REVIEW: Another Crab's Treasure is the soulslike that will win you over

Filled with satire and lots of good humor, Another Crab's Treasure is the second game from independent studio Aggro Crab, released by the Kowloon initiative. Thanks to its many customization options, it is one of the most accessible games of its genre and will please even those who don't like games. soulslikes! Find out more highlights of this pearl of the seas in our full review.

A little crab on a giant adventure

Kril is a little hermit crab who is happy and satisfied with the life he has, isolated on a little island in the middle of nowhere. One day, a naughty shark ends up stealing his favorite shell, and to get it back, the boy embarks on a journey that will take him to the ends of the oceans.

Armed with a fork and a lot of courage, our tiny crustacean gets into fights with practically all marine fauna, from the smallest plankton to beings much larger than itself. What makes Another Crab's Treasure One such cool game, however, is its theme, which at first glance may seem quite cartoonish, but which addresses current issues such as pollution and extinction of animal species, to more philosophical subjects.

This is seen as you progress through the game and discover the ambitions of the characters with whom Kril interacts, who show that greed does not only extend to humans, and that by destroying the planet's seas, the life that lives there tries to do the same. they can to survive, using trash to build their homes, dress themselves and in the case of our hero, become stronger.

The exchange currency for powers in the game is microplastic, the great villain of pollutants that causes so much harm to everything living on Earth. You can get more of this by defeating enemies and selling the junk that Kril finds on his adventure, and every time, it is possible to exchange it for an increase in the little guy's attributes, as well as the souls collected in Dark Souls or the blood of Bloodborne.

As it is a hermit crab, the game's main mechanic is the exchange of shells, each offering different abilities and varying levels of protection, much like armor from other games in the niche. There are 69 varieties to find, and each one brings a very interesting variety, opening up the range of ways to play Another Crab's Treasure. 

Beyond the shells are the specializations. They use crystals found in every corner of Kril's vast adventure map and offer three paths to specialize the little guy's way of fighting. But don't stress too much about it, as there are plenty of crystals to complete them all if you so desire. And you'll need the most of them, because there are even some special techniques taught by an elderly master that make use of these crystals near the middle of the game.

A soulslike of respect

Another Crab's Treasure mirrors From Software games in its gameplay. As cute as it is visually, it is a very challenging game, with bosses that present attack patterns and strength in the same way as the best soulslike. However, what sets it apart from everyone else is how it handles accessibility options.

Right away, if you're not the type of player who enjoys the genre, you can control practically every aspect of the gameplay, from the amount of health of enemies, Kril, to the speed of the game and how much chance you have of counter the most powerful enemy attacks. You can even arm the little hermit crab with a gun, which can kill anyone with one shot!

The best part of all this is that Aggro Crab has not placed any type of obstacle for those who prefer to use these options, as you can unlock achievements and trophies even with them activated, not to mention progression in the game's story, making it one of the souslikes most affordable on the current market. There is also a cool amount of platform challenges, which gives the game another facet in addition to its elements of the genre consecrated by Miyazaki and co.

If you are the type who seeks to suffer through this type of game, do not be alarmed by the fact that Another Crab's Treasure be more accessible, after all these options are completely optional and there is no obligation to use them. The game's difficulty level is close to that of a Dark Souls, but it is lower than that of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, the infamous From game that made many give up along the way.

Unfortunately, the only point that can be considered negative about the game is the fact that it does not have an option to newgameplus, that is, finish and start over while maintaining the character's powers to embark on an even more difficult version of Another Crab's Treasure. The studio has not commented on this and there is little chance of it being included in the future, especially given the game's format, where it is possible to reach the maximum of Kril's skill tracks without much effort.

Do you live on a small island and live in the sea? Kril, without any pants!

“Cute” is what comes to mind to describe Another Crab's Treasure when it comes to your presentation. With very cartoonish character design and a colorful air of Sponge Bob Square Pants, soulslike from Aggro Crab is, at first glance, a game aimed at children, but as the plot progresses, the game allows for an animated appearance to embrace a frightening, even Lovecraftian, visual theme. 

Don't be fooled by the voice acting and dialogue full of jokes and lots of puns - in this, we must praise the localization effort into Brazilian Portuguese, with an impeccable script in our language - after all the game deals with very mature themes and delivers a critical review fierce towards human greed and its total disregard for Nature. The joy on the surface does not betray the dark soul of its plot, and that is exactly what makes it Another Crab's Treasure so special.

Technically, there are parts where the team has room to improve the game. During transitions between areas, for example, there are quick crashes where the frame rate drops to zero, greatly reducing the pace of the game. They are frequent enough to receive a mention here and we hope there is a patch on the way to address this issue. The game also features some bugs, such as the erratic behavior of enemies, who simply stop attacking, and the various “holes” in the world's geometry, which kill Kril instantly.

But because it is an independent game made by a small group of developers, questions like these become irrelevant when compared to the level of achievement they achieved with Another Crab's Treasure. Their focus on making a soulslike Contained and extremely well done like this is worthy of much praise, and shows the team's talent in varying the playing style between releases. Your first, Going Under, it's a tremendous roguelike full of the same critical acidity present here, not to mention the very saturated presentation that hides the darkest themes of its story.

Another Crab's Treasure is a tremendous achievement for Aggro Crab and the genre as a whole, because it shows that the soulslike It could very well offer accessibility, bringing this type of game to those who don't want to struggle and suffer to see what it has to offer. It remains to be seen whether other developers will take note of what's here to make their future games as flexible as this one. indie it does so well.

Where and how to play Another Crab's Treasure

You find Another Crab's Treasure on virtually all current gaming platforms, even Nintendo Switch! Keep in mind that the price varies between them.

On PC, the game is available on Steam in two versions: the normal one, for R$87,99, which until the 2nd of this month has a 10% discount (R$79,19), or the deluxe one, in which you get the game's digital soundtrack along with it, which will cost you R$114,48, or R$92,73 during the promotion.

If you opt for the Casa do Cogumelo hybrid console, the price of the game is the same as on Steam, directly at eShop. Already in Xbox, there are two options to play Another Crab's Treasure: or at Xbox Game Pass, or through purchase, where the price remains with that of the Switch and the PC: R$87,45. 

For a change, the one with the toughest label is the PlayStation! At PSN, the game costs almost twice as much as on other platforms, R$159,90. The life of “platineiros” on duty is not easy at all…

But anyway, is Another Crab's Treasure worth playing?

Boy, if you made it this far review And if you still ask that, let's make it very clear: Another Crab's Treasure is an unmissable game. It is one of the best releases of the year, a pleasant surprise that will undoubtedly please all types of players, regardless of skill level and gaming experience. soulslike.

Jokes aside, what we have here is an excellent example of how to make a type of game easier to play for those who have never even ventured into the genre and when we say that it is something that can be enjoyed even by those who don't like this niche, It's really the truth! Another Crab's Treasure It oozes personality and delivers an adventure that will keep you entertained for a long time.

2024 is proving to be a year of incredible releases and this one is no exception. Aggro Crab nailed it! Don't let the cuteness of this game fool you, what we have here is the cream of the crop. indies and a BIT of one soulslike of respect. So, are you going to let poor Kril fend for himself?!

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Text proofread by: Pedro Bomfim