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Tchia game director talks Zelda inspirations and open world design

Dive deeper into some of the games that inspired the creation of Tchia in our interview with the game's director, Phil Crifo.

Morgan Shaver

April 5, 2023 10:50 AM

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Tchia is a delightful open-world adventure where you can not only explore a breathtaking archipelago inspired by New Caledonia on foot, or by gliding, swimming, and sailing, but also take on the role of animals and objects with over 30 animals and hundreds of objects to play around with. Curious about the creation of Tchia’s vibrant open world, and some of the inspirations behind it, Shacknews’ own Greg Burke recently sat down with game director Phil Crifo to dig deeper into its creation.

Opening the interview, Burke asks Crifo about where the idea for the game came from and whether inspirations include titles like The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker. To this, Crifo responds that he’s going to try to circle around that one to avoid disappointment, before explaining that Wind Waker wasn’t one of the main inspirations for the game. Rather, Tchia comes from one of the same sources of inspiration that inspired the Legend of Zelda franchise as a whole.

Following this, Burke touches on the open world elements brought up by Crifo and the “go anywhere” sort of feeling that games like GTA started and games like Breath of the Wild further honed. With this, questions about the challenges of designing an open world sandbox come up, like what’s featured in Tchia, as opposed to a more linear style game.

The interview expands to things like the creation of some of the game’s core mechanics, combat, incorporation and importance of music, and more. If you’ve been loving Tchia, or simply want to learn more about how the game came together, be sure to watch the full interview with game director Phil Crifo on GamerHubTV. While you’re there, be sure to subscribe to the channel if you haven’t already, and subscribe to the Shacknews YouTube for even more informative gaming content from interviews, to gameplay, and a whole lot more.

Morgan Shaver

Senior Editor

Morgan is a writer from the frozen wastelands of Maine who enjoys metal music, kpop, horror, and indie games. They're also a Tetris fanatic who's fiercely competitive in games like Tetris 99... and all games in general. But mostly Tetris. You can follow Morgan on Twitter @Author_MShaver.