Becoming Human.
I distinctly remember the 2021 announcement of Replaced, the debut title from Sad Cat Studios. The trailer was gorgeous, showcasing its intense combat, and its desolate and stunning environments. Honestly, it really set a high bar for itself. And despite numerous delays, Replaced is now here, and I really wish I liked it more than I do.
Make no mistake, the artistry and atmospheric tension the game provides is incredible. This is some of the best pixel art to ever exist, and much of its combat is so stylish that it feels pulled from some of the best action scenes across any genre. Flipping over an enemy to perform an execution never gets old, but the rest of the experience just doesn't live up to that high.
Across the roughly 10 hour campaign, Replaced attempts to be a few different things. It has platforming, hacking, combat, stealth, and several unfortunately mundane side quests that have you running around a small hub location, performing a series of dull fetch quests. This area is a small town that is almost a refugee camp for those cast out of the city. The nature of those quests aside, their narratives work for the game's world building, and it helps with a lot of Reach’s character growth. I don't mind the narrative those quests provide, but this break in the action does cause the pacing to feel off at times, taking the intense action and having it come to a screaming halt.
Replaced is set in a world where corporations and their AI systems hold more sway than the government. This has the rich truly run the country and its lower class citizens cast aside, effectively known as “disposals”. While that does hold certain parallels to our own world state, Replaced is more of a cautionary tale than full on mimicry. This is a bleak, dystopian future set in an alternative history of the United States, one ruled by the Phoenix Corporation.
This power hungry Corporation rules the aptly named Phoenix City, as everyone who lives in this walled off metropolis works for the company in some form or fashion. Those who don’t, are outside its walls, barely surviving. The Phoenix Corporation is then in charge of an AI named R.E.A.C.H, who has a programming directive to find suitable donors for organs, something that is playfully illustrated via one of its arcade mini-games. I'll add that I really didn't find those games enjoyable, but I can see people getting lost in them.
You initially are in the role of Warren Marsh, but an accident in the lab fuses Reach into the body of Marsh’s corpse, taking control and being able to then experience the world outside their lab. As there is chaos flooding the halls of the building, Reach barely escapes the city as the police force are set to shoot first and ask questions never. And, as you escape the city, Reach comes face to face with the results of his original programming, finding life outside the wall to be one of survival rather than fully living.
This opener is solid, and sets forth a really engaging story as you not only get to know Reach, and their quest to almost feel more human, but the characters who exist outside of the wall as well. The few supporting characters you’ll really engage with; Tempest, Yo-Yo, and Veronica, are well characterized, and become big parts of the narrative, especially Tempest. It’s also apparent that during your conversations with them, and even yourself, that the writing here is quite good, even if voice acting would have truly taken these characters to the next level. I’ll add that a game like Disco Elysium launched without voice acting and that the addition of it years later truly reinvented that experience. For as much dialogue that is here, and how much it leans into its narrative, it's truly unfortunate that the game isn't voiced.
The main gameplay pillars for Replaced are its platforming, stealth encounters, and its intense and fluid combat, with the latter being the only component to this title that I feel truly works here. This largely comes down to being disappointed in the other two pillars, as platforming and stealth don't feel as polished or as refined as the combat. They feel inconsistent and frustrating at times given the pixel perfect precision you almost need to pull them off.
The platforming throughout Replaced falls under two camps, being able to engage with it on your own terms and pacing, or through timed fast-paced pressured encounters that result in instant death if you don’t pull it off in time. The latter is where I soured on the platforming significantly, especially given the fact you can mess up each of these encounters by missing a single jump, or tripping over an obstacle on the ground, despite visually clearing it.
For example, a bit more than halfway through, you'll run across a series of beams supported by a crane while being hunted down by a drone. The drone's red vision cone is moving behind you at a pace where any mistake, no matter how minor, results in you instantly dying.
Now, I don't mind a chase sequence, as games like Ori or Mio provide some stellar sequences in that regard. However, those games understand that it is ok to mess up provided you can maneuver quick enough to make up that time. You don't get such forgiveness here, not even a pixel’s width. This is where Replaced reminded me of the frustrating bits of Celeste.
This section is a great example as it encompasses the jumping systems, climbing, ground obstacles, and the platform swinging across pipes that allow you to swing to the next platform. Honestly, while it is well designed in that regard, the pixel-perfect precision doesn't do this game any favors when forced to tackle it at breakneck speed, especially as the clunky nature of its movement and climbing doesn’t do it any favors. Again, it's great without the pressure, but here, it just highlights the bigger issues at play.
Personally, platforming just didn't work for me. Is it a skill issue? I don't know, since the moment I did progress past this, I didn't feel I did it any differently than the dozen other attempts. It's not like I learned from it. This wasn't an example of “git gud”, it was an example of pure luck. Out of the few areas in the game where its platforming felt like a race, it was the only one to really stand out. Is this me grasping at something to criticize? No, because it did greatly affect my time with the game. Not just this encounter, but others that force you through it.
What adds to my disappointment with the platforming is that it never evolves or tries to grow past its first few hours. Sure, you get a pick axe to cling to the wall, or using air currents to double jump, but it never moves ahead with anything else to really make it its own. We've seen this level of platforming before, and most of those games continued to evolve their mechanics and feel like they had something up their sleeve to really elevate the genre. Unlike something like Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, movement here never feels exciting, I feel like I am just simply surviving. While that could be illustrative of the point of Reach’s quest, It doesn't serve the gameplay experience, at least for me.
Stealth encounters occur frequently in this game, and while the blending in with the crowd sequences later on are pretty cool, the limited options at your disposal don't help these other areas. While you can roll during combat, there is oddly no stealth roll, meaning you can't make a last ditch roll to avoid the drones. And even if you make it cover after being spotted, the drone will shoot through whatever cover you are using and kill you. It's frustrating. That said, the later sections where you gain the ability to hack devices does allow something new to freshen up an otherwise bland aspect of the game.
Combat, as mentioned, shines, even if it does cause most encounters to go the same way. You'll roll to bridge the gap from ranged attackers, use your axe to break down defenses, and fire off your pistol to deal a bit of ranged yourself, complete with execution kills if you can pull them off. You can parry attacks quite easily by pressing the button when the attack is yellow and dodge when it is red.
Combat is fluid, and the dance is pretty solid. You are often taking on about a dozen fighters as they enter into the fray once you've killed those in the foreground. While the axe is a tad slower than I'd like, you'll need to use it to dismantle the armor on some of the more beefy foes or those with a shield.
Again, you'll likely have a pattern and plan when going into these battles as they all play out the same. Yes, you'll be introduced to new foes and types, but the rhythm will always be the same. You can eventually deflect bullets and rain down additional damage once you've upgraded certain abilities.
Combat doesn't really change despite these upgrades as you will find the way to dispatch foes left and right and do the same thing with each subsequent encounter. Now, does that get repetitive? Sure, but combat does remain fun and action-packed, despite each fight being set up the same way each time.
The game features a few bosses and these are more or less pretty good, especially the battle at the generator. However, for as great as they are, they do all follow a basic rhythm that you'll easily figure out and dispatch them with ease. While I do enjoy the combat, the sameness across so much of it could easily deter players who want some unpredictability and variety.
If I had to compare the combat to anything, it would be the Batman Arkham series due to the need to manage so many foes at once and how you balance the order of your attacks. It's fluid enough that some of the jankiness from the platforming elements are not a factor here, I just wish each encounter wasn't the same situation of falling or jumping into a big group and then picking them off one by one.
Perhaps the strongest element to Replaced is its visuals. Its pixelated world is gorgeous, with a wealth of details and animations across every environment. From birds landing on light posts to people walking their dogs, to the steam coming from pipes and vents, to the hustle and bustle of shops and places of commerce. From industrial factories, forests, underground labs, and caves filled with a bloodthirsty and savage tribe, Replaced is top to bottom stunning.
Animations also play a huge role in how good this game looks. Even Reach just putting on a jacket is masterfully done. Enemy animations dictate their moves, and Reach himself is full of some solid work too. There is just a futuristic and semi-cyberpunk vibe to the whole ordeal that Sad Cat Studios gets so perfect. For any issues I have with the rest of the game, I really have zero criticisms on the look of the game.
What adds to some locations is the 2D vibe in its 3D world, with sprites looking hilariously flat such as when Reach is piloting a police cruiser; it's charming. Some locations even allow you to move between lanes, but this lessens as the game goes on, sticking to more single lane environments. Regardless, it's a cool visual and makes levels feel bigger than they are. I also need to shout out the radio-tv-screen thing you have for your menu, as seen below, it’s rad AF.
I also like the puzzle nature of what each environment offers. Moving fans to provide the gusts of air to boost you up further, swinging off pipes, and mantling up, works due to some solid level design. Again, I speak from the moments when you are not under pressure of an instant kill shot from a drone.
Replaced didn't quite land for me from a gameplay perspective. Combat has its highs, but can be a tad repetitive due to encounters all structure the same way. Platforming and stealth did feel disappointing, but your mileage will certainly vary as while many absolutely loved those aspects, they just didn't hit for me and felt inferior to other games in the genre. Still, Replaced has a good story, great characters, and is a visual masterpiece that certainly is begging to be explored.
Developer - Sad Cat Studios.
Publisher - Thunderfall Publishing.
Released - April 14th, 2026
Available On - Xbox Series X/S, PC.
Rated - (M) - Violence, Blood, and Strong Language.
Platform Reviewed - Xbox Series X.
Review Access - A review code for Replaced was provided by the publisher for the purpose of this review.
Jeff is the original founder of Analog Stick Gaming. His favorite games include The Witcher III, the Mass Effect Trilogy, Hi-Fi Rush, Stellar Blade, Hellbade: Senua’s Sacrifice, and the Legend of Heroes series, especially Trails of Cold Steel III & IV.