Gritty Cyberpunk 2077-style platformer Replaced delayed until next year

I've had my eye on Replaced ever since it was announced back in 2021, set for a 2022 release. Naturally, that didn't happen, but I'm still gripped by its premise. It's Agent Smith's predicament in The Matrix Reloaded, taken to extremes. You're cast as R.E.A.C.H., an artificial intelligence that has been crammed into a human body, waking up in a distinctly unfriendly cyberpunk world. What do you do? You run, and hope that there's some way out of this meat prison. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to wait even longer to find out how R.E.A.C.H.'s story ends, because Replaced has been delayed again, this time to spring 2026.

The good news is that developer Sad Cat Studios has given Replaced a significant upgrade. The developer has released an extended trailer sharing the progress on this 2.5D cyberpunk platform game, including its new release window.

Narrated by game director Yura Zhdanovich, the trailer begins with a knowing jab at Replaced's extended development cycle. "Can you release it already?" 

"Even though we understand it's somewhat frustrating, we've always been trying to do what's best for the project," Zhdanovich says, explaining that the studio is close to finishing production, before progressing to testing.

He goes on to mention that Sad Cat has updated every aspect of the game, including multiple upgrades to the environments. Animation has also been given a big boost, along with improvements to the story content. The developer has also improved the story and cutscenes, in order to try to create "a seamless blend" between the cinematics and gameplay.

It's the latter that makes this delay more palatable. Replaced looks awesome in motion, as seen in the previous gameplay trailer, but I'm especially invested in the tale it's set to weave. Who crammed R.E.A.C.H. into a meat prison? Is there any way back? And what happened to the body's previous occupant?

Replaced will release in spring 2026. So I guess I'll find out the answers to my questions then. To tide fans over, Sad Cat promises an all new trailer dropping later this year.

In the meantime, check out some of the best cyberpunk games and, for more sci-fi, the best space games will keep you entertained.

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