«Tchia» review: a love letter to New Caledonia

The evening sun turns the ocean into a shiny orange seascape. Two seagulls circle in the sky above me as I glide gently over the turquoise water in my raft. Although I’m really only sitting on my sofa with a controller in hand and dreary grey weather outside the window, I can almost feel the fresh breeze and the warm rays of sunshine on my face. The only thing missing is a coconut with a straw. «Tchia» awakens real holiday feelings in me. And just like a vacation, there’s always that someone who can’t just sit back and relax, feeling the need to organise «fun» social events. Fortunately, this remains the exception in the game.

A holiday in New Caledonia

«Tchia» is an open-world game in which I accompany the eponymous young girl on her adventures across a picturesque South Sea island. The game is inspired by New Caledonia to the bone. This can already be seen in the shape of the archipelago. Before you open Google Maps, New Caledonia is east of Australia and north of New Zealand. The point of origin for all these references to the small French overseas territory can be traced back to the founders of development studio Awaceb. Phil Crifo and Thierry Boura are from New Caledonia, although their studio is now based in Bordeaux. Awaceb is local slang meaning «all is well» or «don’t worry». This also describes «Tchia» pretty well.

«Tchia» is a relaxing game of discovery. I can move freely around the archipelago. I can sail, climb, dive, float through the air with a cloth and even slip into the bodies of animals. The game world is a South Seas fantasy come true. Crystal clear water with colourful corals, white sandy beaches, towering rock formations, lush palm forests; I can’t get enough of the world. Depending on the time of day, the game, together with the high-contrast lighting, looks almost kitsch at times – but only almost.

Story on the side

In «Tchia», however, people don’t just lie around lazily on the beach. There’s a story, even if it never really gets going. It begins with creepy cloth creatures called Maano storming the island. They’re under the control of Meavora, the tyrannical ruler of the archipelago. This creature kidnapped Tchia’s father, which the bright young girl naturally doesn’t take lying down.

Or maybe she does. As if nothing had happened, the first thing the game shows me is all the wonderful things you can do on your summer vacation. Although my quest log does say to collect some beads, a chicken egg and other things for an audience with Meovora at one point. However, this doesn’t seem very urgent. The story remains a minor matter. Yet, with its mix of coming of age and fighting a mystical creature that feeds on children, it certainly had potential. Like this, it remains a cosy little fairy tale that adults tell their children around the campfire.

What is conveyed via the story, however, is the culture of New Caledonia. It starts with the language. The in-game characters are dubbed by locals in either Drehu or French. Drehu is spoken by just 12,000 people worldwide. Awaceb also relied on local talent for the soundtrack. The flute arrangements are a perfect companion on my wanderings through the colourful world of «Tchia». From time to time, I’m also allowed to make music myself. Similar to Guitar Hero I have to select the right note at the right moment with the analogue stick and press it in time. Sometimes with a ukulele, sometimes with traditional wooden percussion instruments. The songs aren’t always to my taste, but they provide a pleasant feeling of melancholy.

A meditative holiday

The core gameplay is about experiencing the world. Tchia doesn’t just rely on her own arms and legs, but also on those of animal inhabitants. The protagonist has a special gift, allowing her to slip into the paws or claws of any animal. All I have to do is press a button and animals in the immediate vicinity light up yellow. With another button I can perform a soul jump and control the animal for a short time. Gliding through the air with a bird, roaming the forests as a wild boar or exploring coral reefs as a dolphin remains the game’s best feature until the end. It offers a new perspective, making me feel at one with nature. On top of that, it’s the fastest and best way to travel. The soul jump also works with objects like coconuts or stones. Apart from the main quest, however, I never needed it.

Tchia is mobile even without animal help. Her stamina is indicated by a lightning bolt, which also serves as a health indicator. It shows how long I can float through the air, climb steep walls and dive into deep water. In the body of a Notou, a kind of colourful pigeon, flying becomes much more elegant. In water, on the other hand, no one is faster than a dolphin or reef shark. Sometimes I still choose the chilled-out turtle. It just swims so gracefully through the ocean.

If I’m ever on foot, I can climb trees and swing from canopy to canopy. It isn’t as fast as soul jump, but it’s always fun. Then there’s the raft. I can order it to any boat dock should I forget it somewhere. I’m even quicker with it than with sea creatures. Especially when travelling from one island to another, it’s indispensable.

There’s no fast travel in «Tchia». No map showing exactly where I am either. Aside from signposts, the map only tells me my approximate location. But thanks to the compass and map pins, it’s not so bad. It makes me explore the world closely and find my way around quickly without constantly staring at a minimap.

A whole bunch of side activities

I can improve both stamina and soul jump by finding and eating the appropriate plant. Stamina plants are spread all over the island and are easy to find by their yellow glow – especially at night. Soul fruit, on the other hand, is only available behind locked shrines. Such gates only open if I previously carved the appropriate totem and place it in front of the gate. In the shrine itself, I have to pass a short test. Maybe I have to shoot floating targets with my slingshot. Another time I have to sneak up on a statue while hiding from its deadly laser beam. Such and similar mini-games make up the bulk of «Tchia». If they aren’t part of the main quest, they’re optional. However, they aren’t demanding or challenging.

Still, this doesn’t really matter. After all, I’m on vacation, an all-inclusive vacation so to speak. Everything feels pleasantly relaxed. As I can’t just teleport to the next location, I naturally stumble from one task to the next. How about a little treasure hunt, for example? I could also dive for pearls in the company of dugongs, or manatees. Or would I rather build a stone tower? Too creative, how about I destroy a Meavora statue or participate in a raft racing challenge? A new outfit for Tchia and a new sail for my raft would also be in order. So I seek out a Maano store.

There, a handful of the mysterious cloth creatures guard colourful piles of fabric. Conveniently, there are gas cans and lanterns everywhere, with which I can set fire to the Maano and the piles. And as anyone who has a large pile of clothes at home can confirm, there’s always at least one piece of jewellery among them. The small Maano camps are an amusing short pastime. But if I meet them during the story, I quickly lose my happy mood.

Unnecessary added activities

The main story is like a travel guide showing me the most important spots. I like that in principle. It provides variety. Every now and then, unfortunately, the overzealous vacation planner emerges. In the last third of the game, I regularly have to fight larger groups of Maano. In one mission, I’m supposed to infiltrate three industrial plants that are teeming with the strange cloth creatures. After all, «Tchia» doesn’t exclusively consist of beaches and forests. There’s also an urban hub on the South Island.

I’d really only have to sabotage a few machines to halt fabric production. This would significantly weaken Meavora and the Maano. But as soon as the Maano see me, they wrap me up in their fabric from afar. There’s even a kind of turret that can target me from miles away. This is especially annoying when I’m climbing up a tall chimney. One hit and I fall to the ground wrapped in cloth.

There’s no real combat system. All I can do is throw exploding rocks lying around at the Maano. But even that is far too cumbersome, my inventory is tiny at only eight slots. So I usually run past my enemies and hope they don’t catch me. The action passages seem out of place and are simply awkward. Towards the end of the game there’s even a skills test that I can only shake my head at in confusion.

Verdict: a near-perfect beach holiday

Still, the overzealousness of my vacation planner cannot tarnish my overall experience. My vacation in «Tchia» was dreamlike. The game doesn’t just look like a paradise resort, it feels like one too. I can’t get enough of the colourful world with its green hills, secluded forests and turquoise water. That alone wouldn’t awaken such warm feelings in me. Otherwise I could also play «Far Cry» or «Crysis».

It’s the many little things that all convey New Caledonian culture. It’s the heart of the game. From the relaxing background music, to traditional chants in the local Drehu language, to pretty food arrangements, I feel a New Caledonian flair at every turn.

The only criticism I can make of «Tchia» besides the annoying fights with Maano is that it gets a bit boring at times. But a relaxing vacation is sometimes supposed to be boring. That’s why there’s all those challenges and collectibles, which are actually quite simple and don’t get in the way of anything.

My highlight, however, remains soul jumping. I love hopping into the body of a bird and flying over the beautiful landscape. Along the way, I pick up an endurance fruit or do an entertaining race that’s a mix of sprinting, climbing, and floating. Arriving at the finish line, I refresh myself with a jump into the cool ocean. There I enjoy a swim-along opportunity with a clown triggerfish and marvel at the coral reefs.

«Tchia» is neither playfully complex nor profound in its narrative. Exploring the world and getting to know the culture still appealed to me. I wish my vacation with «Tchia» had lasted a little longer. Let’s see how much a plane ticket to New Caledonia costs…

«Tchia» is available for PC and PS4/PS5 and was provided to me by Awaceb.