Replaced looks like my 16-bit cyberpunk wet dream, but still needs a performance augmentation

I'm always in for some retro-sci-fi action. When Perfect Dark scratched my Deus Ex itch in a colorful way during the Xbox Games Showcase, Replaced followed suit with the more traditional take on the genre which, besides The Ascent, didn't get many notable efforts in the past few years. Interestingly, I've just mentioned three games that are or were Xbox exclusives at some point. Yes, we also got the worthy Narita Boy and others, but for such a beloved and fruitful genre, more so after Cyberpunk 2077 and the return of Blade Runner, I was expecting and hoping for more.

Ironically given its title, Replaced has endured quite a dystopian development story so far. Introduced in 2021 amidst the pandemic, then delayed to 2022, 2023, and 2024 due to either Russia's invasion of Ukraine or the need for further polish, it never seemed "almost there". Until now.

In Los Angeles and as part of the Summer Game Fest Play Days (even though it was arranged by Microsoft, it wasn't hosted within Xbox's own space), I sat with the game for half an hour, the dedicated demo at the same time split into three portions: Prologue, Station, and Combat.

Curiously, the rep at hand recommended I played the demo from bottom to top, so that I firstly got a good taste of the fighting mechanics, then a notion of the adventure/RPG side of things, and finally, if I at all wanted, a text wall depicting the lore and the story.

I enjoyed them three, mostly thanks to the stylish and careful approach to both setting, fresher concepts, and little details, but before I tell you more, I have to say that performance isn't quite there yet. It was sluggish at best at times, both with button presses in combat (and you really don't want to miss prompts, I tell you) or when walking around the environment for less serious exploration.

Now, this is officially described as a "2.5D sci-fi retro-futuristic action platformer", but to me and from what I played it felt more like an action-adventure focused on rhythmic combat and RPG-like exploration, as I saw no sign of platforming during my time with the game.

Combat is fun and refreshing in a nostalgic way, because it harkens back to Batman Arkham's trademark style, but from a side POV. You press X for a light attack, A to dodge enemy attacks with a red marker, Y to counter enemy attacks with a yellow marker, which will stun the enemy. Energy increases with successful attacks and counters, decreases with dodges and passiveness. When at full energy, you can unleash a ranged gun shot with RT, so you have to be very careful with the when. And what is B for? Well, soon enough will you face armored enemies, which are immune to every and any attack unless you destroy their body shielding with a heavy attack, by pressing that button. Even sooner than that will you start pressing down in the D-Pad for healing with a medkit, which are limited in number.

The basic scheme is easy to learn, but the number of enemies and the increasing pace of their incoming attacks made it more difficult to master. And satisfying. It gradually escalated into what looked like a crazy post-apocalyptic cult dance in front of a burning altar, with spaces shrinking within the 2D limits of the screen, dodging somersaults chained with blows and finishers, faster and more accurately by the minute.

A nice introduction to the combat system with the suspicion, though, that a couple of times it wasn't entirely my fault when I missed the prompts. This feeling was further reinforced when exploring the Station, an otherwise beautifully bleak, reddish environment with several levels, rooms, and plenty of people to talk with for either missions or pieces or lore.

"An atomic test gone wrong leads to thousands of American lives lost in the last two months"

REACH is our AI man (but what is Project R.E.A.C.H?), he seems to have been, ahem, replaced, and you get all your typical sci-fi tropes at a glance: the megacorp ruling cities and lives, the guy who misses a leg and needs some techie surgery, the PDA-like gadget to review your current missions, errands, and status (it's called the Wingman, in the best retro-futuristic nod to the Walkman), or Susan, the girl who's reluctant to play with you unless you fetch a rectifier for her, to then in turn get the binoculars you were seeking.

Writing seems good and aligned with the tone. Branched dialogue, with each button mapped to different answers, adds another adventurous touch. Plenty of mysteries and misery to uncover in Phoenix City, and I will be all the more excited to accompany REACH in his personal task as long as the final game keeps the gameplay varied, the setting interesting and, above all, the technical aspect solid enough to support the pixelated artistic beauty.