Replaced is a highly detailed 2.5D pixel art action platformer that uses modern cinematic techniques and features a retro futuristic cyberpunk thriller style. It follows Reich, an AI trapped in a human body against its will, as they must survive a nuclear disaster and unravel the secrets of the Phoenix Corporation.
Last week, I got to play the first few chapters of Replaced and spoke with Sad Cat Studios co-founder and composer Igor Gritsay about the inspiration behind the game and how they managed to perfect the blend of 2D and 3D. After being hands-on with the replacement, I think they may have just found that perfect balance.
There's more to this cyberpunk thriller than you might think. I was impressed by how detailed the scenes were, how the sunlight filtered through the cornfields like I was watching a movie, and how natural character movement felt, from the way slugs reach areas when wounded, or the way Tempest shakes his butt. It feels like the replacement is pushing the boundaries of what Pixel games can do.
Substituted behind development and inspiration
The initial concept for Replaced was a mainline AI in the human brain, and from there, the team thought about what story they could tell within the budget they had. Gritsay tells me that as a fledgling studio, with many new teams in the industry, “it's very dangerous for us to do something as big as Triple-A, and I've seen a lot of teams try to do it as a first project. It rarely works.
“Everyone is praising Sandfall [Interactive] For Clair Obscur, but it's not like they're completely new to it. I think the main guy is from Ubisoft, and it's not like he hasn't seen a game engine before. We just thought about what we could do to the best of our ability, and then we came up with the direction we wanted to move, and it would be a cinematic platformer.”
One of the main motivations for the replacement was within. “In terms of gameplay, it's a perfect platformer for us because of what they managed to put in this game, where every situation is unique, and you experience the story without any words, but you still have the overwhelming feeling that something terrible, something terrible is happening here. It's very scary, but the game is so, so amazing.”
Originally, though, the replacement was going to be a little different. “The overall concept was similar in that it was still a cinematic platformer, with a perspective that we have now, but it was similar to older games in this genre, like Flashback or Another World.” However, if the game was too simple, and like a walking simulator, modern players might be less involved.
“For example, games like Gris are more focused on showing you beautiful visuals, they're two to three hours long, super short, but super sweet. We realized that we don't want that, because we want to tell a story, but we also want to make some systems in the game so that players feel more involved. So we thought, now we should add this combat system?”
Gritsay explains that he and the replacement director, Yura Zhdanovich, were big fans of the Batman Arkham series. “How can we translate that into 2D? The answer is, you don't, because it's too difficult. But we still tried, and I think it's the closest resemblance to the Arkham combat system that you can do in 2D.”
Enemies will alert you to what they are going to do and how you should react. If they get a little red signal above their head, you dodge; If they're yellow, you counter, and in between, you tear them to pieces with melee and gun attacks in a fluid, free-flowing combat style.
“I'd say we added platforming, as it is now, it's kind of Uncharted-inspired, where it's not too difficult, it's a way for you to experience the world, a way to not rush you into everything, but to feel the environment you're in, and the other is to make you feel bad with the combat system, where you each get beaten.
Gritsay explains that “it takes a huge amount of human work and labor to make anything in this game”. The main character, Access, has 800 clips of animation. And that's just one guy; There are many other characters and other elements in the game.
“Adding anything to this game in terms of systems is a complete pain in the ass, because it multiplies our work, just with the characters, we don't have 3D models, everything is hand-painted, and everything has to be sprites.”
Alternative '80s sound
Replaced has an incredible soundtrack, the trailer showcases one of the banging tracks. Because the game is set in an alternate 1980s America, I ask Gritsay if any '80s music has inspired him.
“I come from a mostly heavy background, I usually listen to metal, hard rock and stuff like that. I had to learn new stuff to give myself some new experiences. I always listen to some heavy music with electronic elements included like Nine Inch Nails, or Linkin Park, Magnet Hill Park. For example, I had to learn a bit more about Gary Newman's new albums.
Funnily enough, he was the inspiration for Nine Inch Nails, but then he was re-inspired by Nine Inch Nails in reverse.
“Gunship, which is a really good band, Health, maybe Carpenter Brut, and then there's also classics like Vangelis' soundtrack for the original cyberpunk, or Hans Zimmer's soundtrack. [Bladerunner] 2049, but I'd say it's mostly a mix of my inspiration from my original, more heavy background.
Note: Blade Runner 2049 was in theaters when the team was first coming up with the idea for Replace, while the Australian flick Upgrade, about an AI superimposed on a human brain, was another influence.
A world you can dig into
Going into the hands-on demo, I expected the replacement to be a more run-and-gun, fast-paced barreling through 2D scenes and smashing the hell out of anyone who stood in my way. However, it was very story-heavy, I was pleasantly surprised to find optional side quests that you can complete to discover more about the characters and world you find yourself in.
“Our game is linear in this fashion, from A to B, but we have this train station where you return several times, and it changes a little bit every time. So we decided that if we want to tell a story, we want people to really feel this world, we have to tell the problems of people in this world… It's completely optional if someone wants to know more about the world.
Substitution also has a lot of notes to find throughout your journey, often in the form of diaries or news clippings, and it gives you insight into not only the current world, but also the previous world, as the original timeline of the story begins in the '40s.
However, Gritsey tells me that you can fully appreciate and understand the story without reading all of this. “We try to make sure that nothing in those notes is necessary, a prerequisite for you to understand the main story. Of course, it will add more flavor, it will add a sense of tragedy in this world, but I think if you have to make people read more material to experience the story, it's bad writing.”
There was more to the game than combat and platforming. One section had us fending off strange invaders from flames in the dark while trying to keep slaves alive, while Gritsay showed us a later section where you can hack into the city's machines, and then blend in Assassin's Creed-style to avoid detection.
Although the topic of AI seems appropriate for the current climate, it's just a coincidence that, when the team came up with the idea, AI wasn't that popular, and so Gritsay tells me he “didn't try to comment” on current AI issues.
American films of the 80s and 90s such as Die Hard, Terminator and Alien were also influential. But since the team is from Eastern Europe, they had to do a lot of research to make the visuals believable. You can see the different eras replaced in the scenery, as some of the abandoned areas you explore in the beginning have a '50s-'60s vibe, while by the time you get to the city of Phoenix, it's a very cyberpunk 80s aesthetic.
Blending 2D and 3D worlds
One of the initial inspirations for the 2.5D style of the replacement is a game that was announced a decade ago but has yet to be launched: The Last Night. Gritsay calls it “a pioneer of this revived 3D-inspired art style”, but also acknowledges that there were many games that tried to do the same thing on the original PlayStation, such as Disney's Hercules and Strider.
“I remember all these old games from Sega that tried to mix that simple 3D stuff with pixel art, and it looked amazing. Also, one of the main things here is an old Sega game called Comix Zone. It's completely 2D, but the way it was painted, it was pure art”.
Replaced features 2D characters and environments, and blends them into a 3D stage. Combined with the cinematic way it presents itself, it makes for impressive visuals. There was one point where I found a termite base, and you're looking at the gang as the camera pans around, but instead of flat 2D cutouts moving around, the termites are standing there regardless of angle.
“This art style is rare, and there's a reason for that, because it's such a huge pain in the ass to actually create it,” says Gritsay. “Because [with] Pure 2D, you don't have to think about the camera perspective, you don't have to think about how it works in the overall perspective. When we mix sprites with real scenes, this is always a problem. For example, when you play through the first level, where there is a chase, at the very end, you see that the camera turns to a drone. In this particular shot, our animators had to illustrate how the sprites are moving despite being completely flat.
“It's not always perfect, because you can't adjust for one with a 3D environment. But that's one of the things we try to do. We try to exceed people's expectations. They play it and think it's a 2D game. It's 3D at its core. But we're trying to do things with 2D sprites that I can't say, but nobody's done it on a large scale. Work.”
Replaced launches on March 12, 2026 for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. A Steam demo will launch on February 11 to give players an early taste.
- developer(s)
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Sad Cat Studio
- publisher(s)
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Coatsink, Thunderful Development
