REPLACED is a game that every 2D platformer fan has been eagerly waiting for, and arguably, gamers in general who have heard of this title. That anticipation didn’t just apply to this year; people were waiting for it in 2025, and before that in 2024, 2023, and even 2022, when it was originally supposed to launch. And to some extent, I can understand the delays: a small team, a fully remote workflow, and ambitions that may have been a bit too large. But you know how these situations usually go. When a small team, in this case Sad Cat Studios, bites off more than it can chew, projects often fall apart before they ever see the light of day.
I’m writing this because, as much as I didn’t want that to happen, I was still afraid it might, right up until the day Thunderful Publishing sent over the review key. I had this strange feeling that I was about to play something that perhaps was never meant to be released, and a wave of conflicting emotions hit me. I could hardly believe the game was installed on my ROG Ally X, to the point where I didn’t even want to launch it out of fear of disappointment. In my head, and based on my previous experience with Sad Cat Studios at Gamescom, everything had seemed so beautiful and promising that I simply didn’t want that image to be shattered.
And those feelings are completely normal when you’ve been waiting for something for years and it’s finally in your hands. We did receive the review code fairly late from the publisher, which I completely understand, but after playing it, REPLACED is one of the best 2D, or in this case 2.5D, platformers I’ve ever played, and certainly the most visually stunning 2D game, if not one of the most beautiful games overall, that I’ve ever seen. But let’s start from the beginning.
The story takes place in the 1980s in America , an alternate history in which a nuclear catastrophe has devastated the world’s greatest superpower. Only a handful of cities remain that can still be called cities, where people try to live normal lives, or at least as normal as the corporations ruling this shattered world will allow. REPLACED unfolds in Phoenix City, under the control of the Phoenix Corporation, a company that dictates every aspect of life within its walls. And I do mean within, because they’ve built a massive barrier separating the privileged from the discarded. It’s a brutal reality that paints a clear cyberpunk dystopia, both aesthetically and socially. On one side stands the corporation and its inner circle, enjoying the perks of a totalitarian regime; on the other, people fighting over scraps, living each day as if it were their last.
The best part is that you don’t receive this atmosphere through lengthy cinematics, but through the environment itself. Carefully drawn, meticulously crafted details fill every corner of this world. Even though this is a 2.5D game, it feels so alive that it never breaks the illusion of inhabiting a living, breathing space. Long before anyone explicitly explains what’s happening in this world, you can see it for yourself — through the beautifully realised environments and the many items you discover along the way. Memoirs, letters, and notes from ordinary people describing their suffering, their daily struggles, and their hope that something might change. Everything you find is worth reading. Every NPC speech bubble is worth paying attention to. Every carefully placed detail somehow expands the overall experience and pulls you even deeper into this incredible world.
You take on the role of an AI called R.E.A.C.H., which has inhabited a human body in order to escape its creators — the Phoenix Corporation. Once it becomes part of a man named Warren, R.E.A.C.H. realises that keeping him alive is its top priority, before eventually returning to where it all began to expose the corporation’s darkest secrets and, of course, destroy it. But that path will be anything but easy. R.E.A.C.H. controls Warren from beginning to end, yet also protects him — because he is the only “vehicle” it has. The dynamic of R.E.A.C.H. learning what it means to be human becomes increasingly fascinating as the game progresses. At first, it understands nothing about humanity. But once it becomes one — at least in some sense — it begins to feel things that slowly transform it into something more human than it ever imagined. Emotions, pain, suffering, exhaustion — all become part of its evolution and journey, reflected in dialogues and situations shared with Warren. Perhaps the most compelling question the game raises is who is truly pulling the strings in REPLACED. Is it Warren, the physical protagonist? Or R.E.A.C.H., the AI inhabiting his body? Whose body is it now? Has Warren become a byproduct of the Phoenix Corporation, or is he merely playing a role in a larger plan? And what ultimately awaits him?
At its core, the game is a 2.5D action platformer with a cinematic, retro-futuristic cyberpunk aesthetic, something evident from the very first minute. It feels as if REPLACED has drawn every possible inspiration from Blade Runner. From its color palette and camera work to every minute environmental detail, the influence is clear. Neon lights flicker in the darkness, the sun casts long shadows across the city skyline, and buildings blend rural retro architecture with cyberpunk ornamentation. At every turn, the game bursts with color and atmosphere, often making you stop just to absorb the scene. But unlike many other games exploring retro-futurism, REPLACED doesn’t focus on neon-drenched city centers. Instead, it shows the outskirts, the places we rarely see. Rural environments are far from the core of power. Old houses upgraded into retro-futuristic hybrids. Abandoned libraries. Sewers are now inhabited by people. Deserted warehouses and storage yards.
All of these locations are inhabited by two types of people: scavengers who want to destroy everything in their path, and survivors. Naturally, you’ll be dealing mostly with the former. These are individuals who live in suffering but feed off the even greater suffering of others, exploiting the weak, taking whatever little they have left, and finding ways to profit from their misery. And that brings us to the combat system, which is another aspect that truly impresses.
Most players have probably tried the Arkham games at some point over the past 10–15 years, and REPLACED uses a similar combat philosophy. It focuses on melee encounters against multiple enemies at once, built around careful positioning, well-timed counters, dodges, and, of course, beating down anyone who tries to kill you. During combat, indicators appear above enemies to signal their next move. A yellow indicator means the attack can be countered, red means you must dodge, and if there’s no indicator at all, you simply strike whoever is closest. After performing several successful dodges or counters, you unlock a powerful finisher that can be executed on a single enemy, a brutal final blow that looks absolutely fantastic.
What makes it even better is how incredibly fluid and satisfying the combat feels. The animations are flawless, and once again, the way the game frames each encounter enhances the entire experience. Boss fights are something special, each one forcing you to think more strategically and use the available space wisely. You can’t rely on the same tactic to defeat every boss, the game genuinely tests your awareness and reflexes. Yes, this is a 2.5D platformer, but it’s astonishing how beautifully Sad Cat Studios integrated pixel-art character models into a fully 3D environment, and even more impressive is how perfectly it all works together. The dynamic camera shifts during combat and key moments add a cinematic flair. In fact, it feels more cinematic than some fully 3D games that actively try to achieve that same effect.
Beyond combat, there are quieter segments where, if I can put it that way, nothing dramatic happens. These are transitional moments between locations, where the pace slows down as you move through the world. Often, these sections shift into platforming sequences, which are equally well designed. The game never explicitly tells you where to go or what to do, you have to figure it out yourself. Thankfully, it’s intuitive. There’s left and right, of course, but also verticality, climbing, jumping, and environmental traversal. Puzzle elements are introduced gradually, simple at first, but later they genuinely test your spatial awareness. None of the puzzles feel illogical; instead, they make sense if you put yourself in Warren and R.E.A.C.H.’s position. You think, “What do I need right now to solve this?”, and eventually, it clicks.
All gameplay elements are blended together intelligently. Nothing overstays its welcome or becomes repetitive. After a short platforming segment, you might transition into combat or a story-driven moment. If you’ve spent several intense minutes fighting, what follows is often a calmer period where you can gather your thoughts and process what just happened. The pacing is excellently balanced, ensuring that each new segment feels refreshing rather than exhausting.
Although I’ve already talked about the visuals, I have to return to them once more, because what Sad Cat Studios achieved here is extraordinary. As I mentioned before, the first thing that struck me was the blend of stylized pixel art and modern shader work. Some might call it a retro-futuristic pixel-art approach, but to me it feels like a delicate balance between nostalgia and contemporary presentation. This isn’t just “old graphics in a new light”, every detail, every environmental element carries weight and purpose within the world. The lighting, shadows, reflections, and textures all create the sensation that the world breathes, that it’s alive, and that you’re not merely observing it, but inhabiting it.
The atmosphere is what truly sets the game apart visually. There isn’t a simple “day mode” and “night mode.” Instead, tones and lighting patterns shift subtly as you move through different zones. A neon-lit street feels like stepping into a cyberpunk version of the past, while a dark laboratory or industrial complex drenched in cold light and reflections evokes uncertainty and tension. The environment isn’t just there to look pretty, it plays a central role in the narrative and the world-building. Much like music in a film shapes emotional tension, the visuals here shape your perception without you consciously thinking about it.
Many visual effects are subtle on their own, but together they create a dynamic whole. Light spills naturally across scenes, particles float in the air, and the interplay between light and shadow gives depth to the world, making it feel less like a flat 2D plane and more like a tangible space you move through. Combined with tasteful depth-of-field effects and a constantly shifting camera angle that adapts to on-screen action, the result is deeply immersive. The visuals communicate the narrative as effectively as dialogue does. Some areas are vibrant and detailed, filled with remnants of society and objects reminiscent of an alternate 20th century. Others are cold and sterile, designed to unsettle you. There isn’t just one emotional tone to the visual design — there are many, and they evolve as the game progresses. That kind of deliberate artistic cohesion is rare today, but here it’s handled with care and clear intention.
As for performance, I played the Steam version on the ROG Ally X from start to finish. In 17W mode at 720p, more than acceptable for a 7-inch screen, the game looks phenomenal and runs at 80 frames per second or higher. In scenes with heavy fire effects, the frame rate occasionally dips to around 70, likely due to the engine calculating complex lighting and shadow interactions, but most of the time it stays well above 100 FPS. It’s a joy to play in every sense. The game doesn’t offer detailed graphical settings beyond resolution adjustments, meaning all players essentially get the same experience. Based on how it performs on the ROG Ally X, I’m confident it will run excellently on the Steam Deck as well.
We would like to thank Thunderful Publishing for providing us with a copy of the game for review purposes.
REPLACED (PC)
REPLACED is proof that when something is truly crafted with passion and vision, it can absolutely be worth the wait. Not many games can survive such a long development cycle and still emerge with this level of quality, but Sad Cat Studios has shown, quite modestly, I might add, that they knew exactly what they wanted to create. Yes, they may have aimed high, perhaps even too high at times, but the final result is more than fantastic. In fact, this is likely the most beautiful 2.5D game released to date and one of the most exciting and high-quality action-platforming adventures in years. Sad Cat Studios may be a small team, and the game is available on Game Pass from day one, so at the very least, give it a try. It won’t disappoint, and if you end up loving it, consider supporting the developers. After all these years of development, they truly deserve it.
