Promised to PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium subscribers on release day, a first since Stray last July, Chia takes over a good part of the mechanics well anchored in modern open worlds, starting with the possibility of climbing on any wall, wall or tree without worrying too much about the angle, but taking into account the limits of the stamina gauge. Facing sloping ground, Chia can also let themselves glide with delight before soaring into the void and deploying the essential glider. Be careful though, the use of the latter also seems to depend on the endurance gauge. Suffice to say that we will make short work of these large fruits which will increase the total endurance of the young heroine, each time we are lucky enough to find one in the wild. Driven by a playful spirit, Awaceb also offers some fantasies with a system of acrobatic figures when Chia is in the air, without forgetting the possibility of making a nice dive by jumping into the water.
Orienteering
Awaceb has equipped his game with a map with many points of interest and the possibility of placing his own markers. Small deviation from the standards, the position of the player on the said map is however not indicated, in order to encourage observation and make discoveries more enjoyable. A pressure on the left stick allows all the same to determine the radius in which Chia is, but the player will have every interest in orienting himself thanks to the panels which are everywhere. We are still far from the radicalism of a WiLD who claimed to want to let the player go into his open world without any map so that he could orient himself by relying on the landmarks of the environment, but Awaceb already seems to be taking a real small risk compared to other open worlds. Let’s add that given the playing surface to be covered, a fast travel system is of course available in the form of docks.
The second part of the video focuses on soul jumping, the central mechanic of the game which allows the heroine to take control of dozens of animals and objects close to her. In battle, Chia can for example take possession of an object and project it on an enemy while it resumes its form in stride. Owning animals is obviously interesting for exploration, especially since the fauna includes flying and aquatic species, each endowed with a specific skill (the crab can pinch, the dog digs, the cat can see in the dark and the bird… to poo). As with stamina, the soul jump gauge will gain slots by consuming the correct fruits. Chia will be available on March 21 on PS5, PS4 and PC.