Tchia review: Zelda-inspired world with experimental transformation

We’re quickly pulled into the story of the titular Tchia and her childhood world. She’s no misbehaving child, but she’s a courageous adventurer as she eagerly sets out to seek out the world’s ruler, Meavora, who’s captured and imprisoned her father. This means navigating far away from her home island and seeking out new lands, rich with lush biomes — everything from red, dusty plains and rusty city buildings to overgrown bamboo forests and wandering rivers. Tchia quickly discovers that she has a unique ability, which allows her to transform into other animals or objects. It’s a mechanic that’s implemented with expert care, despite the sheer number of things Tchia can transform into. It transforms. TchiaFrom an adventure strongly reminiscent of The Legend of Zelda to something completely new and wonderful. Tchia’s variety and fluidity of movement, experimentation, and exploration make the game a true delight.

Tchia doesn’t have a map in the traditional sense; instead, it’s a digital version of a paper map, still a little crumpled from being in the bottom of a backpack. To fully understand your geolocation, Tchia must search for landmarks. There’s a single-button function that gives an estimate of your location, with Tchia pulling back to take the whole nation into consideration before circling a larger spot on the map. (Quests and pinned spots are marked on a compass you can put on the screen, too, making navigation much easier if potentially wandering off isn’t your bag.) Tchia’s map reinforces the game’s focus on exploration; don’t run straight from task to task. You should take some time to see the world.

Image: Awaceb/Kepler Interactive

In your travels, you’ll come across various minigames that put your skills to the test. There are many minigames that will test your skills. You can make sculptures and unlock ukulele tunes by placing rocks at certain places. You also take on armies of enemies made out of scraps of fabric, kept alive only by the evil leader’s magic. It’s not combat in a normal sense. You have to use Tchia’s transformative powers and your environment to eliminate enemies — perhaps becoming coals in a nearby fire to burn the fabric to dust.

My time was spent wandering the countryside, searching for new animals. Each animal feels different in a locomotive sense, but most also have a unique “ability” of sorts. It’s nothing major — stags can sprint, sharks can bite, and seagulls can poop. It’s a great way to explore the world. Even though it felt new enough to be interesting, I was still interested in other aspects. Tchia’s more remote places, where the islands can feel a bit empty. My favorite thing to change into is a stone. Hear me out: Rocks are one of the faster ways to travel, and they mitigate fall damage — a rock won’t crack from a plunge from too great a height, like Tchia will. Tchia was able to jump as high as she could from one rock to another. This game became a favorite of mine. You can also use your rock skills to throw at enemies and knock down coconuts. It’s silly and amusing, a small moment of levity that TchiaBrings light to what can sometimes be a grim story.

A premise such as Tchia’s, where you can do something as absurd as transform into a mobile wrench, that humor is important. This mechanic could have been forced by a game taking itself too seriously. Tchia deftly pokes fun at itself, and video games in general, without ever crossing into true self-deprecation There’s one moment where Tchia has to take a ticket and fill out forms to see the world’s leader, as if she were at the DMV. Before she sets out on her quest to find items, Tchia fills in a lot of paperwork. But as she’s leaving, another person comes in and pulls a ticket — it’s visitor number 1,000, and as a prize, he’s sent up to see the leader without any fetch quest. Tchia could not have that happen because there wouldn’t exist a quest. Video game gamers know that. It made me giggle.

Image: Awaceb/Kepler Interactive

Tchia’s lightness comes also from music, an element just as important as the shapeshifting mechanic. It’s more than mere background noise. Tchia’s journey is made possible by music. Throughout the game, characters meet — often around a campfire — to sing and play instruments in English, French, and indigenous Kanak languages like Drehu. (Tchia is inspired by the Awaceb co-founders’ homeland of New Caledonia, which is a small archipelago in the Pacific, where these languages are spoken. Awaceb hired New Caledonians for voiceover work Tchia’s characters.) Tchia is able to play along with the tunes, as her ukulele can be connected to the controller. These aren’t played for score, and that’s important; it allows the player to engage with these moments in a way that feels less competitive and more collaborative.

TchiaIt could have easily filled the role of action-adventure like so many other games. The Legend of Zelda is a big influence, making it more risky. But, despite those influences, it isn’t weighed down by that sameness. Tchia’s transforming power comes from her eye, green where the other is not. So it makes perfect sense that we would be able to see. Tchia’s world, and this genre, in a whole new light.

Tchia The game will be available on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 on March 21, as well as Windows PC on March 21. Kepler Interactive gave us a pre-release downloading code. Vox Media is an affiliate partner. Although these partnerships do not impact editorial content, Vox Media could earn commissions on products sold via affiliate links. Here are some links to help you find. additional information about Polygon’s ethics policy here.