Replaced Reviews
Replaced lived up to the expectations I had for it. It’s a compelling cinematic platformer most of the way through, boasting surprisingly effective Arkham-style combat, an incredible variety of locations and scenarios, and one of the most standout art styles the industry has seen in a hot minute. I have grievances about certain encounters, the controls can be clunky even when you get used to them, and the finale is a letdown compared to the quality of the package leading up to that point. But, I can nonetheless easily recommend it if it caught your eye in the past. Just know that it won’t make the best first impression, but as soon as you hit Chapter 3, it will rarely let its foot off the gas and send you on a journey you’ll likely remember more for its many strengths than for the notable areas where it stumbles. Sad Cat Studios delivered a great debut effort, and I can’t wait to see what they cook up in the future.
Replaced is a fantastic trip back to the cyberpunk past, through a genre we don’t see much of anymore. It pays excellent homage to its predecessors, but when it tries to build on that with more gameplay, it falls a bit short. However, this shouldn’t stop you from playing it if you enjoy retrofuturism, cyberpunk, and powerful existential dilemmas.
Review in Czech | Read full review
Replaced is an ambitious 2.5D side scroller that deservedly takes pride in its visuals and doesn’t shy away from showing this in every detail. Its Arkham-inspired combat also makes the rare fighting encounters enjoyable. However, it still struggles to deliver full satisfaction because of the slow-burn storytelling, generic characters, input lag, and underwhelming exploration that doesn’t serve the gameplay.
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 visually stunning and deeply atmospheric 2.5D action adventure, combining exceptional pixel-art presentation, fluid combat, a powerful synth-driven soundtrack, and a mature story about identity and humanity. Its linear structure and occasionally clumsy movement outside combat are minor drawbacks in an otherwise remarkably polished and memorable experience.
Review in Czech | Read full review
What pulls everything together is tone. The score leans into synth lines and low, pulsing ambience that fit the off-kilter alternate 80s setting. REACH’s arc, from cold logic to something almost empathetic, gives the final hours weight. If you crave evocative pixel art, a moody sci-fi world, and timing-based scraps that aspire to finesse, Replaced is easy to recommend, caveats and all.
Replaced will go down as a wonderful production that could have been a more robust package.
Replaced is the debut from developer Sad Cat Studios and manages to convincingly portray a 2.5D style. Graphically it looks great, but unfortunately the pace is very slow and the story is not always convincing. In short, it just plays well.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
REPLACED is a remarkable achievement that demonstrates how indie developers can create experiences that rival big-budget productions through focused vision and exceptional artistry. While it has flaws that prevent it from reaching perfection, the core experience is so compelling that these issues fade into the background. This is exactly the kind of ambitious, thoughtful game that deserves support. Sad Cat Studios has created something genuinely special—a cyberpunk tale that asks important questions while delivering stunning visuals and solid gameplay. For anyone interested in narrative-driven gaming or exceptional pixel art, REPLACED is an essential experience. In a year full of impressive indie releases, REPLACED stands out as a genuine masterpiece that will likely become a cult classic. Don't let this digital soul's journey pass you by. – ColdMoon
REPLACED combines stunning pixel art and realistic lighting to create one of the most immersive cyberpunk worlds in recent years. Beyond its striking visuals, the game shines through its deeply human characters, emotional storytelling, and melancholic atmosphere. While inconsistent controls and a slower middle section hurt the pacing at times, the powerful final chapters and thoughtful exploration of identity and humanity make REPLACED a memorable experience that lingers long after the credits roll.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
REPLACED is an amazing feat of art direction, story telling and world building. It isn’t trying to be a massive open-world RPG, it is a focused, 8-to-10-hour cinematic experience that wants to tell a specific story in a specific way and captivates you from the start. If you have Xbox Game Pass, this is a must download. Even if the weighty platforming isn’t your usual style, the sheer visual spectacle and the “Batman-lite” combat are worth the price of entry alone. It’s a bold, confident debut from Sad Cat Studios that have taken many inspirations of iconic gaming to prove that indie games are still the best place for artistic risk taking and this may be a cult classic Indie in the near future.
There are definitely far too few games on the market these days that offer a unique adventure that you’ll simply remember with a smile on your face. That's precisely what Replaced offers. Just play it!
Review in Polish | Read full review
Replaced blends cinematic pixel art with a dystopian cyberpunk world inspired by Blade Runner. Its engaging atmosphere, fluid combat and strong audiovisual presentation make it memorable, even if repetitive mechanics and minor technical issues prevent it from reaching its full potential.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
It’s clear that Replaced is one of the most visually impressive games of the year. In fact, it’s one of the best-looking games in its entire genre.
Review in Turkish | Read full review