A Cinematic Dystopia Worth the Wait
I think it’s fair to say we’ve been waiting a good while for REPLACED. The game has been in development since 2018, making a few showcase appearances along the way. It may not have been on everyone’s radar given how many huge games have been released over the last eight years, but it’s one I’ve been keeping a keen eye on. The question is, was it worth the wait?
To be clear, what really caught my attention was the moody, somewhat dystopian vibe of REPLACED. It was announced at a time when the retro-futuristic genre was enjoying a moment, coming hot off the heels of projects such as Cyberpunk 2077 and the excellent Altered Carbon Netflix series.
An Alternative 1980s
REPLACED tells a story set in an America which belongs to an alternative timeline than the one we know, where after a nuclear catastrophe the seemingly innocent and progressive Phoenix Corporation steps in to help rebuild the country, based in the stronghold of Pheonix-City. However, there’s sinister things happening in the darkness as R.E.A.C.H. (an AI who ends up trapped in a human body), unwittingly uncovers.
R.E.A.C.H. quickly realises it is being hunted by the authorities, and must escape to survive. In doing so, it’s revealed that beyond the safe walls of Phoenix-City lies a vast wasteland where people have grouped together in factions simply to survive.
The Wingman 2
R.E.A.C.H. is in possession of a “Wingman 2”; which is in effect, a personal PDA. Using this to scan items of interest, you can flesh out the backstory and even unlock music from the soundtrack to listen back on demand. It’s pretty easy to see the famous device which inspired it, and small details down to how R.E.A.C.H. uses a scrolling wheel to read passages of text on the Wingman feels authentically 80s.
Although perhaps not extraordinary, the narrative in REPLACED contains striking parallels to today’s society and holds something of a “black mirror” up to the world we live in, and potentially what a worst case scenario may end up looking like. The difference being, in this timeline we join events in the 1980s, despite it looking like a potential future world.
I must say that the cinematography in REPLACED is sublime. At a glance what could easily be mistaken as a throwback 2.5D side scrolling platformer, is instead elevated to something quite special. Rather than the camera simply tracking the player, it swoops, swings and artistically wobbles effortlessly to reveal beautiful details of this eerie, post apocalyptic world. It’s sleek and smooth, for example, you won’t notice REPLACED seamlessly transitioning from gameplay into a cutscene.
The soundtrack also fits into the theme perfectly, being somewhat reminiscent of Stranger Things with the tone it strikes. Threatening, curious and often wistful, it’s a synth-driven triumph which is a joy to listen to.
Batons and Blasts
The good news is that R.E.A.C.H. is more than capable of defending itself, even when trapped in a human body. Early on you’ll scavenge a gun, and this important weapon is upgraded throughout the game.
At first the combat is melee based, with R.E.A.C.H. able to batter enemies with that very gun which acts as a baton. Parrying and dodging enemy attacks is also necessary, with telltale symbols appearing to prompt action. Deflecting enemy fire is also an essential defense, and again you’ll have a brief window to do so. Once activated, you can charge up your gun by dealing melee damage and choosing your moment to fire a single powerful blast. If you are close enough, this will trigger a pretty cool execution sequence, of which there are a few different animations to see.
Some enemies will carry shields or wear armour, which will need to be destroyed with R.E.A.C.H.’s handy pickaxe. Others are fast, and will dodge regular attacks meaning you’ll need to parry them to land a blow. REPLACED keeps adding to the combat as you progress, which helps fight the repetitive button bashing feeling that can creep in, albeit with limited success. There came a point where I slightly dreaded the next encounter, and just wanted to explore the threatening, dangerous environments instead. This is where REPLACED absolutely shines.
Creaking at the Seams
Honestly, the combat starts to creak at the seams when it comes to boss battles; it has trouble keeping pace with what you need from it as bullets and batons are flying everywhere. Pressing down on the D-Pad is meant to heal R.E.A.C.H., but often in the heat of battle nothing happened until I frantically pressed it about three or four times in a row. In a combat system which is essentially a test of reflexes, this was not ideal.
The encounter with the commissioner and his minions proved too much because of how much was happening at once, be that enemies charging towards me, lobbing grenades in my direction or simply sporting armour I needed to break through before I could damage them. On this occasion, I have to admit I dialled things down to the easy difficulty. Thankfully you can toggle this mid-game, the only penalty being you’ll go back to your previous checkpoint (which are very regular).
Hand-Crafted Exploration
Exploration is also encouraged in REPLACED, mainly to find items and documents which help tell the story. Your path is fairly linear, and you can’t stray too far from it. However, some sequences will require you to be stealthy and avoid detection, whilst in others you’ll simply leg it whilst being chased by Phoenix-City’s finest.
I found the platforming segments to be a little clunky, with regular jumping feeling almost redundant in favour of the run and jump option. The thumbstick also got confused between moving up and side-to-side too often. This also became an issue during combat, as I would sometimes fire my gun the wrong way or not turn around to deflect enemy fire, because the thumbstick hadn’t registered my input accurately. In these situations I definitely favoured using the D-Pad, especially when being swarmed by tougher enemies.
Missions out in the field are juxtaposed by the time you spend in the safe zone, which is essentially a settlement. As well as moving the story along and establishing the ensemble of characters in REPLACED, there are also side quests available which do much of the same. It all adds up to one of the most entrancing worlds I have encountered in a video game in a long while.
Absorbingly Atmospheric Despite Technical Flaws
REPLACED is an ambitious action adventure platformer which opts for hand-crafted pixel art, but that takes nothing away from how utterly absorbing it is. However, I can’t let that blind me from its shortcomings that, whilst far from being serious, do limit the potential of an otherwise impressive game, one that can sometimes be accused of style over substance.
Important Links
REPLACED Finally Arrives On Xbox And Game Pass – Was It Worth The Wait? – https://www.thexboxhub.com/replaced-finally-arrives-on-xbox-and-game-pass/
The Long-Awaited Sci-Fi Stunner REPLACED Finally Has a Release Date, Launching on Xbox Game Pass in March 2026 – https://www.thexboxhub.com/the-long-awaited-sci-fi-stunner-replaced-finally-has-a-release-date-launching-on-xbox-game-pass-in-march-2026/
The neon-soaked REPLACED receives a new trailer ahead of Xbox and PC release – https://www.thexboxhub.com/the-neon-soaked-replaced-receives-a-new-trailer-ahead-of-xbox-and-pc-release/
REPLACED is a 2.5D sci-fi retro-future adventure coming to Xbox and Game Pass. Delayed until 2023 – https://www.thexboxhub.com/replaced-is-a-2-5d-sci-fi-retro-future-adventure-coming-to-xbox-and-game-pass/
Download from the Xbox Store, via Game Pass if you like – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/replaced/9nv3l234vgxd
