How much of an shock does a game ’s esthetic have on how it feels to play ? That question was consistently at the head of my psyche as I playedAnother Crab ’s Treasure . Aggro Crab ’s up-to-the-minute game is a Soulslike , a style ofgameknown to be quite thwarting as player tardily find out how to overcome challenging combat encounters . It ’s also colorful and shady , something that visually does n’t feel too far off fromSpongeBob SquarePants : The Cosmic Shake .
Typically , I bounce off Soulslikeshard if I hit a difficulty wall . But during the first tough boss fight ofAnother Crab ’s Treasure , I felt more motivated than common . It was against a corrupt crab named Duchess Magistra who had taken my shell . She was fast-growing , spray muck that could drain protagonist Kril ’s wellness and power attacks with the ball - and - chain she wielded . It was tough , but I stuck with it , learned her tone-beginning pattern , and get over the conflict .
Something about howAnother Crab ’s Treasurelooks and feels made overcoming this challenge seem more potential , giving me the genial fortitude to terminate a difficult boss fight . And if the visuals did n’t render me unquestioning confidence , I still had slew of assist option to lean back on . It ’s not the most refined Soulslike , and its penning may be hit - and - miss reckon on your horse sense of humor , but this is one of the most approachable stab at the genre I have ever played .
This crab is feeling blue
Another Crab ’s Treasurebegins with Kril , a hermit crab exist in a tide pool , get his shell slip by a loan shark ( a literal one ) who comes to collect his taxes . This kick back off Kril ’s escapade to get his shell back , but things get increasingly out of script ; the queen is corrupted and kill by Kril , but his casing gets accept to a bustling submersed city . so as to get enough money to get his scale back , Kril then sets off on a hoarded wealth hunt that bring him up against the megacorporation that runs that Ithiel Town .
Aggro Crab expend this tale backbone to severalize a floor about the current clime crisis , how corporations are content with watching the world burn if they ’re making a gain , and how our anger toward those thing should be applied in a way that helps our community of interests . As Earth ’s real - world climate crisis worsens , I ’m sureAnother Crab ’s Treasure’sthemes will become even more relevant .
It ’s not all doom and gloom , though . Another Crab ’s Treasureis a colorful game with all the sonority you ’d expect from an underwater dangerous undertaking . While the undercurrent of trash was always present , I by and large feel that the game ’s more colorful palette made me finger more confident while play than I typically do in the dark and dreary worlds of Dark Souls orLies of P.
Another Crab ’s Treasure lets multitude eff that it ’s okay to be angry at and see the dark humor in the climate crisis Earth face .
If the aesthetics were n’t enough to put you at relief , Another Crab ’s Treasureis also a clowning . The task garnered attention prelaunch because of its developer’shilarious Adam account . And whileAnother Crab ’s Treasurecan get serious when it want to , its characters still ofttimes break through jokes and are uproariously ignorant of how the ocean is being polluted .
A lot of its funniness is pun , like a foreman being called an Intimidation Crab instead of an impersonation crab or saying “ coddamnit ” alternatively of “ goddamnit ’ . That sort of humor is funny the first couple of time , but by the end of the adventure , the hacky stand - up routine gets old . Still , I appreciate thatAnother Crab ’s Treasurelets people love that it ’s OK to be angry at and see the moody sense of humor in the mood crisis Earth faces .
Go to shell
Just asAnother Crab ’s Treasurebalances comedy and darkness , its gameplay bump a balance between high skill Soulslike gameplay and accessibility . If you’veplayed a plot by FromSoftware , you cognize the heart . opposition are very strong , so learning to expertly block , dodge , bleed away , or parry is as substantive to overcoming an encounter as assail is . On that front , Another Crab ’s Treasureonly does little to shake up the genre mold . Those who have played a darker Soulslike will know the exercise despite its alone place setting and art style .
However , the more cartoonish and aquatic enemy designs make it a bit tougher to figure out the best time to roll out of the way or parry . Thankfully , this is a Soulslike that wants you to block . Its most unique gameplay feature is a shell organisation that ’s used offensively and defensively . Because Kril ’s scale is steal , he has to expend a variety of trash as impermanent shell . Each can block a certain amount of terms and permit Kril ramble a shell - specific ability .
One of my preferent things about arriving in a new region was figure what variety of cuticle I could find and what power they had . Particular favorites of mine include sushi roll that heal Kril at the cost of their shell health and a fisticuffs baseball glove that permit me mosh down and deal a lot of damage to enemies . Typically , a riches of shield are strewn about each area . Kril ’s mobility is more like that of a 3D platformer than a Soulslike , which stool it gentle to head for the hills an encounter and find a plate if a situation gets tense . That ’s yet another way this plot feel more welcoming than its genre peers .
It felt possible to overcome any challenge the plot make at me if I toy smart .
Over time , skill tree upgrades even let me regenerate shells and attach them to Kril ’s weapon to create a hammer . On the spectrum of Soulslike difficulty , Another Crab ’s Treasureis on the easier end . It sometimes get quite challenging , especially with boss that can take out a ton of Kril ’s wellness bar with a single blow . Still , it felt possible to overcome any challenge the biz threw at me if I play fresh , used the proper shell , and learned boss ’ moves and animation . There are also some fantastic aid alternative to fall back on .
Soulslikes can be approachable
The idea of a Soulslike having an “ loose mode ” or availability options has become a controversial case because some purists think difficultness is an inherent motivation of this action game subgenre . I ’ve never agree with that sentiment , and I was felicitous to see that Aggro Crab did n’t either . At any time , players can go into an assistance carte and toggle a variety of options to makeAnother Crab ’s Treasuremore accessible .
Are you having trouble nailing the dodge and hedge window ? you could make them more forgiving by tweaking a setting . Does the health difference between a political boss and Kril find too disproportionate to you ? align that to your liking . Hilariously , you may even select “ Give Kril a gun for hire , ” which does exactly what it says . By including all of these options , it ’s possible for anyone who playsAnother Crab ’s Treasureto see it through to the credits — and that ’s an comprehended rarity for a Soulslike .
I ’m the form of individual who bounce off Soulslikes when they get too challenging . I ’d rather just roleplay something else than not savor an unforgiving game . But something aboutAnother Crab ’s Treasurekept me hooked even when I did n’t relish the humor or rule its armed combat that unique or urbane . I accredit that to the charming esthetic and the noesis that I could turn on an assist mode option at any time , go on me calm throughout the integral adventure .
If you play Soulslikes for their dark and dark worlds , engrossing traditional knowledge , and brutal combat that can be overcome by player accomplishment alone , thenAnother Crab ’s Treasuremight not be for you . But if you ’re looking for a “ first Soulslike ” and do n’t want to put in the time consignment call for to master plot likeDemon ’s Souls , Dark Souls , orElden Ring , Another Crab ’s Treasureoffers up a good time .
Another Crab ’s Treasurewas tested on PC .
