REPLACED: Review of the cyberpunk platformer combining pixel art, action, and accessibility.

It was June 2021, and like every year at E3, video game publishers showed off their talents to reach a global audience. That's how REPLACED, the title from a previously unknown independent studio, Sad Cat Studios , debuted .

The short clip shown immediately attracted the attention of the general public, on the one hand for its graphic style, the accuracy of the animations and on the other for its cyberpunk setting , a combination that few titles in the 2.5D action platform style had successfully approached.

I'm thinking in particular of Deadlight, but also of the announced and troubled The Last Night , or Inside by the authors of Limbo .

Set in an alternate 1980s America, scarred by a devastating nuclear catastrophe and dominated by a corporation that treats human bodies as resources. As REACH, an artificial intelligence trapped in a human body, the player navigates a hostile, violent, and deeply alienating world.

The story of REACH isn't just a cyberpunk tale , but a reflection on identity, on the body as a prison, and on the concept of humanity. The game often prefers to suggest rather than explain, relying on silences, animations, and highly effective environmental situations.

From an artistic standpoint, REPLACED is a work of the highest caliber. The pixel art is animated with almost obsessive care and manages to blend retro aesthetics with modern sensibilities, thanks to objects composed of pixels, inserted into an environment characterized by real-time lighting, fog, and volumetric fluids, thus eliminating the typical effect of old 2D games.

To be honest, I've never been a fan of retro games that incorporate pixel art . I think that every era, whether gaming or not, should make use of the technology of the time and put away everything that is outdated and no longer in use.

This is not the case with REPLACED where this technology has been completely reinvented and inserted into a modern technical context.

Each setting communicates something without the need for words: the neon-lit alleys, the abandoned suburbs and the industrial spaces tell the story of a fractured society, where, within the game's narrative universe, technology seems to have surpassed ethics.

Starting a game should usually be one of the most carefully crafted phases, so that the potential player has a clear idea of what to expect from the title. Well, if there were a prize for the number of different original settings shown in a limited playtime, REPLACED would undoubtedly win.

Within minutes, we find ourselves on the run from a corporation, through a forest, into the sewers, and finally into a classic Maine village in ruins, surrounded by shacks and abandoned gas stations, a setting that has made horror films and TV series of all kinds a hit.

The synthwave soundtrack also perfectly supports the atmosphere, accentuating both tense and melancholic moments. To emphasize the importance of music, throughout the game, among the collectibles, there are audio tracks that unlock musical content.

The gameplay revolves around a free-flow combat system reinterpreted in a two-dimensional style. Timing, reading enemy animations, and spatial management are key.

One of the aspects that most positively surprised me and caught my attention was the combat system, fast-paced, with various moves that you have to alternate between parries, dodges, counterattacks and attacks.

Along the way you will have to face some bosses particularly challenging end-of-level fights , which will make you sweat like blood on normal difficulty, proving particularly difficult and keeping you busy even on easy difficulty, if you don't pay due attention.

The combat sections alternate with platforming and environmental puzzles , which maintain a good overall pace and break the monotony.

In some cases, you will be required to interact with characters with whom you will have tasks to complete, which are necessary to continue the story.

From this point of view, elements have been introduced, albeit simple, typical of modern adventures, talk to so-and-so, get the object and unlock the next section: real side-quests , the completion of which in some cases leads to the unlocking of an achievement .

Not just a game where you have to jump and possibly fight against enemies, but also an adventure with a solid and well-structured plot.

After a first purely action part , this aspect will emerge predominantly in the second chapter, where you will reach the edge of the walls of the metropolis.

What immediately catches the eye is the attention to detail, which is meticulously crafted. The suburbs of the metropolis are animated by a plethora of NPCs present on-screen at the same time and featuring animation.

As the story progresses, the main accessibility issues emerge. The combat system requires quick reflexes, precision, and constant attention to visual cues. This type of setup may be exhilarating for many players, but it risks becoming a significant barrier for those with motor disabilities.

As for the accessibility options that aren't related to combat, it must be said that overall they are pretty basic.

For visual accessibility, you can adjust several settings from the general menu.

Regarding texts, we have the possibility of introducing Simplified Characters , an option that allows you to have characters on the screen without the jaggies typical of Pixel Art, and to act on the size of the subtitles.

Moving on to more strictly gaming-related settings that impact the way the game is viewed, the General menu also offers the option to activate or deactivate the Camera Shake feature , which some may find disturbing, as well as increase or decrease the background opacity, i.e. the darkness or brightness of the screen.

The difficulty settings, however, remain anchored to the traditional presets ( Easy, Normal, Hard ).

It also lacks a series of tools that are becoming increasingly important even in independent productions, such as complete control remapping and features like the ability to slow down the game during combat. This absence may limit the experience for some players, particularly those with upper-body mobility issues or those requiring greater control customization.

The alternative visual and audio assists that predict the type of enemy strike during combat are a good start, but they alone are not enough to make the game fully accessible during the most hectic moments, where timing and reaction are crucial.

For these reasons, accessibility represents the main limitation of an otherwise extremely successful experience.

However, if there's one truly inclusive aspect where the developers have outdone themselves, it's definitely the price: for just €19.99, you can take home an indie masterpiece. A courageous and difficult choice for the developers, one that I hope will be rewarded and recognized by the general public.

ACCESSIBILITY RATING 6/10

Overall, however, REPLACED remains a powerful, fascinating and artistically memorable game, which stands out in the contemporary indie scene, capable of offering varied gameplay, which alternates combat sections with platforming sections, with small puzzles to solve, seasoned with continuous twists and a particularly mature plot.

Ultimately, REPLACED amazes with its varied gameplay and excellent aesthetic and narrative experience. I recommend it to fans of the platform genre , but also to those who enjoy two-dimensional fighting games. For them, it's definitely a must-have , while for everyone else, it's definitely a must-have, along with other 2D games that have made history in terms of gameplay and style.

OVERALL RATING 9/10