Tchia Preview: Sea, Sky, and Sandbox

ign.com:

When I first took the controls of Tchia in my hands-on preview at Gamescom, I immediately took control of a fish in a river and propelled myself through the water, shooting out and up into the air above to do a flip, then back down into the stream. I eventually ran out of stamina to possess the fish, so I returned to human form and recharged while jogging toward a small settled area, where I resumed possession by leaping into an empty beer can and flinging myself all over the place. Later, I possessed a cow and was able to drop a large turd on the ground, before hopping into a bird and soaring through the sky.

These are the contrasts of Tchia, which swings elegantly between Prop Hunt-like sandbox and Wind Waker-like island adventure. Set on an archipelago inspired by Pacific island nation, New Caledonia, Tchia follows the titular young heroine in pursuit of her father, who is kidnapped by a tyrant wielding an army of animated paper warriors. Tchia herself isn’t a fighter, but she’s both resourceful and spiritually powerful. Her most potent ability is soul jumping, which she can use to possess any animal or most objects, tapping into their powers to reach new areas, solve problems, or ward off enemies.

Soul jumping was by far the best surprise of my time with Tchia. Every animal I saw, from fish to rabbits to birds to deer, was controllable if I wanted, and so were random objects littering human settlements. Every target has its own unique ability alongside its specific movement mechanics, which can open Tchia up to some pretty wacky scenarios.

Some soul jumps were more useful than others, admittedly, since flying allowed me to reach places I couldn’t otherwise. On the other hand, I haven’t found a good reason for the cow