While its sleek 2.5D pixel art and cinematic side-scrolling gameplay have turned, Sad Cat Studios’ Replaced offers a fair bit of exploration, especially when exploring towns and interacting with NPCs. However, don’t go expecting a massively long experience as director director Yura Zhdanovich and composer Igor Gritsay confirmed to us that an average playthrough will take “around eight hours.”
Of course, it depends on the side content, especially since the developer isn’t “forcing any” on players. “We’re not forcing any side content on players, so it really depends on your playstyle. I would say that the average might be around 8 hours, and 11-12 if you’re really searching for optional stuff.”
At the time of our interview, the team was “still in the process of final polishing (the game is rather heavy graphics-wise),” but the goal is to lock the resolution and frame rate on Xbox Series X to 4K/60 FPS. Xbox Series S players can look forward to 1440p/60 FPS gameplay if everything goes well.
You have to wonder, though – why didn’t Sad Cat Studios consider releasing on PlayStation 5? “When we first started developing Replaced and speaking to the various platform partners, we decided to launch it as an Xbox-first and Game Pass title as we felt this was the right fit for us.” When asked about Nintendo Switch 2, however, the developer said, “We can’t confirm any additional platforms at this time.”
Given the length of the development process, especially with challenges like Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it’s not unreasonable for the studio to focus on the currently announced platforms. If Replaced ends up successful, perhaps it will have more resources (and demand) for other versions.
In the meantime, it’s available on April 14th for Xbox Series X/S and PC. Check out the latest extensive gameplay here, which sees R.E.A.C.H. arriving at the Station and meeting up with its various residents, including the Council and Susan, who runs an arcade.
