Replaced Review - IGN

Between the ubiquitous virtual assistants cheerfully patronising us from almost every electronic device and the disposable slop that nobody asked for clogging up our social media feeds, it’s becoming pretty hard to escape artificial intelligence these days – but it could be worse: what if you had an AI actually implanted in your brain? Such is the premise of Replaced, a 2.5D action platformer that follows a scientist named Doctor Warren Marsh who’s on the run after a sentient AI called REACH is shoehorned into his skull. The twist here is that you don’t actually play as the scientist, you play as the AI that’s effectively puppeteering him – with your sole objective to return to the laboratory so you can unpair from your human host. It makes for a compelling 11-hour quest that winds its way through an alternate ‘80s America rendered in a pristine pixel-art style, and one that I ultimately remained engrossed in despite some dull sidequest design and combat that occasionally felt more unresponsive than a muted Siri.

It really can’t be overstated just how stunning Replaced’s 16-bit inspired game world is. It basically updates the look and feel of classic 2D adventures like the original Prince of Persia and Flashback in a similar way that Octopath Traveler’s HD-2D style transformed SNES-era RPGs, enhancing primitive yet personality-packed character sprites and pixelated landscapes with 3D depth and lighting that really pops. From ruined scientific research facilities, to neon-soaked streets, and down into the flare-lit depths of an underground enemy hideout, Replaced’s world is consistently captivating to explore. Developer Sad Cat Studios is clearly – and quite rightfully – proud of its work, since REACH will occasionally pause to marvel at some immaculately crafted cyberpunk skyline that looms in the distant background. I really appreciated these opportunities to stop and pore over every perfectly crafted pixel.

REACH isn’t equipped with a particularly extensive arsenal, but its omniscience seems to include the same martial arts info dump that Neo had installed in The Matrix, since it turns Marsh’s pencil-pushing scientist body into a kinetic killing machine. Armed with a gun that transforms into a baton, REACH is able to indulge in a sort of 2.5D tribute to the Batman: Arkham style of fisticuffs anytime it finds itself surrounded by burly police squads or menacing underworld mutants. In addition to delivering simple strings of skull-cracking combos, coloured indicators that appear above each enemy’s head briefly telegraph when to dodge and when to counter, so Replaced’s skirmishes demand something more than merely button-mashing your baton-smashing. Meanwhile, the use of REACH’s gun is sporadic since it can only be fired after first charging up with successive melee strikes, while getting hit or performing dodges depletes that gauge, putting further emphasis on striking a careful balance between attack and evasion.

It’s a mostly engaging system, and it gradually introduces welcome strategic wrinkles such as tank-like foes that need their armour stripped off before you can damage them, and other more nimble nasties that will dodge every incoming attack other than counters. It’s just a shame that it’s all regularly undermined by controls that frequently fail to respond – at least in the PC version, even after a day one patch. In particular, the button to apply a medkit routinely failed and often saw me copping a death blow while REACH was seemingly fumbling with its coatpocket. At other times, the input to deflect an enemy gunshot was apparently ignored and REACH’s arms would remain rooted to its sides while it copped a dose of hot lead to the face, which was equally frustrating.

As much as I think Replaced’s visual design is an absolute standout, it too managed to spoil the combat on occasion. Since you’re only ever pit against a set number of enemies at a time, reinforcements often linger in the background waiting for their turn to enter the fray like the curiously courteous extras in a Bruce Lee movie. The trouble is that it’s extremely tough to discern one 2D plane from the other in the heat of battle, and I’d invariably find myself trying to land blows on enemies that technically weren’t there, making me swish my baton through an empty space and leaving myself open to a genuine threat waiting to strike while I was distracted.