Tchia | PS5 Review

As fans of video games, we all play for various different reasons. Sometimes it’s for the satisfaction of taking down larger-than-life bosses. Perhaps we want to engage in a well-crafted story that can only be told in an interactive medium. Or maybe we just need to unwind, relax and be transported to another world unavailable to us. Tchia from Canadian developer Awaceb offers something not often present in my favorite hobby: cultural education.

Don’t run for the hills when I say that, however. This is far more than a lesson on what it’s like to live in another country. The original story is equally sweet and dark in a way that was totally unexpected. Although the gameplay is very simplistic for the most part, there’s something charming about the chill nature behind everything about this game. I’ve yet to see a title this year with as much genuine heart poured into it as this one.

Welcome to New Caledonia

Before you even start playing Tchia, the developers explain the purpose behind their project. The game is a love letter to a small island country called New Caledonia, which is northeast of Australia. Although the story is completely original, the locations and customs are straight out of the country’s culture. As an American somewhat trapped in my U.S.A. bubble, it’s an eye-opening experience. It’s easy for me to look at other small countries like New Caledonia in a negative light, but Tchia gave me a glimpse into another world of beauty and wonder. Part of me yearns for the simplicity of life on islands like these, and I’m grateful for the experience.

Tchia is a young girl in New Caledonia happily living with her father. After a brief tour of the small island where she lives, a nefarious villain arrives in a helicopter to abduct Tchia’s father. After avoiding capture herself, she makes it her mission to rescue him. She starts by sailing to a larger, more urban island within New Caledonia to plead her case with the country’s leader. What transpires is a series of open-world fetch quests, minimalist mini games, and what can only be described as eco-terrorism.

What’s most interesting about the story of Tchia is how juxtaposed the tone turns out to be. Don’t let the soft visuals fool you, there’s a rather dark tale at play with mildly disturbing moments. During one cut scene, the game’s antagonist pulls a caged infant from its parents’ arms and swallows it whole. That’s something I never expected from a game that comes across more as adorable.

A Minimalist Open World

Tchia‘s gameplay is refreshing mixed bag of simple RPG mechanics. The third-person viewpoint is reminiscent of games like Assassin’s Creed or Breath of the Wild, only on a much smaller scale. You’ll start by doing very familiar activities, if you’ve ever played either of those games. You can scale pretty much any surface, provided you have the stamina to do so. There’s even viewpoints that reveal item locations on your map.

It’s a collector’s paradise, just don’t expect much in terms of reward. The only real benefit to clearing the map of items is to increase your stamina meter. Almost everything else unlocks cosmetics for your character. As someone who usually performs these tasks as a way to increase stats, it was a bit jarring at first. Why would I take the time if it does nothing for me gameplay-wise? The answer is quite simple: Awaceb wants you to explore the beautiful environment they’ve put together.

I think that’s what makes this game stand out for me. There’s no pressure to do anything. If you want to spend your time exploring and cleaning up collectibles, more power to you. If you would just rather experience the story, you’re not punished for it in the slightest. You have the freedom to enjoy this experience in whatever way you see fit. There’s something rather special about that.

Errands and Base Camps

The first portion of Tchia has you running fetch quests for many of New Caledonia’s inhabitants. Part of the culture here revolves around presenting gifts to people to gain favor, help, or an audience with someone important. In order to find the correct items needed for the right gifts, you’ll need to complete short tasks for the locals. You’ll find yourself sailing around the first island looking for docks nearest your objectives, walking to grab whatever item you need, then heading back to whomever requested it.

At first, I found these quests quite tedious. Tchia doesn’t have the ability to run, which makes traipsing from A to B a very laborious task. But that’s because I wasn’t taking advantage of one of the game’s primary mechanics. Our hero has the ability to possess nearly any object in this world, whether living or otherwise. See a bird nearby? Simply become the bird and fly to your destination instead. This is only one instance of a creature you inhabit to help you on your journey. I just wish I had realized that before I spent so much time walking from place to place.

Taking control of inanimate objects is also helpful. Tchia doesn’t really have any combat skills on her own. To take down enemies, you’ll have to pick up items like lanterns, gas cans, or combustible stones to throw at enemies. You can even possess these objects and steer your way into enemies to take them out.

This is mostly used in the second half of the game where you’ll infiltrate the antagonist’s fabric factories. Yes, the bad guys in this game are made of fabric. You’ll be taking out soldiers and sentries, destroying fabric piles, and gumming of the works taking place at each location. It’s a clever, minimalist approach to base camps in other open-world games, and it never overstays its welcome.

How Far You’ll Go

What’s impressive about Tchia is just how much stuff there is to do. The game is filled with a multitude of mini-game styled activities like rhythm games, races, rock stacking, wood carving, and much more. Nothing ever feels like a chore as the gameplay is rather simplistic. But everything centers around the culture of New Caledonia, whether it be its music, art, or even recreation activities.

The best part, however, is that you have the freedom to do as little or as much of every aspect of what this game has to offer. Accessibility has slowly started to become a staple in modern video games, but that’s mostly designed to help people with disabilities. In Tchia, there’s literally no pressure to do anything, and that includes main story gameplay. Don’t feel like taking down a factory? Skip it. Don’t want to play the music rhythm games? Press any button and the game plays it for you (or you can skip it altogether). Clearly, the developers want everyone who plays this game to see it through to its conclusion in whatever way they deem appropriate for them.

I know many will argue about this aspect of games in general. Just how easy do games need to be after all? I say, “who cares?” At the end of the day, people play games for an experience, so who are we to judge how somebody enjoys a product they paid for? I’m excited about the possible future where games like Tchia will open the door for newer gamers who might not have the skill sets yet to finish tougher games. Don’t worry, Elden Ring will always still be there for you.

 

Tchia Final Verdict

Tchia is a difficult game to put into words. Its open-world is a manageable size with so much to do, but on the other hand its gameplay follows a very minimalist approach. Most hardcore open-world gamers will balk at the lack of stat or ability progression. I, however, applaud the developers for creating a game that feels familiar in terms of borrowed ideas and iterating on them in a way that allows players to just “chill” while playing. Your reflexes will be rarely tested, and if they are, you can just bypass it. I love this approach.

While it probably won’t crack my top ten of the year, Tchia is a lovely game that I hope more people will experience. Its cartoony characters weave a lovely legend in an impressively beautiful open environment that is going to stick with me for weeks after rolling credits. If you’re looking for a relaxing experience that will also teach you about the world around us, look no further.

To hear me talk more about Tchia, be sure to listen to our March 29th episode of The Gaming Outsider Podcast.

This review is based on a PlayStation 5 copy of Tchia provided by Keymailer for review purposes. It is also available on PlayStation 4 and PC.