The PlayStation Showcase recently happened. One of the company’s biggest events of the year, gamers had a chance to see news on a number of projects in development. While some of the biggest games in the industry such as God of War: Ragnarok and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 received updates, some smaller titles had the opportunity to shine as well. One of those games was the charming Tchia.
In a gameplay trailer, fans got a look at the beautiful game. Based on the video, there looks to be a lot to do such as climbing, swimming, boat sailing, and playing the ukulele. There is even a glider similar to Breath of the Wild to help with traversing the area. Advertised as a tropical adventure, the game takes inspiration from New Caledonia, a group of islands in the South Pacific.
According to the developers, New Caledonia is at the core of the development process. Both game director of Tchia Phil Crifo and his partner on the project grew up on the islands. Even Awaceb, the name of the game studio, was chosen based on the history of the archipelago. Crifo noted that the culture of New Caledonia had a powerful impact on him, and he felt that it made sense to include that valuable heritage in Tchia.
When basing this upcoming PlayStation game on New Caledonia, Crifo emphasized the importance of honoring the culture of the islands but also making it accessible to a number of players. “Making something too instructional or aimed directly at locals would completely defeat the purpose for us,” he said.
While the game is designed around real-world New Caledonia, it includes some fantasy elements as well. An interesting game mechanic is the main character’s power to transform into objects and animals on the island, reminiscent of the capture mechanic in Mario Odyssey. This feature in Tchia is called Soul Jumping, and the developer noted that each captured object and creature offers different controls and abilities in order to solve a variety of puzzles.
Furthermore, the developers based the designs of the New Caledonia islands and the creatures inhabiting them on their real-world counterparts. “ We are drawing inspiration from the rich and varied local landscapes, flora and fauna, cultures, music, languages, folklores and traditions,” Crifo said. The goal of the developers is to make exploring the game world feel fun and engaging for everyone, including those that have never visited the islands.
Tchia looks to add its name to an impressive list of charming games created by smaller developers. While this title coming to PS5, PS4, and PC doesn’t have an exact release date, the developers noted that there’s much more to show in regards to customization, story, and open-world activities in the coming days.
Tchia is expected to launch for PC, PS5, and PS4 in 2022.
Source: PlayStation Blog