Replaced Reviews
With its sharp presentation, REPLACED will have you grappling with emotions, and it was well worth the wait.
You'll want to take in Replaced's retrofuturistic version of dystopian USA as much as possible, but the phenomenal visuals can only do so much to make up for the above-average combat and puzzle-platforming.
The key factor in Replaced is whether you’ll be captivated by the visuals and immersed in the cyberpunk universe enough for them to push you forward despite the setbacks – and there are plenty of those, as the repetitive combat and unresponsive controls in the platforming sections can really try your patience. Ultimately, this is a game that’s better to look at than to play.
Review in Polish | Read full review
Replaced's jaw-dropping pixel-art visuals elevate the slower plodding place of the 2.5D platforming, with a beautifully realised dystopian setting aiming for the high-concept of Bladerunner but perhaps landing on the enjoyable romp of Total Recall.
Replaced in many ways explains why it took so long to arrive. It pours most of its effort into art and world building, with top tier pixel visuals, cinematic framing, and a thought provoking setting all standing out as clear strengths. Beneath that striking presentation, however, the gameplay feels thin. Formulaic storytelling, repetitive level design, and a shallow combat system make its ten hour journey leave little lasting impression.
Review in Chinese | Read full review
At the end of the day, Replaced is a game that I was only interested in because of the cyberpunk elements, but after many hours of playing it, it won me over in many ways. The hypnotic soundtrack and breathtaking visuals make Replaced a must for fans of cyberpunk or dystopian themes.
Despite tackling an interesting subject, maintaining an engaging atmosphere, and having some positive aspects in terms of art design and direction, Replaced is literally disjointed when it comes to gameplay and has nothing meaningful to offer. If you're craving a beautiful and different experience, it might be worth a try, otherwise, it's better not to waste your time.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Replaced is proof that the independent scene can deliver an experience that surpasses the production of large AAA studios in many ways. It's not a game for everyone. It's a game that will absorb you with its style and won't let you go until you see the end credits.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
REPLACED is a beautiful, narrative driven experience, and that’s where the game is at its best. It tells a very interesting, gripping story, and I found myself fascinated with the great locations, mesmerizing backgrounds, but also the intricate characters found within the game. Sad Cat Studios hit it out of the park here, the game is not only visually impressive with its pixelated art style, but also the well-written story.
Sad Cat Studios makes its debut with REPLACED, a gripping adventure that rewrites humanity's known past. Some 80 dystopian and retrofuturistic settings serve as the backdrop for the story, which takes on special significance as the game progresses. Outstanding art, visceral combat, and platforming come together to create an action title where everything blends perfectly to form a well-rounded video game.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
A sci-fi indie game with enjoyable gameplay and truly excellent direction: it's a shame about the side quests, which aren't quite up to par, and the lack of originality in the narrative.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Cinematic 2D action adventure games don't get much more striking or immersive as REPLACED and its intuitive gameplay systems are superb. 🚨
After years of uncertainty and delays, Sad Cat Studios’ cinematic thriller finally comes into its own, delivering an experience that made every second of the wait worthwhile. At the end of the day, I can’t help but feel that Sad Cat Studios’ work and the story of R.E.A.C.H. are nothing more than a reflection of our own internal struggles to find our place in the world. The wait was definitely worth it.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Replaced is by no means a game that challenges the player's skill. However, through its narrative approach and atmospheric design, it manages to stir emotions and provoke thought about what it means to be human. If you're looking for a story-driven experience, this $20 title can be an excellent choice for you.
Review in Persian | Read full review
REPLACED is a genuinely brilliant cyberpunk platformer. While it occasionally suffers from major glitches, frustrating mechanics, and pacing issues due to the combat, puzzles, and platforming, the gameplay's high moments, incredible narrative, and gorgeous presentation more than make up for these issues. If you're a fan of the cyberpunk genre, then this is an absolute must-play. The five-year wait was worth it after all.
REPLACED is a triumph of audiovisual design and powerful storytelling that will make you reflect on what constitutes human identity. The experience is slightly marred by an uneven pace caused by tedious side quests, an overcomplicated combat system in the later stages of the game, and a harsh save system. But if you can overlook these design flaws and occasional technical glitches, you’re in for one of the most beautiful indie games of recent years.
Review in Czech | Read full review
Ultimately, Replaced is a work that leaves its mark, yet fails to reach the heights that seemed so clearly within its grasp. It is a title that constantly dazzles with a larger-than-life artistic direction and cinematography, capable of redefining the genre's visual standards, but one that simultaneously falters exactly where it should have dared more: in its gameplay. One gets the sense of being before an experience that is beautiful to behold and fascinating to inhabit, but ultimately unable to fully sustain the weight of its own ambitions, crushed by an overly conservative structure and a repetictiveness that emerges forcefully due to its length. And yet, despite its evident flaws, the talent shining through every single frame is impossible to ignore. Sad Cat Studios demonstrates a crystal-clear vision and a technical mastery rare for a debut work, marking a first outing that makes the team one to watch closely in the future. REPLACED remains, therefore, a recommended experience for fans of cinematic platformers and cyberpunk atmospheres, but it also represents an opportunity only partially seized. With a few less oversights and greater attention to pacing and mechanical variety, we would be speaking of a masterpiece without hesitation; as it stands, it remains a high-value debut, flawed but incredibly promising.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Easily being one of the most visually impressive indie games of recent years, Replaced features a cyberpunk narrative that addresses themes such as inequality and the value of life in a crumbling society that privileges a select group of people at the expense of others. Sustained by a solid and immersive atmosphere, the narrative is not exactly innovative, but it features good pacing, handles its world-building well, and creates interesting parallels between machines and human beings.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Replaced is a reminder of why the indie scene matters. Sad Cat Studios spent five years — through delays, a war, and a studio relocation — delivering a debut that wants to say something, and mostly succeeds. For fans of cinematic action platformers from Another World to Prince of Persia, this is a worthy heir.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Replaced is a stunning 2.5D sci-fi experience that blends breathtaking pixel art, real-time lighting, melancholic synth music, and a mature story about identity into one of the most atmospheric cyberpunk adventures in recent memory. Its world can feel overly linear, and movement outside combat occasionally lacks the same elegance, but its visual confidence and emotional weight make it a genuine artistic triumph.
Review in Czech | Read full review