During today’s Xbox and Bethesda Showcase, Sad Cat Studios and Coatsink announced a new gorgeous sci-fi platformer called Replaced, and its debut trailer blew us away.
As you can tell from the moody trailer below, Replaced is “a modernised cinematic platformer set in an alternative ‘80s where you play as R.E.A.C.H, an AI trapped in a human body against its will.” Sounds good, right?
On top of a cool premise, the game also boasts some stunning 2.5D graphics that explore “a dark alternative to the ‘80s” with a lush retro-futuristic style.
“Most of us think of the ‘80s as a time of questionable hairstyles, boom boxes, glam rock and the birth of iconic games like Pac-Man and Tetris; a simpler time (albeit with more glitter),” says Laura Barnwell, digital marketing Manager at Coatsink. “But what would the ‘80s have looked like in a past where the Trinity nuclear test in the ‘40s went wrong causing a bomb to explode and result in national devastation?
“In Replaced you get a glimpse into that world, where “Sweet Dreams” are for the sleeping and you “Stopped Believin’” a long time ago…”
Take a look at the debut trailer below.
The game – perhaps unsurprisingly – lists the likes of Blade Runner 2049, Alien, and Upgrade as its inspirations. It’s set almost forty years after a nuclear explosion, in a walled fortress known as Phoenix-City ruled by the corrupt Phoenix Corp – a company founded on ‘matching’ voluntary donors with greedy clients looking to upgrade their body parts.
It’s all very, very sci-fi and cyberpunk. It’s a little reminiscent of The Last Night, which sort of disappeared without a trace some years ago. Let’s hope Replaced suffers a better fate.
Replaced is scheduled for release in 2024. It will be available to play for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and with Xbox Game Pass.