Another Crab’s Treasure
The Soulslike and platformer mix wonderfully in ANOTHER CRAB’S TREASURE
The most fun I’ve had with a Soulslike since Elden Ring. The less self-serious take on the genre I wanted Lies of P to be. FromSoftware should just go ahead and cancel Shadow of the Erdtree… OK, now we’re moving from possible hyperbole to outright lies. But I honestly stand by the first two. Another Crab’s Treasure is a joke game that takes being a great Soulslike seriously. A charming, creative platformer with terrific combat and a good eye for both pretty scenery and silly sight gags.
You’re a hermit crab called Krill who’s had his shell stolen by a literal loan shark (ho ho). So begins an oceanwide quest to get it back which involves hitting a lot of hostile sea life with a fork. Apparently there’s no stamina underwater so all you have to worry about is getting as many hits in as you can then leaping out of the way before being hit back.
Actually, that’s a pretty big worry considering how vulnerable poor Krill is without his shell.
Luckily, there are replacement shells everywhere. They’re able to block a few attacks before shattering, forcing you to quickly scurry to find another. This might sound tedious but it’s actually one of the game’s best ideas. Shell’s have unique powers. A sushi roll gives appalling defence, but you can chow down on it mid-battle to restore health. A rubber duck can be thrown to act as a decoy while you scamper away. There’s loads of great ones to find, and because they break so easily, you’re encouraged to try them all.
Combat does a fine impression of Dark Souls’ sword fighting, with every enemy having a health bar to cut down and another Sekiro-like bar that, once filled up, gives you a chance to stun your foe. It begins to truly sing once you unlock the grappling hook, letting you yank enemies towards you for a good forkin’. Delightfully, to successfully hook bigger prey you’ll have to nail a fun little fishing minigame which mixes surprisingly perfectly with Soulslike swordplay. Master it and boss battles become brilliant tug-of-wars with a lovely sense of flow to them.
Combat does a fine impression of Dark Souls’ sword fighting
SHALLOW END
It’s a lot more welcoming than most Soulslikes too, with lots of smart difficulty modifiers in the settings. In fact, with its cute characters, bright aesthetic, and approachable difficulty, I wondered if I was potentially playing the first Soulslike for younger gamers. Until one of the crabs started talking…
Now, you don’t write for PC Gamer unless you have a fondness for puns. I spent hours of the only life I’ll ever have thinking up awful ones for the strapline of this review (Dark Soles, Seakiro, Blubblubborne, Elden Herring…). So I consider the astonishing number of puns in Another Crab’s Treasure a
