A little crab who goes on an epic journey to reclaim his home, learns about all the problems in the world, and tries to help? All combined with an incredible combat system that will challenge you with each enemy? Another Crab Treasure can count on me!
History
Any game that uses the word ‘schmoovin’ gets an A+ for storytelling in my book. The story of Another Crab’s Treasure follows Krill as he attempts to recover his shell from a “shark” that has taken it for tax purposes. The game leans so far into silliness that I suspended my disbelief about the shark being a puppet on a stick and actually believed it was a real shark for a while. It doesn’t matter that all the other animals are just animals; I was as naive as Krill was.
The story is told through dialogue with NPCs and is often downright crazy and hilarious. Aside from the main story, I appreciated the fact that I could interact with almost anyone, as long as they weren’t “infected.” I loved being called poor every time I tried to buy shell insurance at Shellfish Greeter.
Related: How to Unlock Umami Skills in Another Crab’s Treasure
The moment that I consider the best in the game was when I broke a Crystal in front of two NPCs. They commented on how rude I was for doing so and that they were going to find a different glass to look at. Details like that really make up a story for me, along with the incredible amount of sea puns, of course. From now on I’ll just say ‘Oh God.’ Thanks Konche.
However, the story is not just nonsense. While most of it has a silly tone, the overall story is much deeper and deals with themes such as loneliness, garbage pollution, abuse of power, etc. I didn’t expect all that from a game about a crab fighting enemies. , but I absolutely loved it.
Score: 5/5
Visual design
I love Another Crab’s Treasure’s unique art style, starting with Krill, who is extremely cute even when he kills enemies with his fork. I also love the outfits for him, which you can find by browsing or purchasing from the Shellfish Desires store. My personal favorite is the Intern costume that puts Kirl in a blonde wing and pink pants, but I also love Mr. Krill, who is inspired by the most iconic crab of all, Mr. Krabs.
The enemy design is also great, especially the bosses. They really look like villains and absolutely match their personalities. Another of my favorite designs is the cowboy shrimp, which has long-range weapons. It made sense to turn them into cowboys.
The level design is also absolutely amazing. I love the green colors of Expired Grove, but I also love Flotsam Vale, with dirt as far as the eye can see. And then, as I went deeper into the ocean, the atmosphere changed and became darker, and I became even more mesmerized. Honestly, it’s all about the small details of this game, which are emphasized more when Krill is shot with arrows and still stick out from him as you continue playing. The visuals in Another Crab’s Treasure are top notch.
Score: 5/5
How to play
Combat and exploration are at the core of Another Crab’s Treasure’s gameplay. There were so many enemies and many of them had specific fighting patterns that you had to learn to deal with. I really enjoyed this challenge and the satisfaction of watching bosses fall. (More on this below).
When it comes to exploration, the ocean and all its levels are vast and open. At some points, the game worked well in guiding me exactly where I needed to be. However, I spent quite a few hours wandering around trying to figure out exactly where to go.
Related: All achievements and trophies in Another Crab’s Treasure
For example, when finding the treasure map pieces, I made the battles out of order. So I defeated Heikea first and then The Ravenous second. However, when I defeated Heikea, I didn’t get even a piece of the map. Only after defeating the Raveners and returning to the gates of the village where I had fought Heikea (since I had no idea what to do anymore) did I find the map piece on the ship. He definitely wasn’t there after the loss. It may have been a bug in the game for me, but it did waste a lot of my time.
Score: 4/5
Combat
I was expecting amazing combat from a soul type game, and I absolutely got it. First, the fork Krill fights with is a fun reference to Ariel’s gossip. Instead of brushing his hair, Krill uses it for the power of violence. You can only use the fork in the game (unless you give it a weapon through the accessibility menu).
However, that’s where the different shells come into play. As you explore, you can find 69 different shells that Krill can use (but none are at home). All projectiles do something, whether it’s healing, attacking, or increasing speed, etc. The tooth shell is the exception, as it is essentially a bear trap (I kept walking into it because I wasn’t looking and got stuck with the most useless shell in the game).
Leveling up stats in Moon Snail Shells with Microplastics was pretty easy. While I improved the physical damage and Umami skill stats, it’s also nice to put some points into health and shell resistance.
The last thing I enjoyed is the Adaptations, which are powerful abilities that you can obtain after defeating enemies. I used the Duchess’s Royal Wave like I was Nero from Devil May Cry, but I definitely enjoyed the Bubble Bullet ability more. It allowed me to take on some annoying enemies without interacting with them or breaking my shell.
The only thing I didn’t particularly like was the damage that normal enemies also caused. He could actually survive a boss and then crash into a crab with a drill and be destroyed in two seconds. I get that it’s part of the experience, but when you’re suddenly assaulted by enemies and killed away from a Moon Snail Shell, it can be quite annoying.
When I first compared this game to Dark Souls, I didn’t find it too difficult, but it was the bright colors and silly jokes that fooled me. While some enemies could be quickly overpowered, I found myself dying over and over again to others. You can make the game a little easier with the game settings, but it’s a challenge either way. If you want a true spiritual experience, then hard mode is for you.
Score: 4.5/5 stars
Verdict
A colorful world combined with spiritual combat isn’t exactly something you see every day, but wow, it’s a great combination. I enjoyed exploring many of the beautifully designed levels, even if I had to fight Roland a million times to finally advance the story. Can I order another crab adventure? I had too much fun with this one.
[Disclosure: A free copy of the game was provided to PGG by the publisher for review purposes.]
If you want to know how to respawn with the exact shell you choose, check out How to Buy Shell Insurance in Another Crab’s Treasure on MyFullGames.