REVIEW: ‘Another Crab’s Treasure’ Shows What’s Important (PC)

Ever since their inception, soulslikes have been one of the more versatile yet difficult genres to get right. Many developers have attempted to follow the success of creating games that offer grueling challenges and satisfying rewards. But one thing that seems the hardest to get right is their setting. Most are grim, hopeless, desolate post-apocalyptic settings where you, the “hero” are just trying to survive to set the world right. That is where Another Crab’s Treasure, by Aggro Crab, sets itself apart. And for the most part, it is a fantastic soulslike that is also a great entry for those wanting to dip their toes into one of the newly beloved genres.

Set in the ocean, you play as a small hermit crab, Kril. He spends his days chilling on the shores in his little shell. That all changes when a loan shark, who is one of those kid toy shark heads on a stick, pops up and informs Kril that under the new queen’s rule, he is now overdue on taxes. Even if Kril has never left his little tide pool, his area is now under her rule thanks to a new greedy decree to get more microplastics, the ocean dweller’s new form of currency. And because the tax man is all for helping the ruling class, he rips Kril’s shell away. So you, as Kril, go on an ocean-navigating journey to try everything you can to get his shell back so he can return to his peaceful life. But this new greediness is spreading. And it’s taking on a dark form that introduces many challenges in Kril’s path back to solitude.

For the most part, the story of Another Crab’s Treasure is great. It dives into themes that are rarely explored this way, reframing them in a new light. Themes like environmental health, how human actions affect vibrant ecosystems, and how sea creature life adapts harshly to new environments. Even with these grander themes, this is also a personal story about Kril. Kril is flawed and is only getting involved in the world’s messes because it personally impacted him. He just wants to return to normalcy even if everyone he interacts with will probably never get that feeling back. We face this every day in the real world. Reframing this message by connecting us to a hermit crab is a great framing tool.

But the story is also flawed. Without spoiling the ending, it doesn’t really match where our journey with Kril ends. The ending cutscenes are shockingly disappointing because Kril wasn’t the Kril we watched grow. His actions didn’t match what he said. The ending feels like there were some character growth moments missed or are optional through gameplay that do end up being required. The end result being Kril’s broken journey to who he is when the credits roll.

Even with the cartoonish artstyle, the soulslike elements shine through. The world’s enemies and bosses are capital D difficult and will push you to fully understand Kril’s kit. And there is a lot for Kril to master, too. From his basic attacks to his shell umami abilities and more innate abilities. Kril can be upgraded and learn unique abilities that make him as strong as a coconut crab.

As you progress, you’ll collect a currency called microplastics. Nowadays, it’s a little too on the nose about how this is the new currency of the ocean dwellers. This is how you’ll buy consumables like fishing hooks to throw at enemies and little creatures to attach to your shell and level up. Thankfully, leveling up is very straightforward. Selecting one of the five stats that can be upgraded at each level clearly defines how exactly Kril will be improved without any ambiguity like other souls-likes. Vitality will increase his health by five. Umami makes his attacks stronger by a certain percentage, and so forth. Plus, you can buy or will regularly find items that let you reallocate leveling points as needed if you think you need to change things up.

Then there’s Another Crab’s Treasure’s main mechanic. It helps the stand out from other soulslikes in a great way: the shell. The shell is the defining characteristic of hermit crabs. If you see one without it, they’ve either outgrown their shell or they’re in serious danger. The same applies here. Kril has no shell at first. You’ll quickly learn that to survive, you’ll need to use littered items to serve as a substitute for now. These items are everywhere. You will not be pressed if you lose a shell because it breaks.

Sheels are your main form of defense. Each shell has a weight and a set amount of armor that reduces the damage you take. So having one will give you a major line of defense from anything thrown at you. Each shell also has its own amount of armor that is like the item’s durability. When it reaches zero, that shell is broken and is gone forever. You’ll need to quickly find a new one. They are also the source of Kril’s umami powers, or this game’s magic.

Each shell you find will have a specific ability that is themed well with what that item is. For instance, you may find an ink cartridge for a printer. This will let Kril shoot out a smoke screen to hide away from enemies. You could also find a twist top for a sriracha bottle that gives Kril a devastating spin attack. Every umami ability also has an umami charge. You can use that ability for however many umami charges Kril has and can only recharge them through attacking. This creates a great balance between using powerful umami abilities, like the yogurt can’s healing ability, while still forcing you to stay in the fight. You can’t just sit back and shoot the soda can’s bubble abilities to whittle down a tough opponent’s health until they’re dead.

Shells also service the equippable hitchhikers. You’ll find lots of little creatures or items throughout Kril’s adventures that you can attach to one of three slots. This is where real customization comes into play with making Kril fit your playstyle. These hitchhikers can increase stats, give Kril an extra life in case he dies, or even increase the amount of stagger damage he does to an enemy. But there’s a catch. Their effects only apply when Kril is wearing a shell. So, having a shell on becomes even more important as you find better little guys to join you. It’s a shame, though, that they don’t show up on whatever shell you have equipped.

Some of the environments featured in Another Crab’s Treasure are my favorite soulslike environments. They’re so detailed and show the devastation of human carelessness while balancing nature’s beauty. Even while you’re getting attacked by centaur-like lobsters or sea horses that shoot those little pill things that expand into dinosaurs at you wherever you go, it’s just fun to look around at the environments. Kelp forests or coral reefs are vibrant and corrupted by hilarious off-brand versions of products that you may know, like, “I swear to God, if this isn’t Butter I’m seriously going to lose it.” The love and appreciation for this game is in the smaller details. Aggro Crab goes above and beyond to make this game feel like a game produced of passion.

Yet one major selling point is almost the game’s biggest weakness: the bosses. There are a lot of bosses you’ll fight during Kril’s journey. Some are even optional. Their artwork is immaculate. Some even pay homage to great soulslike bosses, like one later game boss that plays out similarly to Sekiro‘s Guardian Ape. Some have phase changes, and others are just grand moments. But they feel hollow after fighting them a couple of times. Their patterns are almost too predictable. Losing often feels like the game being misaligned rather than your fault for not pressing buttons at the right time to avoid attacks.

Even then, Another Crab’s Treasure is overwhelmingly friendly for those who aren’t familiar with this genre. They even have mechanics that other soulslikes should implement too. The first is checkpoints. You’ll normally have to find a moon snail shell throughout each environment to serve as a checkpoint as you venture through the different locales. That’s not the case with the bosses. After you’re beaten, most bosses will set you back to just before the boss’s room entrance. This lets you get right back into the action and saves so much time without the risk of encountering smaller enemies who can hurt you more during a reset.

The second is its extensive accessibility options. This is where the comical option, “Give Kril a gun” comes into play. Yes, you can give Kril a gun, and yes, it one-shots any boss. And you can take it on or off whenever you want, too. That’s just the tip of the iceberg for accessibility. While one completely trivializes the content if you wish. The rest change almost every aspect of the game to fit your needs. You can increase parry times, increase Kril’s health, decrease damage taken, or decrease boss health. You even have the option not to lose microplastics every time you die.

The best thing is they’re all optional and can be changed at any time. If you want a difficult experience, just don’t select any of them. If you are beating your head against one phase of a boss. Equip the gun, blast that first phase, then get right back to the part that’s challenging you. And if you want to just dip your toe without the first enemy you see using your corpse as a puppet for an hour, you can change the difficulty to match what’s troubling you most and then change the settings as you get better at the genre. Another Crab’s Treasure has everything that a soulslike fan is looking for. It also has everything to be that game that should be recommended to someone who asks where they can try out the genre and doesn’t want to just dive in the deep end right away.

Another Crab’s Treasure is a fantastic soulslike for those looking for an entry into soulslikes. Its storytelling and embracing of an unfamiliar setting make it stand out. Plus, its implementation of fairly extensive accessibility options makes it a more welcoming experience for those who are interested in going on a little crab adventure.  However, all these positives don’t help with interesting bosses that don’t have too much to their ability rotation and an ending that doesn’t really add up. Even then, Another Crab’s Treasure will draw you in with its fun exploration, beautiful environments, and unique shell mechanics.

Another Crab’s Treasure is available on April 25th on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.