Kennedy and Richard Nixon. Their voices are drowned out as Phoenix Corporation builds a world for everyone under one roof. Nuclear war erupts, and in the ashes, America still stands, but by a thread. The American government, as we know it, no longer exists. Phoenix Corporation is the future.

Deep in a Pheonix Corporation laboratory, within the walls of Pheonix City, a lone scientist, Warren, is working with an AI counterpart, R.E.A.C.H. A freak accident occurs, and R.E.A.C.H now inhabits Warren's body. Now flesh and blood, R.E.A.C.H seeks help, but the corporate cops begin executing patients. Now, on the run, Reach seeks a way to reverse what has happened to him. Along the way, he will meet friends and foes in an adventure that will change him in ways unimaginable.

R.E.A.C.H For Humanity

Replaced is a 2D action-adventure with a narrative focus. Players play as R.E.A.C.H., an AI that has found itself trapped in a human body. through a dystopian, irradiated cyberpunk dystopia, players must find the truth behind Reach's creation and uncover a conspiracy that can rattle the very foundation of the Pheonix Corporation. Players navigate the various environments in a 2D plane that occasionally goes into the foreground and background. Players encounter platforming obstacles that must be navigated through jumping, hanging, and climbing.

R.E.A.C.H. has to fight for survival. R.E.A.C.H encounters a multitude of enemies from the Termite gang to enemy corporate cops. Players navigate around the enemy through stealth sections, as well as face them head-on through the game's several dozen action sequences. These action sequences are clearly inspired by the combat mechanics seen in the Batman Arkham games. Enemies surround and mob players. It's up to players to fight their way out and down every enemy.

Every Frame a Masterpiece

Replaced is breathtaking. I know that's been a phrase since Cyberpunk 2077, and perhaps overused, but in Replaced, it is indeed breathtaking. The environments are in 3D on a 2D plane, with the characters being portrayed in a pixel-perfect animation set that gets every single movement down to every last frame. Characters look great in movement and combat, but it's the emotional moments during the story that the animation breathes life into every character. It is an unerring degree of craftsmanship and artistry I haven't seen before.

Presented in a 21:9 scope, Replaced feels cinematic from the very start. Every single frame feels like a modern-art masterpiece in futuristic and dystopian interpretation. It felt like I was experiencing every frame of a book turned into a grand sci-fi epic, with dazzling colors, gritty city scapes, tremendous lighting, and many other assortments in visual design. This is accompanied by the fact that Replaced is clearly inspired by various pieces of science fiction, namely Blade Runner and Blade Runner: 2049. Keep in mind, Replaced is its own story, but it's hard to ignore a street named "Deckard" and not see the inspiration from the gritty city lights to the falling snow.

Like Tears in Rain

Replaced takes place in a retrofuturistic world, teeming with big cables, CRT monitors, golden towers, and massive walls. The color has a stark contrast between the abundantly glowing Phoenix City and the ruined sanctuary that is The Station. The lighting, in particular, is remarkably strong in interpreting an emotion and feeling, and it is effective in stealth sequences, when hiding from a gunship is required. The developer took into account every piece of information that could be conveyed onto the screen and went all in on how powerful visual storytelling can be.

This goes even further at The Station. This is a small hub world that R.E.A.C.H. travels to at some points between the story. This hub world features interactive elements and characters, further expressing R.E.A.C.H's transitioning as a character and the gritty, lived-in world Replaced portrays. A young man creates comics to take his mind off the world. A girl creates arcade machines to remind her of simpler times.

You Look Lonely

The story is told through dialog boxes and text, as well as cutscenes, with the text typing sound different for each character. There are distinct sounds when Reach is talking amongst other characters. One character, Veronica, had her voice box forcibly taken and replaced with a digital synthesizer, having her speech sounding different when speaking in the game. Little touches like this enhance an already immersive experience. This is all accompanied by a mesmerizing synth score that is enveloping to the ears.

Replaced goes even further in collectibles and exploration. Scattered throughout the game are collectibles that can be scanned, with some being more hidden than others. These open up exciting bits of lore about the world of Replaced. It's more than what you see, but what is read. This is a bleak world where corporations control the soda you drink, surveillance is everywhere, and everything is in the interest of the corporation. You can be free as long as your interests serve the company. The value of a human life boils down to what your organs hold.

I Can Fix That

R.E.A.C.H's story is most profound. Without spoiling anything, I respect and appreciate the arc that Reach embarks on. He begins as a cold, calculating AI, but as he is trapped in a human body, and slowly uncovers the truth, Reach's behavior changes. His mannerisms change. His speech adjusts. It isn't out of necessity or survival, and it feels natural. This is a world where people are struggling to survive, but as R.E.A.C.H finds himself, there is a sensation of hope in his interactions.

R.E.A.C.H. goes through many moments. Pain, suffering, sadness, happiness, joy. It's enough to overload and overwhelm anyone, let alone an AI. However, seeing R.E.A.C.H. in this sort of futuristic fish-out-of-water story felt remarkable, unique, and a standout in science fiction. Where most sci-fi portrays AI as a malevolent being that can end humanity in less than a second, Replaced introduces the idea of an AI were to go through the human experience and how that could change an AI.

Stay Alive

Replaced is no walking simulator. R.E.A.C.H has to learn to survive and fight. Controlling R.E.A.C.H felt fine, with a sensation of weight and heft, although he was a little finicky, leading to various unnecessary deaths, particularly when grabbing a surface. Players are, eventually, given a pickaxe to grab onto walls. As much as a visual splendor Replaced is, I'd often miss where to stick the pickaxe mid-jump. There are a handful of puzzle jumps, with some stumping me in the process. However, the platforming works for the most part.

Stealth works as well and demonstrates the dimensions of the environment. In an early sequence, a sniper cannon in the background shines a light into the foreground in an attempt to locate and destroy R.E.A.C.H. Using the lighting, R.E.A.C.H moves between structures to avoid the light and avoid getting shot. Paying attention to lighting is both gorgeous and intense in these segments. Finally, there is the combat.

Tools of the Trade

Early on in Replaced, R.E.A.C.H gets access to a Corp cop gun that can transform into a baton. At first, the weapon is faulty and can only be used for melee attacks. Enemies swarm and mob R.E.A.C.H. Straight out of the Batman Arkham games, enemies telegraph when they will attack. Red means an attack that must be dodged. Yellow means an attack that can be parried. Parrying is essential for surviving the game's most intense fights. Later, players can deflect bullets and use a ground slam.

Players eventually get access to a pickaxe, and the gun is repaired. At this point, Replaced turns the dial up with combat encounters. As players fight, the gun charges. When full, players can fire the gun for an instant kill. In some cases, if an enemy is stunned, players can brutally execute an enemy with the gun. The pickaxe is used for navigation but also for combat. Some enemies are shielded, and a well-timed button press can slice through enemy armor. This is essential as not doing this leaves enemies invincible to baton strikes and gunfire.

More Human Than Human

Fighting in Replaced is exciting, energetic, but also overwhelming. Earlier fights see R.E.A.C.H being an action hero with bone-cracking moves and a trail of bodies at your feet, but later fights feel like something straight out of high-stakes cinema. Enemies send small armies, and the screen is filled with enemies trying to shoot, punch, and kick their way into R.E.A.C.H's CPU. It becomes a frantic and chaotic fight to take down the most dangerous enemies and work their way down.

One drawback is the variety of enemies in combat. There isn't much, but the corporate cops are entertaining, ranging from riot-shielded cops to armored suits to even cop ninjas. Fighting in Repalced is exciting and satisfying, but I wish we had more enemy variety. Topping the combat are several boss fights which are grand and incredibly memorable, but regretabbly, few in number.

I Am The Business

As remarkable as Replaced is, there are small blemishes. The fighting and combat could have used more variety. Even with the late-game additions to the fighting, it grew tiresome fighting the same cops over and over again. The platforming could have been tweaked, and the pacing could have been worked to be more balanced.

However, I cannot stress enough how much more I wanted to see of this world. It felt lived-in and realized. Some games tack on terms like cyberpunk and dystopia, but Replaced feels like one of the very few games to fully embrace those terms. Between the presentation and world-building, Replaced should be remarked as an artistic achievement. I wouldn't have minded spending ten more hours in this world.

Don't Get Replaced

As I rolled credits on Replaced, I could not help but be reflective. I was pleased and satisfied with my 15-hour experience, but I was hopeful. I thought about Terminator 2's theme of a machine learning the value of human life. Strangely, I felt hopeful that in this day and age, where AI is everywhere, the right minds with the right hearts will prevail. Replaced left me a lot to think about and ponder on where we are headed, but it also left me saying, "What a ride!"

Replaced may not be for everyone, but with its engrossing world and poignant story, it makes up for the blemishes in combat and platforming. Replaced is a strong, timely story, one that we should pay attention to, accompanied by satisfying combat and navigation in a flawed world. It is R.E.A.C.H's story that is the emotional, digital heart of the story, and it beats triumphantly. Replaced is a game I won't soon forget.

REPLACED IS A MUST PLAY

A review copy was generously provided by the publisher