GAMINGBIBLE: 9/10
We’re all so bogged down with problems, big and small, in our confusing, noisy world, but Tchia reminded me that doesn’t have to be. When Tchia pulled out her ukulele to play with her friends, family, or at village ceremonies prompting me to play the game as a form of mini-game, the game reminded me that it didn’t matter if I missed a note – or even participated in the All. The joy is in listening or trying – not in striving for perfection. What Tchia discovers on her journey would not be possible without the kindness of strangers and friends. Tchia is also a girl with a powerful gift, but this is a game that shows you what happens when you use such a gift for good – and what can happen to you if you only seek power. Since I finished playing, I noticed that I focused more on the joy and beauty of my own life. What better gift could you ask for from a game? Thanks Chia.
GOD IS GEEK: 9/10
Tchia is a beautifully crafted game that celebrates tradition and culture, while providing varied gameplay and opportunities for exploration.
PSX BRAZIL: 9/10
With slight technical modifications to be made, Tchia is a true masterpiece in all its aspects, which together allow us a journey through the rich and still unknown culture of New Caledonia. With strong and light gameplay, captivating graphics, haunting music, and a subtle and delicate narrative, this is a simply delightful game.
GAMERSRD: 8.8/10
Tchia is a magical adventure but it lacks some darker settings and its combat system could be a bit more complex. The game has an amazing open world that invites you to explore everything and where I’m sure more than one will invest many hours of their time exploring, feeling the magic of the game and getting to know the culture of New Caledonia. The game has a very original gameplay and its Soul Leap is something that I just loved.
MEUPLAYSTATION: 8.5/10
Awaceb told us that they make a game with “heart and soul”, and Tchia really brings all that and more. With a touching story and versatile gameplay, it has all the tools to bring fun and joy to gamers.
DESTRUCTOID: 8.5/10
Tchia could very well be the most ambitious indie game we’ve seen in 2023. This open-air, high-seas adventure takes some of the best gameplay elements from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey and the combines in an adventure filled with heart, humor and compassion through a breathtaking archipelago. If you like games with exceptionally crafted worlds that are meant to be explored with a fine-toothed comb, I see no reason why you wouldn’t like what’s on offer at Tchia.
GAMING NEXUS: 8.5/10
Tchia is a beautiful and engaging open-world adventure filled with the heart and soul of Caledonian culture. It’s a world you’ll love to be in despite the overall experience being held back from reaching its true potential by tedious combat.
GAME INFORM: 8.5/10
Tchia is dripping with joyful, exploratory pleasure. The idea of letting players get lost in an interactive sandbox has been a goal pursued by developers since the beginning of video games. Few truly give you the freedom to frolic in a virtual playground, and while Tchia isn’t without its flaws, it’s a rare case where the temptation to just gamble in the digital world is rewarding at just about every turn. Tchia’s tone, music, and abilities combine to create something simply fun, and it all takes place in a setting that begs to be explored.
GAMEPRO GERMANY: 8.3/10
A heartwarming open-world adventure with plenty of dark humor and plenty of surprises.
JV: 16/20
A family adventure that exudes good humor and which will undoubtedly warm your heart, Tchia delivers a story as touching as it is effective and gratifies us with absolutely brilliant music and highly warm characters. It’s also an exploration game that is teeming with beautiful little ideas, making the ride devilishly pleasant. We only regret that the open world is not attractive enough in terms of content to keep us long in its scope once the story is over.
GAMESRADAR+: 8/10
Admittedly, some aspects of the story caught me off guard, with a few instances of cartoonish violence (which aren’t overly graphic) and Maevora serving as a fairly unsettling antagonist in an otherwise lovely setting. But there’s a healthy dose of humor and touching moments in the mix that kept me invested. Tchia’s standout moments are always centered around the different people and communities you encounter along the way, each of whom come together and share a musical moment that you can join in with a rhythmic mini-game, or sit back and enjoy. Overall, Awaceb offers a delightful and inventive adventure that I was happy to get lost in. Tchia is truly wonderful in so many ways.
GAMINGTREND: 8/10
Although Tchia’s story doesn’t find the most stable foundations, its world and portrayal of culture is exceptional. The gameplay is also a lot of fun, even with a decent amount of padding to keep you busy in the beautiful open world. New Caledonia is certainly worth seeing in this digital representation.
IGN ITALIA: 7.9/10
Definitely different from other dispersive and soulless open-world experiences, Tchia is a tropical adventure that pays homage to the culture and territorial beauties of New Caledonia. However, this scaled-down version of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has its flaws, including technical stability issues and not-so-great story longevity. In any case, Tchia remains a fun game that knows how to make players fall in love with the unique culture of the Kanak people.
PLAYSTATION UNIVERSE: 7.5/10
Some lingering technical issues that prove frustrating, an uneven campaign, and a stereotypical open world can bog down an otherwise wonderful exploration of culture. Nonetheless, Tchia’s unique gameplay elements, euphonic music, and often dynamic world are worth a look.
EVERYEYE.IT: 7.3/10
Tchia isn’t an experience for everyone, but it’s perfect for those who want a break from the frenzy and constant fighting. At the same time, however, the features on offer aren’t quite as captivating as expected, and the task of keeping the playful scaffolding in place is soul-leaping. Between sometimes exhausting explorations and somewhat repetitive confrontations, such a particular and colorful setting could have been better exploited and more competently managed, although it manages to constitute a perfect theater to host the narrated events, which we rather appreciated more provided that.
GAMEBLOG: 7/10
Classic in substance, Tchia shines with its shape. If the game borrows a lot from other productions, the Bordeaux studio manages to add its own touch thanks to its universe based on New Caledonia. Splendid and captivating from the first hours, the title is a real invitation to travel despite its many technical disappointments and certain uninspired aspects. It’s hard to resist its breathtaking landscapes, its sweet melodies and its relaxing rhythm if you manage to overcome its few apparent shortcomings. A generous game, exotic with a good taste of tropical comeback.
PUSH SQUARE: 7/10
Tchia is truly unlike any experience we’ve ever had with a video game. Full of heart, but sometimes lacking in direction, it’s a unique experience that demonstrates the love the development team has for New Caledonia. Everything about Tchia evokes a wonderful tropical vibe, full of rich history and culture, from the folk elements of the script to the authentic voice acting in New Caledonia’s native language, Drehu. Unfortunate bugs have let it down and are preventing players from fully experiencing it, but a solid, enjoyable, and ultimately beautiful game is the foundation. It’s obvious that a lot of love has been poured into this really exciting debut of Awaceb, and as a day one PS Plus Extra release, it will bring a lot of players a lot of joy.
GAMINGBOLT: 6/10
Tchia has some great things going for it with its beautiful rendition of New Caledonia and fun traversal mechanics, but poor mission design and cookie-cutter side activities undermine those strengths by a significant margin.
PLAYSTATION LIFESTYLE: 6/10
During Tchia’s tropical adventure, players will discover many brilliant ideas carefully implemented. The New Caledonian-influenced open world remains responsive to its cultural inspirations, the unique soul-jumping mechanism is a joy to use and explore, the boat’s controls and fully functional ukulele are overdone in the best way, and the story has both unexpected darkness and humor. Unfortunately, a handful of good ideas can’t save Tchia from running out of steam before the finale and collapsing under a wave of performance issues.
GAME SPEW: 6/10
Tchia left us a bit cold – and that in itself is disappointing, as we had high hopes for this title. If you’re expecting a Breath of the Wild-style adventure, as trailers and previews (even ours) may have led you to believe, you should probably keep your expectations in check. There’s some lovely island fun to be had here, and Tchia’s abilities are marvelous – but by the time you’ve worked your way through its surprisingly lackluster and underwhelming countryside, you’re unlikely to see much reason to return.