The study Awaceb has a great goal for this 2023: Captivate the gaming community with your love letter to New Caledonia, a group of islands located in the Pacific Ocean and the birthplace of the studio’s co-founders. This letter not only has a sender and recipient, but also It also has a name, and it’s Tchia.
Tchia is one of the many titles that were presented in 2020 during The Game Awards gala. Since then, we have been able to see the young protagonist and her world full of her color on countless occasions. All the videos and details revealed point to a clear direction, and that is that The world of Tchia can make anyone fall in love, especially those who feel a weakness for the connection of the human being with nature.
A simple look at one of his videos is more than enough for anyone to come to that conclusion. luckily today I can stress each and every one of those words thanks to the test that has allowed me to play Tchia.
What is Tchia really?
Tchia is not just the name of the game, but it is also the name of the protagonista girl who wants to save her home from the evil Meavora, who has kidnapped her father.
In Tchia’s test there was no mission related to the main story, so my experience has been based on exploration and knowing all the abilities of the protagonist. Yes, Tchia does not have powerful weapons, but his intelligence, his slingshot and his spiritual powers are enough to kill anyone who crosses his path.
The protagonist has a multitude of abilities, from the ability to propel herself with the help of trees to the so-called “astral jump”, that is, an ability that allows you to enter any animal or object to control it at will. This mechanic is not new in the world of video games, but it is still the most attractive element of Tchia. You will not be able to resist getting into the skin of any insect, animal and even stone that you find on your journey around the island.
This ability doesn’t just become available when you’re in a pinch and have to fight the weird cloth creatures called Maano (because yeah, you can use it for that too), but rather you can take advantage of it whenever you want and have some energy in the soul meter. Do you want to visit the ocean in the skin of a dolphin? You can do it. And fly around the island in the form of an insect? Too. And feel what a stone would feel? Of course, there are no limits to thisand it’s something that turns combat and exploration into something very dynamic and fun.
If we focus on the numbers, Tchia can control more than 30 different species and hundreds of objects scattered around the island. The objects are simpler, while the fauna of the island presents more complexity. Each species has its characteristics, its way of moving and, in some cases, its own attacks. It is now your job to discover what species or objects are scattered throughout the island and what you can do with each of them.
A world full of possibilities
Awaceb’s title is not just about saving your father or possessing any object or animal to throw a party across the island. Tchia is much more, and it turns out amazing how many possibilities are at your fingertipsfrom customizing both the appearance of the protagonist and the boat that you can control (and with which you will feel like Moana), to being able to improvise with the ukulele whenever you want.
all these options they marry perfectly with the open world experience that Tchia offers. Part of the magic of this game is that you will always have something to do anywhere on the island. It is inevitable, you will stop to observe its views, take a few photos, listen to the music and sounds of the island and discover what animals live there (to later control them, of course).
Pure nature… which lacks life
So far, they have been mentioned all strengths that make Tchia a very special title. However still there is a lot of work ahead if we want to have in our hands a completely round title as soon as it is available on the market.
Removing some small graphic improvements that can be made or the need to fix the bugs that do not allow you to continue with the mission or challenge in question, Tchia’s most serious problem is in the behavior of her AI.
The base of this game is not the main character, not even her story, but it is your world full of lifeand this is sullied by the rude and incomprehensible behavior of all the fauna that inhabits it. The bugs related to the behavior and movement of the animals is the only factor that completely takes you out of the spiritual experience that Tchia tries to offer its players.
This issue is the only one that needs urgent fixing, and it’s no longer for the simple fact that you’re going to come across a fair amount of animals when you’re exploring the island, but because Tchia’s most attractive ability is being able to control them and move like them.
The AI problem also affects enemies known as Maano. These they do not pose any threat to the player because they take time to react once they see you and, in many cases, they don’t even do it. This eliminates at a stroke the difficulty that this new adventure needs.
Luckily, this Tchia test it is still a version of the game that is still unpolished. His team of developers continues to work to turn his title into the best cultural and spiritual trip that will be available this year.
It is inevitable to wonder what other secrets Tchia hides in addition to the underwater chests and the caves that are ready to be explored. We won’t have to wait long to discover them all, since Tchia is scheduled to launch by early 2023 and will be available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and PC.
