Another Crab’s Treasure
MSRP $30.00
“Another Crab’s Treasure utilizes its charming setting and assist mode options to become one of the most approachable Soulslikes ever.”
Pros
Sharp local weather satire
Colorful aesthetic
Creative shell system
Great accessibility
Cons
Hit-and-miss humor
Unrefined fight
Hard to learn enemy patterns
How a lot of an impression does a sport’s aesthetic have on the way it feels to play? That query was constantly on the forefront of my thoughts as I performed Another Crab’s Treasure. Aggro Crab’s newest sport is a Soulslike, a mode of sport recognized to be fairly irritating as gamers slowly discover ways to overcome difficult fight encounters. It’s additionally colourful and humorous, one thing that visually doesn’t really feel too far off from SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake.
Typically, I bounce off Soulslikes onerous if I hit a problem wall. But in the course of the first powerful boss combat of Another Crab’s Treasure, I felt extra motivated than ordinary. It was towards a corrupted crab named Duchess Magistra who had taken my shell. She was aggressive, spraying gunk that would drain protagonist Kril’s well being and energy assaults with the ball-and-chain she wielded. It was powerful, however I caught with it, discovered her assault patterns, and overcame the combat.
Something about how Another Crab’s Treasure seems and feels made overcoming this problem appear extra doable, giving me the psychological fortitude to complete a troublesome boss combat. And if the visuals didn’t present me implicit confidence, I nonetheless had loads of help choices to lean again on. It’s not probably the most refined Soulslike, and its writing could also be hit-and-miss relying in your humorousness, however this is among the most approachable stabs on the style I’ve ever performed.
This crab is feeling blue
Another Crab’s Treasure begins with Kril, a hermit crab dwelling in a tide pool, getting his shell stolen by a mortgage shark (a literal one) who comes to gather his taxes. This kicks off Kril’s journey to get his shell again, however issues get more and more out of hand; the queen is corrupted and killed by Kril, however his shell will get taken to a bustling underwater metropolis. In order to get sufficient cash to get his shell again, Kril then units off on a treasure hunt that brings him up towards the megacorporation that runs that city.
Aggro Crab / Digital Trends / Aggro Crab
Aggro Crab makes use of this narrative spine to inform a narrative in regards to the present local weather disaster, how companies are content material with watching the world burn in the event that they’re making a revenue, and the way our anger towards these issues must be utilized in a approach that helps our communities. As Earth’s real-world local weather disaster worsens, I’m certain Another Crab’s Treasure’s themes will develop into much more related.
It’s not all doom and gloom, although. Another Crab’s Treasure is a colourful sport with all of the vibrancy you’d count on from an underwater journey. While the undertone of trash was all the time current, I typically felt that the sport’s extra colourful palette made me really feel extra assured whereas enjoying than I sometimes do at nighttime and dreary worlds of Dark Souls or Lies of P.
Another Crab’s Treasure lets individuals know that it’s OK to be indignant at and see the darkish humor within the local weather disaster Earth faces.
If the aesthetics weren’t sufficient to place you comfortable, Another Crab’s Treasure can be a comedy. The mission garnered consideration prelaunch due to its developer’s hilarious X account. And whereas Another Crab’s Treasure can get critical when it needs to, its characters nonetheless ceaselessly crack jokes and are hilariously unaware of how the ocean is being polluted.
Lots of its comedy is puns, like a boss being referred to as an Intimidation Crab as a substitute of an imitation crab or saying “coddamnit” as a substitute of “goddamnit’. That form of humor is humorous the primary couple of occasions, however by the tip of the journey, the hacky stand-up routine will get outdated. Still, I recognize that Another Crab’s Treasure lets individuals know that it’s OK to be indignant at and see the darkish humor within the local weather disaster Earth faces.
Go to shell
Just as Another Crab’s Treasure balances comedy and darkness, its gameplay finds a stability between excessive ability Soulslike gameplay and accessibility. If you’ve performed a sport by FromSoftware, you understand the gist. Enemies are very sturdy, so studying to expertly block, dodge, run away, or parry is as important to overcoming an encounter as attacking is. On that entrance, Another Crab’s Treasure solely does little to shake up the style mildew. Those who’ve performed a darker Soulslike will know the drill regardless of its distinctive setting and artwork fashion.
Digital Trends / Aggro Crab
However, the extra cartoonish and aquatic enemy designs make it a bit harder to determine one of the best time to roll out of the way in which or parry. Thankfully, this can be a Soulslike that wishes you to dam. Its most unusual gameplay characteristic is a shell system that’s used offensively and defensively. Because Kril’s shell is stolen, he has to make use of quite a lot of trash as momentary shells. Each can block a certain quantity of injury and let Kril forged a shell-specific means.
One of my favourite issues about arriving in a brand new space was seeing what sort of shells I may discover and what skills they’d. Particular favorites of mine embody sushi rolls that heal Kril at the price of their shell well being and a boxing glove that permit me slam down and deal a number of injury to enemies. Typically, a wealth of shells are strewn about every space. Kril’s mobility is extra like that of a 3D platformer than a Soulslike, which makes it simpler to flee an encounter and discover a shell if a scenario will get tense. That’s yet one more approach this sport feels extra welcoming than its style friends.
It felt doable to beat any problem the sport threw at me if I performed good.
Over time, ability tree upgrades even let me regenerate shells and fasten them to Kril’s weapon to create a hammer. On the spectrum of Soulslike problem, Another Crab’s Treasure is on the better finish. It typically get fairly difficult, particularly with bosses that may take out a ton of Kril’s well being bar with a single blow. Still, it felt doable to beat any problem the sport threw at me if I performed good, used the correct shells, and discovered bosses’ strikes and animation. There are additionally some unbelievable help choices to fall again on.
Soulslikes may be approachable
The thought of a Soulslike having an “easy mode” or accessibility choices has develop into a controversial topic as a result of some purists assume problem is an inherent want of this motion sport subgenre. I’ve by no means agreed with that sentiment, and I used to be pleased to see that Aggro Crab didn’t both. At any time, gamers can go into an help menu and toggle quite a lot of choices to make Another Crab’s Treasure extra approachable.
Are you having hassle nailing the dodge and parry home windows? You could make them extra forgiving by tweaking a setting. Does the well being distinction between a boss and Kril really feel too disproportionate to you? Adjust that to your liking. Hilariously, you may even select “Give Kril a gun,” which does precisely what it says. By together with all of those choices, it’s doable for anybody who performs Another Crab’s Treasure to see it by to the credit — and that’s an appreciated rarity for a Soulslike.
Digital Trends / Aggro Crab
I’m the form of one who bounces off Soulslikes after they get too difficult. I’d somewhat simply play one thing else than not take pleasure in an unforgiving sport. But one thing about Another Crab’s Treasure saved me hooked even after I didn’t benefit from the humor or discover its fight that distinctive or polished. I credit score that to the charming aesthetic and the information that I may activate an help mode possibility at any time, conserving me calm all through the complete journey.
If you play Soulslikes for his or her darkish and dreary worlds, engrossing lore, and brutal fight that may be overcome by participant ability alone, then Another Crab’s Treasure won’t be for you. But in case you’re on the lookout for a “first Soulslike” and don’t need to put within the time dedication wanted to grasp video games like Demon’s Souls, Dark Souls, or Elden Ring, Another Crab’s Treasure provides up an excellent time.
Another Crab’s Treasure was examined on PC.
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