Dystopian future? Check. Future formed by alternate history? Check. Side-scrolling game made with pixels? Check. Those three criteria alone cover a load of sci-fi games from the past few years, so learning of another title with these traits isn 't so newsworthy. We recently got a chance to try out the Steam Next Fest demo for Replaced, and we're intrigued to learn more about the game.

Replaced takes place in an alternate version of the 1980s, where pocket computers exist, an incident with nuclear energy has changed America, and technology has seen some big advancements. Players take on the role of Reach, a human being on the outside but an AI construct on the inside. You're outside of the walls of Phoenix City, a supposed safe haven for humans who haven't been affected by the radioactive fallout. You have no idea how you got out, but you're trying to find a way back in so you can discover why these things have happened to you.

There are hints of an intriguing story, but the graphics will immediately capture your attention. Replaced looks very impressive, and we can 't wait to see how the rest of the game turns out. The environments are completely comprised of polygons with a few pixelated elements. The characters are completely comprised of pixels, complete with smooth but not exactly fluid animations. The combination of these two styles gives the game a stunning diorama-like look that impresses every chance it gets. The animation differences between environment and characters clash in a good way, leading to scenes that look distinct. The lighting in certain scenes dazzles, and while some of the camera angles block the action, others look stunning in motion.

From a gameplay standpoint, what 's present feels pretty good. Replaced goes for a 2.5D look, but movement is strictly 2D, and there are a few situations where you can go up and down stairs to briefly give the game some 3D movement. You can push a few crates and swing on a few poles and clamber up ledges, but the animation for your jumps doesn 't make it evident that you can easily reach a ledge until you magnetically attach yourself to it. The only knock is that your move set is limited enough that you can 't do any rolls or sprints if you 're not fighting anyone. This makes the stealth sections feel strange, as the only way you feel like you can move faster is by leaping between large pieces of cover.

Meanwhile, the combat also feels pretty good, but initially, it seems simple. You only get one attack in your arsenal, as you basically smack people with a metal stick. You can unleash some solid combos with it, and while you can 't block, you can do a dodge roll to avoid enemy attacks. Enemy attacks are also telegraphed, so the only way you 'll get hit when facing multiple enemies is if you aren 't paying attention. You have a gun, but you can only fire it after landing enough melee attacks to build up a meter. From there, you can fire the gun as more of a finishing move, complete with an accompanying cut scene. Not many sci-fi games treat a gun as something special, so this is a nice twist, as is the fact that platforming and combat sections are completely segmented from one another instead of being one seamless sequence.

Replaced will be released on March 12, 2026, so it won 't take very long to see how the full game fares. Based on the demo, the gameplay feels mostly tight, and the story should provide an interesting take that hasn 't been explored too much in the genre. The presentation quickly grabs your attention, and as long as all of the other elements fall into place, Replaced looks to be a nice surprise for the first half of the year.