Tropical Open-World Adventure 'Tchia' Glides Onto Switch This Summer

I swear, I was just thinking how I'd be interested in this if it was on Switch after reading an email it was available on Steam!

Nice! Glad I waited.

A headturner ever since I saw it show up in PS+ catalogue (which it has probably left by now, too). Definitely another in the ever growing list of this year's Switch highlights!

Cozy and fun game. It runs okay-ish on PS5. Definitely could use some more optimizing, but the dev seems to be satisfied... Curious to see the downgrades needed to make this game run on Switch. I'm hoping to be pleasantly surprised, but not counting on it.

This is nice, was really hoping this would get ported to Switch.

It took a while, but it came to Switch. I just don't have any hype to play it now.

This is an amazing indie game! So glad to see it finally finding its way onto Switch 🙏

I'd just like to go on record saying I predicted months ago that the Switch 2 would not release in 2024 but that the Switch library would be supplemented with good third-party titles including Tchia. I am a prophet, please bow your head in awe before my Visage.

Anyways, I played this game on PS5, and it was a pretty solid experience, although there aren't enough fast travel options, which can make traversal pretty tedious at times. While there's a lot of animals and objects you can possess, none of them are really all that interesting--turning into a bird and flying is the most useful ability, so everything else feels kind of redundant in comparison.

Those couple gripes aside, it's an enjoyable blend of Breath of the Wild and Mario Odyssey that offers a pretty sizeable amount of content in a beautiful open world. It's right at home on Switch, which is how I knew it had to come over eventually. I pretty much 100% completed the game, which took about 40 hours. (I technically only got to 99% completion, but that's because you get an achievement for possessing every animal in the game, and some only spawn in certain areas at certain times of the day and there's a lot of RNG.)

Just be aware going into it that despite the marketing portraying this as a super wholesome adventure, this might not necessarily be a game to play with the kiddos. The main character gives the middle finger at the end of the game, and there's also some pretty disturbing imagery including a running gag involving a decapitated chicken with blood splurting out of its neck. The game does have a censored option, though, so if you're playing with little ones, maybe turn that on.

There's also some pretty strong LGBT themes in this game, which will undoubtedly be a turnoff for some and a reason to buy for others. Not telling anybody how they should feel about it one way or another; the type of media you choose to consume is your prerogative, but I think it's good to know that going in as everyone has their own set of values. Make your own judgment accordingly about whether it's a game for you.

I would probably give the game an 8.5/10. It's not perfect, but you can tell a lot of love went into it by a team of people who did their best to highlight the beauty of their culture, which I think is commendable. It had its moments of tedium, and although I don't think I will double dip on Switch--mostly because I like to stick with family-friendly games and think the couple moments of shock value were a bit unnecessary for a game that was marketed as being a wholesome experience (did I mention there's a cutscene where a baby gets eaten??)--I'm still glad I played it. One of my PS5 highlights of last year for sure. Would recommend.

I really enjoyed the game until the unfinished, ugly urban environments.

hmmm glider gives me Zelda Wind Waker vibes...just me?

I played this on PS5 to help ease the wait for Tears of the Kingdom. It has a couple things going for it, but in general I'd probably not recommend it.

The possession mechanic is an undoubtedly cool idea - even just possessing a rock and bouncing around the island is fun. I also love the game's display of the culture in New Caledonia, with some lovely music numbers and beautiful vistas. The map system is also has a nice Hollow Knight-esque spin to it.

Unfortunately, I don't have much else good to say about it. The open-world activities aren't terrible, but it was the inconsistently irreverent sense of humor that REALLY rubbed me the wrong way. It feels family-friendly but then the villain eats a baby, or a headless chicken jumps on screen and starts spurting blood everywhere. Plenty of poop jokes too. You're also forced into a romantic relationship that felt a little out of left field to me.

All in all I agree with everything @Not_Soos said but would rank the game a fair bit lower. There are plenty of lovely open world games out there I'd recommend instead, but if this is the one that most intrigues you, go for it!

@Not_Soos 100% agree on the out-of-nowhere shock value. Really clashed with the otherwise beautiful world and music numbers imo.

@Not_Soos Good point about it not necessarily being "a game for kids". You definitely wouldn't see some of it's themes in a Nintendo game...

Great game. Funny I saw this article and immediately wondered if it released on Steam and sure enough, it did! Add another to the Steam Deck for me but absolutely get this for Switch if the performance holds up upon its release!

I already got the game but its still cool its coming to Switch.