Gameplay of a hermit crab trying to get his shell back from a loan shark (pun intended) is not what most Fromsoftware enthusiasts may think of as a souls-like. However, Another Crab’s Treasure excels in this genre.
Story
The story follows Kril, a young hermit crab who falls victim to undersea debt collectors. What ensues is a story about pollution, corruption and power dynamics. What makes Aggro Crab Game’s video game different from the genre is the way the story is told. Not only is it full of bright colors and humorous dialogue (“What the shell!”, “Oh my cod”), but also the serious themes are wrapped up in a satirical lens, differentiating it from the more complex storylines of other souls and souls-like games.
The undersea inhabitants use microplastics as currency to purchase trash to wear as shells or armor, which is found through fighting enemies and searching the sea floor. Interestingly, this economy is also the source of their doom, as the trash causes “the gunk”, a virus that deranges sea creatures to attack Kril and others.
In an interview with GameRant, narrative lead Caelan Pollock and studio head and art director Nick Kaman expanded on what they want their audience to take away from this story.
“This is very much a game about–not just climate change, but climate catastrophe…sharing how we feel about that, or helping people find catharsis and what that feels like, was always much more important to me than ‘Oh, hey, the moral is pollution is bad.’ …‘What do we do from here?’ is more of the open question.” Pollock said.
The game also focuses on “moral pollution” through characters like Roland, an isopod mayor and CEO of “Shellfish Corp.”, a trash scavenging business that exploits factory workers.
Combat
The combat of this game follows the recipe that Fromsoft fans know well. It is a lot of “oh-my-god-I-just-lost-all-my-microplastics-because-I-died-again” and “guess I need to grind a bit more before I can get on this boss’s level”. However, it is a bit more beginner friendly, with an assist option for easier combat, no microplastic loss after death and even the ability to give Kril a gun which one-shots any enemy in sight.
Even without the assists, the biggest issue I found with the boss fights was their delayed attacks, a trademark for the genre. After learning the boss’s attack patterns, it was relatively easy to parry them and find the correct timing to attack and dodge.
The combat reads more as Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and Lies of P than games like Elden Ring. This is due to Another Crab’s Treasure’s parry system and stun mechanic. The game rewards aggression, and offers 69 options for shells to wear that act as shields with their own stats and power. An example of this is the tin can, which holds the shell spell, “shellshock”, the ability to grant a lightning strike on enemies.
The game also offers a level up system for vitality, resistance, attack and magic. Alongside items that give permanent stat bonuses and effects (“stowaways”), and upgradeable adaptations that utilize magic, there are many builds to consider. Players can also find “stainless steel relics” to upgrade their dinner-fork sword, although there is not an option for different weapons.
Thoughts
Another Crab’s Treasure offers so much in just 10-15 hour main story gameplay that completionists can expect upwards to 35-40 hours of exploration. With 19 bosses, a considerably large open world, and platform areas that begrudgingly remind me of Farum Azula from Elden Ring, the game lives up to its souls-like title.
If you would like to shell out money for this game, you can find it on most platforms for $30. It is also available through Xbox game pass and Playstation Plus’s game catalog.
