Of everything that showed up at PlayStation Showcase 2021,Tchiamanaged to stand out. This colorful adventure game got the attention of a lot of viewers, even though it was wedged between trailers and teasers for everything from aKnights of the Old Republicremake toGod of War: Ragnarokfootage.Tchiais set in an archipelago based on New Caledonia where the titular protagonist sets off on an adventure, making the most of her jumping and free-climbing skills to traverse the islands. As she explores, Tchia will meet new characters, learn songs for her ukulele, unlock items, and more.
However,the newestTchiatraileremphasized a supernatural aspect of the game that really helps set it apart. Tchia can possess animals and objects, gaining their abilities and making the most of them to explore and overcome obstacles. It’s an ability very reminiscent ofSuper Mario Odyssey’s Capture mechanic; inOdyssey,Mario’s new companion Cappy can make Mario take control of his enemies, which opens up all kinds of ways to solve puzzles and clear challenges. As similar as the mechanics are,Tchiaappears to improve onSuper Mario Odyssey’s idea by virtue of Tchia’s fluidity of possession and the range of things she can become.
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Tchia’s Improvements Over Super Mario Odyssey
The speed of possession inTchiais totally different fromSuper Mario Odyssey’s method. InSuper Mario Odyssey,Mario has to throw Cappy at an enemy to take control. It’s fairly simple, but it does require a little finesse to do accurately and quickly. If Mario wants to leave an enemy to Capture something else, it’s a matter of jumping out and finding a new target, but depending on the situation, that can be a little tricky. On the whole,Super Mario Odysseyisn’t designed to have Mario constantly hop from one Capture target to the next, and instead balances Captures with 3D platforming.
Tchia,by contrast, seems more avid about players controlling things as often and quickly as possible.The PlayStation Showcase’s gameplay trailerforTchiashows her flying around as a seagull, then leaping out of the bird to take control of a dog below before she hits the ground. After she leaves the seagull and prepares to possess the dog, time slows down, giving players ample opportunity to jump right into their next target. Bearing the game’s physics-based traversal and aerial tricks in mind,Tchiaseems designed for this kind of slick, fast-paced, parkour-esque possession. That’s a great improvement overSuper Mario Odyssey’s delightful but somewhat slow mechanic.
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Tchia Encourages Skillful Possession
Tchia’s fast-paced possession is made more meaningful by the volume of things that Tchia can become.Super Mario Odysseyhad a few dozen unique enemies and items that Mario could control, butTchiaclaims there will be hundreds of things to possess on top of dozens of items. The sheer variety of potential targets in the game meansTchiastrongly encourages playersto always be on the lookout for another possession target, leaping from animal to object to animal as they race around the game’s archipelago.
There’s no doubtTchiaborrows some inspiration fromSuper Mario Odysseyseeing howTchia’s various animals have unique abilities she can use to affect her environment. It’s a good thing thatTchialeans intoSuper Mario Odyssey’s ideas, though. Possession mechanics are pretty uncommon in video games, so it’s great to see another title picking up on the notion. That’s especially true for an indie game that’s happy to experiment with the mechanic and introduce new ideas.Anybody who lovedSuper Mario Odysseyshould definitely keep an eye onTchia,because it looks like it may scratch the same itch.
Tchiais scheduled to release in 2022 for PC, PS4, and PS5.
