Tchia Gamescom Preview: Beautiful Animal Mayhem
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild changed open-world games when it launched in 2017. To this day, people are still posting videos of bizarre stunts with boulders and blocks, using the game's physics to hilarious effect. Tchia learns all the right lessons from BOTW, and offers a gorgeous, thoughtful tropical archipelago for me to play in.
Tchia is a love letter to New Caledonia, home to developer Awaceb’s two co-founders. Love for the islands and their culture are keenly felt in every inch of the game - from the authentic New Caledonian dishes Tchia eats, to the outfits worn by the various islanders I met, and even the native animal species I can possess, it’s all based in reality.
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I’m a simp for good water. Nintendo’s really floats my boat, but Tchia’s is giving it a real run for its money. Fitting, considering the full game will feature a collection of islands that Tchia can sail between a la Wind Waker. I didn’t get to venture into the open seas, but I did take part in a time trial that saw me sailing through the winding rivers and into imposing canyons on the main island. It was a thrill controlling the old-school boat and made me feel like I was living out scenes from Moana as I switched between the rudder and sail to cut about the waters.
As fun as it is to play on the water, the land and skies are up for grabs in Tchia, too. The unique mechanic in the game is Tchia’s ability to magically possess any creature - and a lot of objects. All I had to do was press a button and suddenly I was a seagull, flying majestically above the island inhabitants stuck on terra firma. Soaring through the air is easy and wonderful, and
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