Replaced Review
Replaced turns the cinematic platformer into a gorgeous cyberpunk thriller full of brutal action, stunning direction, and unforgettable imagery.
Replaced. Credit: Sad Cat Studios / Thunderful Publishing
Replaced from Sad Cat Studios follows in the footsteps of cinematic platformers like Prince of Persia, Another World, and Flashback. The Belarusian developers have pulled off something rare: a game that reaches the heights of its inspirations and, at times, surpasses them. Replaced is one of the best cinematic platformers I’ve ever played.
The game is set in an alternate 1980s America, a cyberpunk dystopia born from a nuclear disaster that enabled a corporate takeover of the country. You play as R.E.A.C.H., an advanced AI created by the Phoenix Corporation and trapped in the body of its creator after an accident at the start of the game. As you make your way back to the lab to free yourself, you slowly uncover the truth behind your purpose while helping the resistance to protect the people the corporation uses and discards.
The writing is great, but the star of the show is Sad Cat Studios’ direction. Few games in this genre commit to cinematic language as completely as Replaced does. The game uses an ultra-wide 2.39:1 aspect ratio, letterboxed on 16:9 screens, and fills that space with stunning compositions. The camera angle rarely changes, yet everything still feels epic in scope thanks to its camera focus work, foreground detail, and layered background elements within the 2.5D space. The result is a game full of shots I still remember weeks later. The game frames ruined streets and industrial wastelands like a lost cyberpunk epic shot with an anamorphic lens.
Replaced. Credit: Sad Cat Studios / Thunderful Publishing
The 2D movement sticks closely to the cinematic platformer tradition. REACH has realistic weight and momentum as you run, jump, climb, and swing across the world. Powerful air vents launch you upward, a short jump boost becomes critical, and a pickaxe lets you cling to cracks in background walls. When it’s working, movement feels fantastic, and it makes the few frustrating moments stand out even more. Some jumps demand too much precision, requiring you to leap at the last possible second. A little coyote time or a slightly more generous ledge grab would have gone a long way.
Some sections shift into stealth. Like the platforming, the timing can occasionally feel too strict, especially during climbing-heavy sequences. It’s not that these sections are impossible. It’s that dying after you’re sure you cleared the timing feels bad. A later hacking ability helps by temporarily disabling cameras and giving you more breathing room.
The dynamic fight sequences pull from the Arkham series, magnetically snapping you toward enemies as you attack and giving the fights an incredible sense of flow. It creates the feeling of an action movie protagonist tearing through groups of enemies at once. The choreography immediately reminded me of Upgrade, the sci-fi thriller about a man controlled by an AI implant. Your baton briefly transforms into a gun if you build enough momentum, and the resulting finishers are gorgeous. Unlike some of the platforming, dodge and counter windows are forgiving enough to make you feel dangerous instead of fragile. Combat is bloody, brutal, and every hit lands with a satisfying crunch. I haven’t seen this style of action in a cinematic platformer before, and it gives Replaced an energy the genre usually lacks. Every fight is Oh Dae-su killing his way through a hallway with a hammer in Oldboy.
Replaced. Credit: Sad Cat Studios / Thunderful Publishing
Replaced is gorgeous. The 2.5D pixel art environments are packed with detail and movement. Character animation during gameplay and in-engine cutscenes is fluid and expressive. Lighting, depth of field, and effects work like fire and smoke are layered beautifully throughout the game. There were multiple moments where I just stopped and stared at the screen. Some sections are little more than running through environments, and I still didn’t want them to end. Most cinematic games use film language as decoration. Replaced actually understands rhythm, framing, and silence. The devs have a masterful command of cinematic language and pacing alongside their animation.
That holds true even without voice acting. I was occasionally irritated that the game sometimes prevents you from advancing dialogue manually, but the tradeoff is worth it. The controlled pacing gives scenes a more deliberate rhythm and makes the whole experience feel even more like an interactive film.
I loved Replaced. Its few flaws are easy to overlook because everything else is executed at such a high level. I opened by calling it one of the best cinematic platformers I’ve played, but after sitting with it for weeks, I think it might actually be the best. If you care at all about cinematic platformers, cyberpunk fiction, or games with a strong visual identity, missing this would be criminal.
Replaced
A cinematic platformer with astonishing visual direction and brutal, fluid combat that pushes the genre further than almost anything else.
