Despite the several delays seen by Replaced since its original announcement, it looks like the title is getting closer to finally getting released. In a new interview with IGN, which you can check out below, Sad Cat Studios co-founder Igor Gritsay has revealed more details about the gorgeous side-scrolling title, while also showcasing some brand new gameplay.
In the interview, Gritsay spoke about the studio’s decision to go with a hybrid 3D and pixel art visual style for Replaced. He revealed that this decision largely came about because the studio wanted to make a visually striking game, but lacked the capability or budget to go with full AAA-level production values. However, he noted that despite the studio believing that going with this art style would be easier, “spoiler alert, it was not.”
“You don’t see many of those games like Inside, maybe Little Nightmares and stuff, but those are far in between,” he said, referencing how games with striking art styles tend to not come out too often. “And this is for a reason, because even if a game is fully 3D, it’s really difficult to compose everything in a cinematic way. But we shot ourselves in the leg with doing all the pixel art because, to do proper camera work so that you don’t break the illusion of sprites being 2D is a lot of work.”
When it comes to gameplay itself, we get to see the player taking on the role of an AI named R.E.A.C.H. as they explore the world in their efforts to uncover deep secrets. Quite a bit of the gameplay shown off revolves around the player exploring places that have already been inhabited and having conversations with various characters from throughout the story.
The gameplay also shows off quite a bit of the cinematic flair of Replaced, including dynamic camera work depending on the situation, and plenty of evocative scenes framed with excellent lighting and detailed backgrounds that juxtapose with the pixel art designs of the game’s various characters.
We also get a look at the game’s primary setting, which takes place in a cyberpunk dystopia where there is vast income inequality, including an entire category of people referred to in the story as “disposals”, who were victims to corporations having taken their organs before disposing of them outside of the city. Replaced largely takes place in Phoenix City, which is surrounded by a wall.
The video also gives us a glimpse at some platforming gameplay from Replaced, with the protagonist hopping around debris and trying to get a stable foothold without accidentally falling into a river of what looks like sewage. Some combat is also shown off, offering players a mix of ranged and melee options as they start getting swarmed with enemies. Along with standard gun and melee attacks, players will also have access to defensive options like dodging.
The interview caps things off by giving us a look at some enemy variety, which seemingly ranges from underground gangs that attack in more feral ways, to well equipped soldiers that not only have guns themselves, but also plenty of bulky armour.
Replaced is currently slated for release later this year, and is coming to PC, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.