Replaced is the Hellblade 2 of pixel art games

Replaced reminds of me a lot of Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2, in a good way. Ninja Theory’s latest was a visual spectacle with extremely cinematic combat and gorgeous setpieces that I won’t be forgetting anytime soon. While Hellblade 2 did that with Unreal Engine 5, Replaced is going to do that with pixel art.

Replaced has had some amazing trailers across various gaming showcases over the past few years, so I was stoked to go hands-on with it at Summer Game Fest Play Days. Now that I have, I can’t wait to see more from this adventure that might put even Square Enix’s HD-2D RPGs to shame.

Replaced is about an AI called R.E.A.C.H. that’s on the run from authorities after merging with a human named Warren during an accident. It saw this happen by playing Replaced’s prologue, which saw me running through a building R.E.A.C.H. was working in as it was going up in flames and eventually running from the cops when they tried shooting him instead of helping. From the moment I laid eyes on Replaced in person, it looked as stunning as it does in all the trailers.

This is industry-leading pixel art that calls back to retro classics yet feels modern with how it handles lighting, shot composition, and the amount of detail. Somehow, Replaced manages to do that without looking too visually busy during gameplay and combat. It’s the same kind of praise I offered up to Hellblade 2, albeit for an aesthetic that is far from realistic. And honestly, that may make Replaced the better-aged game once we’re looking back on both a decade from now.

Fable finally shows off some gameplay at the Xbox Games Showcase
4 new games just surprise released during a packed Wholesome Direct stream
Koira creator explains how Day of the Devs’ prettiest game came to be

When it comes to gameplay, traversal is reminiscent of cinematic platformers like Another World. During combat, it harkens back to Batman: Arkham, as players must get into a rhythmic flow of attacking, blocking, and dodging to build up