Another Crab's Treasure Review: "Challenging But Entirely Accessible"

Summary Story is a major selling point with customizable difficulty options to scale.

Aesthetic balances cute and challenging gameplay in an accessible way.

Gameplay slightly lacks responsiveness, but overall, Another Crab's Treasure is a solid, innovative Soulslike.

Another Crab’s Treasure is the latest indie release from developer and publisher, Aggro Crab. In this Soulslike crab game, players will take on the role of Kril the Hermit Crab as he embarks on a life-changing journey across a polluted ocean to get back his home, encountering over 50 shells and various referential costumes. Though the enemies are tough, Kril will face an even greater struggle in comprehending the state of the world around him and his role in it.

Despite its adorable exterior, Another Crab’s Treasure strikes a balance between a cute cartoon aesthetic and the dark, foreboding core that players expect from a Soulslike game. Within this balance, Aggro Crab has successfully created a game that is challenging but entirely accessible.

Another Crab's Treasure Another Crab's Treasure is an innovative Soulslike with some good ideas. Pros Story is a selling point

Aesthetic is fun and innovative for the genre

Accessibility is excellent and relieves potential frustration with progress Cons Gameplay doesn't feel as snappy as the genre usually is, especially with inputs

A Soulslike For Everyone

Aggro Crab Masterfully Executes Making A Game Accessible & Fun For Everyone

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Aggro Crab has not shied away from emphasizing that this cute and approachable title is considered a Soulslike, a daunting term that can potentially turn many players away. While Soulslike games are rewarding, they often also mean that players will face enemies that notoriously push them to their limits, something that not everyone finds particularly enjoyable. With that in mind, Aggro Crab goes above and beyond to ensure there are a plethora of customizable options to scale difficulty, including the option for Kril to equip a comically to-scale gun that can one-shot enemies, including every boss in the game.

As someone who doesn’t enjoy having their hand held while progressing through a game, I’m also not interested in being bullied by it, either. Another Crab's Treasure hits that rare sweet spot that appeals to a wide variety of players by simply giving them options. At any point, players will be able to open up their settings and adjust a few different options to customize their experience.

Related Another Crab's Treasure Fixes Soulslike Games' Biggest Problem A newly revealed indie game from Aggro Crab, Another Crab's Treasure, has an opportunity to fix one of the largest problems facing soulslikes.

Not only does this ensure that every player will have the chance to enjoy Kril’s story, but it also gives them the flexibility to customize the game to a preferred play style.Typically, upon death in a Souls game, players will run the risk of losing their inventory. While this is also true for Another Crab’s Treasure, if desired, this feature can be simply turned off for more peace of mind. This is one more example of the thoughtfulness in Another Crab's Treasure.

Despite the cute aesthetic and difficult combat, it’s clear from the very beginning when Kril has his home repossessed that Another Crab’s Treasure intends to do more than just provide a fun distraction.

More Than Just A Cute Crab Game

With Difficult Combat & Intense Themes, Cute Can Only Be Used To Describe The Graphics

Despite the cute aesthetic and difficult combat, it’s clear from the very beginning when Kril has his home repossessed that Another Crab’s Treasure intends to do more than just provide a fun distraction. Immediately, players will find themselves faced with obvious environmental issues, with the primary focus being on the pollution of the ocean, as Kril will discover that garbage has become a big part of life for the sea creatures within it. Despite the cute references to other franchises and amusing labels for typical trash items, many of the messages Aggro Crab aims to get across are serious and intentional.

Another Crab’s Treasure will call Kril out, along with players, for witnessing the negative changes in the world around them and ignoring them, especially since players will find that Kril spends the majority of his time with one selfish goal in mind, to return to the tide pool with his shell. Kril acts so selfishly at times that players may be forced to wonder whether he’s even a likable protagonist. However, Kril eventually is forced to face his actions in a way that is sure to have players shaken and contemplating the fundamentals of life, long after the credits roll. We won't spoil it, but it's an interesting narrative device.

Held Back By Stiff Combat

Kril's Lack Of Input Responsiveness Leaves Him Vulnerable

While Another Crab’s Treasure does a lot right, there are a few things that hold it back. While Kril’s abilities mimic those of a typical Souls protagonist, there are a few tweaks needed to make combat flow as it should. One very noticeable instance of this is the ability to have the game process inputs during other action sequences. While most Soulslike games allow players the luxury of inputting a command in the middle of another animation and having that subsequent command followed out immediately once the other is completed, Another Crab’s Treasure struggles with this.

Any inputs placed during another animation will likely not be registered and players will simply have to wait until it has been completed. While this may seem nitpicky, when it comes to bosses who show no mercy, these valuable seconds are everything. Being able to heal immediately at the end of a dodge roll by inputting it mid-roll allows players the slimmest chance at taking on even more damage. When an enemy can take you down in just one or two hits, these fine details determine the difference between a fight that feels fair versus one that feels unnecessarily punishing.

Overall Rating

4/5

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Overall, despite the few tweaks that could make Another Crab’s Treasure that much more enjoyable, it's a solid and innovative Soulslike option. Another Crab’s Treasure is a welcome addition to a genre that often doesn't feel the most accessible. The changes Kril will go through will have players reflecting on their own lives in a way they never expected, as one tiny hermit crab proves that sometimes it's worth evaluating the world around you and wondering, are you really okay with things as they are?