Don’t be fooled by its charming, stylized appearance – Another Crab’s Treasure has it all.
While FromSoftware has enjoyed a meteoric rise to fame for its signature dark fantasy worlds and challenging, satisfying combat, there have been a lot of Souls imitators lately. From AAA titles like Jedi: Fallen Order and Stellar Blade to indie titles like Death’s Door and Hollow Knight, developers Aggro Crab are the next studio to dip their claws into the mix.
On the surface of things (or should we say the shell of things?), Another Crab’s Treasure looks extremely silly, but it manages to get to the heart of a Souls-like game. Challenging combat, exploration, RPG elements and lots of dying are the main features of this underwater adventure.
History and themes
In Another Crab’s Treasure, you take control of Kril, a hermit crab whose shell is confiscated due to missed tax payments. Determined to get it back and return to a life of idleness in the tidepool, Kril soon becomes embroiled in a story much bigger than himself. As the protagonist, he gives the game a certain “I shouldn’t have been here today” vibe.
As you continue to fail to recover Kril’s shell, the state of the ocean reveals itself to you, and it is not good. Garbage forms the basis of the crustacean economy and can be found everywhere. Highlighted, of course, by Kril using whatever he can find as a shell, trash is ubiquitous and is used for anything and everything, from clothing to buildings to currency. It’s not all fun and games, however, as a mysterious disease called Gunk has begun to affect those most exposed to pollution.
Aggro Crab, the indie team behind Going Under, has a lot to love about Another Crab’s Treasure. He has an extremely strong sense of his own style and wears his humor openly. Unlike many of its soul-like brethren, Another Crab’s Treasure is bright and colorful. The characters are cartoonish but extremely well realized and distinctive, with excellent voice acting.
Tonally, the game oscillates between dark humor (“Crabitalist” will never stop being one of the best jokes ever written) and existential dread. One way it showcases its Souls-like qualities the most is in the way it handles heavy themes throughout the game. It’s hard to do for a cute game about an angry crab. The soundtrack can’t go unmentioned either, it does its job excellently and creates excitement,
Battle
As with any Souls-like game, combat is the difference between life and death in Another Crab’s Treasure, and it’s clear that Aggro Crab has worked hard to create a system with depth and real challenge. There is a large selection of grenades (over 50) with a huge range of special abilities and variations. The fact that they degrade quickly and you often have to scramble around mid-fight to find a new grenade is reminiscent of the weapon degradation system in Zelda: Breath of the Wild (which I thought was a good feature) and promotes moments of excitement , fear and experiments.
The power of Umami also unlocks access to additional combat abilities. While I found it annoying that Parry and Counterattack had to be unlocked and wasn’t available from the start, the currency is easy to come by and I didn’t manage to parry enemies in a short amount of time. Defeating certain key bosses will also give you access to Adaptations, extremely powerful moves that you can use for a massive combat boost. I’m a simple player and my favorite was the really big shot.
However, the combat system is not without its flaws. Its fast pace can make it difficult to keep track of, especially given that many enemy attacks momentarily stun or knock back. It’s very easy to get disoriented when you’re flying around with every attack. Some bosses in particular became extremely difficult because their attacks were fast, difficult to see through, and deadly. Evasion was also random, and enemies’ range was often greater than my dodge range. In response to feedback on the demo, Aggro Crab said they were aware that combat felt a bit slippery and unpredictable for some players and had worked to address that feeling, and while it was definitely better than in the demo, may not be quite the polish I’d hope for in a game where combat plays such a central role in the gameplay.
Exploration and platforming
Not only is Another Crab’s Treasure similar to Souls, but it also flexes its 3D platforming muscles and makes exploration fun and rewarding. There are tons of areas to explore, and almost all of them have a reward at the end. Levels make great use of verticality, and you often return to yourself with unlockable shortcuts and the typical doors that won’t open from that side.
It’s a universal truth that any game is improved by the addition of a grappling hook, and Another Crab’s Treasure won’t make you wait long to get your claws on one. It’s suitable for both exploration and combat, which makes its inclusion doubly justified.
When platforming or fighting in close quarters, I occasionally felt like the camera was working against me. It often swung around wildly, and the fixed distance between the camera and Kril meant that I would sometimes find myself fighting for my life in a room, but the camera would pointlessly show me the outside wall of a building I was in. Likewise, platforming felt like you had to make sure the camera was facing a certain direction before jumping, otherwise Kril would suddenly (and somewhat nauseatingly) change direction and you would quickly be heading towards your doom .
Diploma
Minor annoyances and niggles aside, Another Crab’s Treasure is a gem of a game. It won’t be for everyone, but that’s okay. I say this not because it’s difficult (although it is difficult), because it has an excellent assist mode with customizable settings to make the game gradually easier if necessary, but because the style and humor just appeals to some people don’t arrive. The game is equal parts silly and dark, not a combination that everyone will enjoy. I found the escalating story compelling and it really took me through the gauntlet with the final boss, but it’s a harder sell if you don’t. Likewise, some people won’t like the cartoonish graphics, especially when compared to heavier themes.
However, if you like the style, humor, and premise, I highly recommend you give this game a try. It really does what it says on the tin and Aggro Crab must be commended for that. Get your claws at Another Crab’s Treasure starting April 25th.
- Release date: April 25th
- Platforms: Steam, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X |S, Xbox Game Pass
- Price: TBC
- Developer: Aggro Crab
- Publisher: Aggro Crab