Another Crab’s Treasure Review (PS5)

I am not particularly a fan of the “soulslike” genre. The games are normally gritty, realistic, gothic, and brutally challenging. I made an exception for Another Crab’s Treasure, which from the looks may seem like a platformer, but proves that a “soulslike” can thrive in a colorful, silly, and lighthearted experience. This journey has its players spanning the ocean with an amusing plot and cast of characters, utilizing deep and creative shell mechanics all while retaining the challenge factor that the genre is known for. Though the game has few crabby performance hiccups the overall experience I had was enjoyable.

At a glance this may look like a violent side quest for Sebastian from the Little Mermaid, but this is really the adventure of an innocent hermit crab and his quest to reclaim his stolen shell. Living peacefully on shore, Kril, gets woken up by a dastardly character, Loan Shark, who takes Kril’s home from his back. Loan Shark claim’s that Kril owe’s the self proclaimed Duchess a tax payment in favor of protection. Kril just wants his shell back, but Loan Shark forces him to go into the ocean and find a way to earn to pay for his shell back. Fortunately (for the player) this is one of those situations where things will never go back to the way they were because of the first event that happened. Kril eventually ends up moving mountains, or should I say ‘crossing the oceans’ just to get his shell back.

The story’s writing and dialogue is definitely entertaining and even though it’s not the main reason why I was hooked on this game it adds a lot of amusement to the playthrough. This ocean adventure is filled with fun off-brand names for items based on real life products. For example, there’s multiple parody boxes of Uncrustworthys, which are based on the Smuckers Uncrustable sandwiches. Next is Kril, a very genuine character. He knows his place in this big world and is doing his best to return to it. He is surprisingly relatable, especially for being a hermit crab. Lastly, the story touches on some serious topics, like pollution. I mean, microplastics are used as the main currency for the game. It’s interesting to see how sea life adapts to  pollution. All of these aspects come together to make a charming and memorable playthrough.

Playing games in the soulslike genre can feel like a daunting challenge due to their steep learning curves, but Another Crab’s Treasure does a great job at teaching its mechanics to players. It introduces each and every one of its mechanics and allows you ample time to become accustomed to the way they work. Just when you’ve got comfortable with them it will throw another layer on top of what you’ve learned to mix into a new style of gameplay that has you utilizing all of its mechanics blended together. I never felt overwhelmed. Still I saw the game over screen ‘a watery grave’ countless times. The game is a perfect balance of being manageable to learn and not feeling too easy for its players. 

The most intriguing mechanic that this game offers is Kril’s ability to change out his shell at a moment’s notice. Being a hermit crab, Kril can use anything he finds at the bottom of the seafloor to use as a makeshift-shell. This includes garbage, and you never know what polluted junk you’ll find at the bottom of the ocean — maybe a soda can, a shot-glass, or a banana peel! Not only is it fun and interesting to see what you can use as a shell, but each shell has its own unique abilities in combat.

For example, the soda can will shoot out fizzy bubbles that will deal damage to an enemy that goes near the area of effect. There are a plethora of shells to find in this game and it is encouraged to use multiple. The shells will break when they take enough damage, but don’t worry there is ALWAYS garbage (shells) in the surrounding areas to use as a replacement. This neat mechanic had me adapting to each shell’s play style and getting the most of their different stats. I always looked forward to discovering new shells and couldn’t choose just one as a favorite. This simple yet creative mechanic is one of the highlights of the show. 

Don’t let Another Crab’s Treasure’s colorful art style deter you from the fact that it is challenging. I could never get too confident playing this game because every time I thought I had a handle on it, I was humbled quickly by grunts who killed me in two or three hits. Also, there are plenty of tough bosses that will test your patience. They all have certain moves that can’t be blocked, or will one shot you and seem near impossible to avoid. This makes learning when to block, dodge, and parry feel more rewarding and it will get easier with each death. Last, there are systems in place to prevent spamming shell abilities. The more damage done to an enemy, the more it will refill its ability gauge. Another Crab’s Treasure’s challenging gameplay proves that not only can it talk the talk, but it can crab-walk the crab-walk. 

Another Crab’s Treasure has several moments where the performance is rough and slightly hinders the experience. The worst performance hiccup I can recall is when I would cross a certain threshold to a new area and the game would freeze as it loads. This happened all throughout the game, and in the same spots even after dying several times having to recross that certain point. I learned to just deal with it by not touching my controller as it happens. Another, but more minor performance hiccup is more of a glitch. All enemies, that includes mini bosses and bosses, will sometimes get stuck in the surrounding areas in the environment. 

For example, when fighting the first boss, it got stuck on this big boulder. This caused the boss to stop acting and allowed me to avoid all of the danger and challenge of the fight. The glitches that affect the difficulty are the ones that hinder the experience the most. However, these glitches don’t happen often. Lastly, the game itself feels like it lacks a certain level of polish. This goes for everything from how attacks just go through walls, how the lock on system feels janky, and how Kril constantly gets stuck on uneven ground. Despite all of these combined issues, I still had a great time playing through Another Crab’s Treasure.  

Another Crab’s Treasure is a fresh take on genre that delivers an amusing plot, creative and deep mechanics while exhibiting a balanced challenge for new and veteran players alike. Kril’s journey is wholesome and full of charming and curious moments. Its combat is layered and full of creative shell abilities that keep the playstyle ever changing. Despite the game looking colorful and cartoony, the grunts and bosses do present a challenging experience that is a test of skill and patience. The performance is noticeably rough around the edges, but the experience is fun nonetheless. Another Crab’s Treasure is a treasure worth digging for indeed. I recommend this to those looking for a new challenge and those who have yet to experience a ‘soulslike.’

Another Crab’s Treasure is available on the PS5, PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One. For PS5, it can be purchased on the PS Store for $29,99.