Another Crab’s Treasure Review – The Most Accessible Soulslike Yet

When I first found out about Another Crab’s Treasure, I’ll be honest and say that I was put off by the game. It was too cutesy and a departure from the dystopian, desolate Soulslike games that I was used to. There was no end of the world, there was no hollowing, nothing of the sort. Instead, you play as a humble and naive hermit crab who is trying to get back what was stolen from him. However, based on recommendations from several people who also enjoy the genre, I gave it a try. It also didn’t hurt that the game was available on Xbox Game Pass. Now I’m a believer.

Game Name: Another Crab’s Treasure
Platform(s): PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC (Reviewed)
Developer(s): Aggro Crab
Publisher(s): Aggro Crab
Release Date: April 25, 2024

To say I was surprised and amused when I finally had a chance to play Another Crab’s Treasure is an understatement. I’ve laughed, I’ve gotten frustrated, and in the end, I really liked what I played. For Another Crab’s Treasure being Aggro Crab’s first time developing a Soulslike, you could have fooled me. This is the total package. I even purchased a copy of the game on Steam to support the developers. 

I still want to know how high the developers were when they thought about this game and if it involved watching Disney’s animated film, The Little Mermaid. I need to know!

Let’s get crabby

While Another Crab’s Treasure looks like a cutesy Soulslike, believe me when I say that it only looks like it. The game is just a tough as some of the other Soulslikes I’ve played, yet at the same time, takes it easy on players. How so, you ask? It’s the details and implementation.

Another Crab’s Treasure doesn’t overload you with things that make you go crazy. While most Soulslikes, especially those from Fromsoftware, will have you focusing on various attributes such as strength, dexterity, intelligence, and others, you won’t find that here. Sure, you’ll have to mess around with attributes, but it’s all simplified with only having to deal with Vitality, Attack, Resistance, and MSG, which is your ability power. It makes things that much easier to understand, which makes getting involved a bit easier. Going into the game, I thought this would make me frustrated with this simplified stat system, but I ended up enjoying what it was.

There are also things called Stowaways, which are basically the rings or amulets of the game. Here, you can pick and choose from various perks, such as increasing attack damage or speed, boosting your magic, adding more health, and so forth. However, some of those Stowaways also have a “gotcha” and will give you excellent perks, but will also force you to lose something as well.

While the game is linear, it doesn’t mean you have to follow the path in front of you. You could be like me and not pay attention to what I’m supposed to do and wander to areas that are well beyond my level, get your butt kicked, and then wander aimlessly until you speak to the correct NPC who’ll set you on your way. It’s just how I’m used to playing those sorts of games.

Enjoyable crabbat.. I mean combat

Let’s be honest; the combat is one of the things that defines a Soulslike. That punishing, hard as nails, makes you run home to your mommy combat. However, like most things in the game, this is also a bit simplified. Unlike most games in the genre, there’s only a single attack button, but holding it down will allow you to charge up your attack and do more damage. There’s the ability to dodge, jump, and, yes, block, but only after you’re 20-30 minutes into the game and unlock the ability to acquire a makeshift shell. I’ll talk more about the shells in a bit. You can even parry attacks if you choose to unlock that ability. Though, if I had the ability to change this (and maybe I do), I’d lengthen the parry window.

Combat-wise, this is a Soulslike, through and through. Cutesy or not, you still need to pay attention, or enemies and the bosses will maul you if you don’t pay attention. Being ganked by enemies isn’t a matter of if but when. Bosses will punish you and even trap you in combos more than a few times. There’s also a certain amount of verticality in certain locales that give enemies more ways to kick your butt while you can’t reach them at first. Oh yes, this is still a Soulslike. Don’t let the visuals fool you.

This game’s version of XP is called Microplastic, and you can get this by defeating enemies or picking up items. You can then use this to level up your character or buy stuff with it. However, the downside with all this is when you do pick up an item that gives you microplastic, you have to hear back from the town and sell the items to a vendor to get the loot. It would be much easier if you could just use the item yourself and get your Microplastic. I can see why this is done the way it is, as it ties into the game’s story, but I still don’t like it. Thankfully, you can teleport, er, shelleport pretty easily.

Taking a page from the Sekiro playbook, there’s only ever one weapon you’ll have access to, a fork nonetheless. This weapon can be upgraded as long as you have the resources to upgrade it, which allows players to focus more on gameplay instead of wondering what new weapon is around the corner and which one needs to be upgraded to do the most damage. 

There’s even a skill tree that gives you more ways to play, such as unlocking the ability to parry, and it feels great. There’s no forcing you to use it, but when you do, it feels organic, and there are useful skills to pick up. Or ignore it; it’s up to you.

There’s also a certain amount of exploration that will reward you with an impromptu boss fight, and I have to say that I enjoyed that. Here I am, just wandering around, minding my business, and suddenly… BOSS FIGHT. Good Stuff, Aggro Crab.

Still, I had some issues with the game. I’ve encountered a number of times where my character would clip into a wall, or the camera wouldn’t cooperate with me, causing me to take damage from the enemies I couldn’t see. Movement can also be clunky, which is a pain when engaged. Lastly, early on, ranged enemies can take your head off as soon as they see you and do massive damage.

One shell of a time

When I play Soulslikes, I always wonder what new mechanic the developer has implemented to make the game stand out. You can’t rely on copying from the Fromsoftware playbook so much, and with Another Crab’s Treasure, there’s one specific mechanic that I really think is mind-blowing: shells. If you’ve played Mortal Shells, it’s sort of like that but much more accessible and useful.

More specifically, since you play the role of a hermit crab who is trying to get his home and his favorite shell back, you’ll also encounter various items along the way that also function as shells. This removes the need to add any armor, which again simplifies things.  These shells can be equipped at any time, and each has its own amount of resilience (how much damage the shell can take) and different abilities that range from granting momentary invincibility, ranged attacks, dashing attacks that make you feel like Sonic the Hedgehog, and more.

These shells also have their own weight classes, which can cause you to move faster, fat roll, or not dodge at all. Items such as soda cans, shot glasses, coconuts, or a computer mouse, to name a few can be found. You can also swap between these shells whenever you find them and at any time, especially during combat.

While it may not seem like it, the shell game is a mini-game that forces players to decide what shell is best in any specific situation. Do you want a shell with lots of resistance that lets you block more but slows you down? Or a shell with barely any blocking ability, but you can move much faster? Or do you decide by which shell offers the best abilities?

Play how you like – there’s no judgment here

Plays great on the PC

A lesson to learn

Overall

Another Crab’s Treasure is a surprising and delightful addition to the Soulslike genre. It combines challenging combat, a simplified stat system, and innovative mechanics with a meaningful story. Aggro Crab has created a game that is both accessible and engaging, setting a new standard for the genre. Despite my initial reluctance, Another Crab’s Treasure has impressed me with its combat, exploration, and storytelling.

Review Disclosure Statement: Another Crab’s Treasure was purchased by The Outerhaven for review purposes. For more information on how we review video games and other media/technology, please review our Review Guideline/Scoring Policy.

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