Sad Cat Studio’s 2.5D platformer, Replaced, launched on PC and Xbox today alongside significant technical failures for Xbox Series S users. The retro-cyberpunk title, which has been in development for eight years, currently suffers from memory-related crashes and broken cinematics on the entry-level console.
The developers confirmed the specific nature of the instability in a statement to IGN. “On Series S, the game may suffer a memory-related hang in the transition between Chapter 4 and Chapter 5 if the game has been played in a single session up to this point,” the studio stated.
This crash appears to stem from RAM limitations on the hardware. Players can temporarily bypass the issue by quitting and restarting the game before reaching the chapter transition. This restart clears the system memory and prevents the software from hitting the critical threshold that triggers the hang.
Broken ending cinematics
Beyond the mid-game crashes, the Series S version also fails to play the game's ending cinematics properly. This bug prevents players from experiencing the conclusion of the narrative as intended, regardless of whether they use the workaround for the Chapter 4 transition.
A fix is currently moving through Microsoft’s certification process. The patch is expected to undergo review on April 15, with a rollout following immediately after approval.
The technical issues do not appear to affect other platforms. Both the PC and Xbox Series X versions of Replaced are running without these specific memory or cinematic errors.
This disparity is unexpected given the game's 2.5D pixel art aesthetic. While developers often struggle with parity between the Series S and Series X, the lightweight nature of the graphics makes these crashes particularly notable. Thunderful, the game's publisher, has not yet provided further details regarding the cause of the discrepancy.
Replaced enters the market with strong critical momentum. The game currently holds an 81 on Metacritic, driven by high praise for its action and environmental puzzles. Early reviews, primarily from PC testers, highlight the game's atmosphere and the depth of its dystopian 1980s setting.
The title combines side-scrolling action with complex environmental puzzles within a beautifully rendered, alt-80s dystopian world. The game features a heavy emphasis on exploration and combat within its retro-cyberpunk environments.
