You know if you’re a fan of “Soulslike” games or not. For the uninitiated, that’s a subgenre for action role-playing games that’s known for painfully high levels of difficulty. (It’s origin stems from the Demon Souls and Dark Souls series.)
Believe it or not, the cartoon-cute Another Crab’s Treasure is a Soulslike game in its little crabby heart. But it’s a Soulslike with a twist.
The game tells the story of Kril, a tiny hermit crab more than happy to live his tiny life on a sun-washed and wave-splashed rock. But then a government shark swoops in, demanding back taxes that Kril had no idea he owed. Before he can protest, the gilled government guy swims off with Kril’s cracked shell.
So, Kril has no other option but to jump into the salty depths and try and get what little he had back. In the course of his journey, he meets the denizens of the ocean, and they open his eyes to just how tough the plights of this tide-tumbled world are.
The ocean economy is based on trash that drifts down and clogs up the seabed. And Kril will have to scrape up quite a load of microplastics and other junky wealth if he hopes to regain his true treasure—his shell home—once again.
But Kril also has to deal with the fact that all that dropped gunk is poisoning that underwater, driving its inhabitants to wanton death-dealing and destruction.
To protect Kril, gamers arm him with a tarnished fork; find the best protective shell for any given situation (in the form of an old soda can, a moldy banana peel, a discarded shot glass and the like). So armed and armored, gamers plumb the depths and platform their way through multileveled coral reefs and rocky formations; take on quests from fishy citizens and powerful royals; and face off against all the angry crabs, lobsters, seahorses and, well, anything that can swim Kril’s way.
While on that path, it’s all about upgrading Kril from a hapless bit of moving chum to a barnacled battler to be feared. And, of course, helping the crab reclaim his little cracked shell.
This is a single player game that doesn’t require an internet connection. There is no multiplayer option.
While many Soulslike games are centered on dark and dour fantasy tales, Another Crab’s Treasure keeps things much lighter with lots of ocean-depths humor and tongue-in-cheek winks. And Kril stays positive (for the most part) as he trudges forward through a generally colorful and appealing world.
Don’t be fooled though. This game may look cute and sweet, but it’s difficult!
But the game, as Soulslike as it is, hides a small twist that can make the going a little easier. In the settings section, gamers can dial back the difficulty a bit by boosting Kril’s chosen shell durability, reducing the damage he takes, lowering enemy health, and the like. Gamers even have the option to give Kril a gun. (Of course, that carries its own issues since it turns this T-rated game from a crab-with-a-fork-battler to a shooter.)
Another Crab’s Treasure definitely promotes the idea that we humans should recognize the potential harm of dumping our trash in the oceans. “One thing no creature can afford is complacency,” the story narration tells us.
Again, parents looking at the game’s adorable artwork need to keep in mind that its not an easy game to play. After the first few battles, the difficulty ratches up steeply. While Kril can don 60-plus pieces of trash for a bit of bash protection, players must learn various blocking, dodging and parrying maneuvers if they have any hope of proceeding.
Those battles aren’t bloody, but characters can cry out in pain. Kril can fall, screaming, off high ledges. Some poisoned characters vomit up black gunk in the midst of battle. One chosen shell gets Kril drunk, reducing his reaction time but boosting his attack. The trash scattered across the ocean floor is littered with cigarette butts and liquor bottles.
The in-game language can be off putting, too. (Some of it is spoken aloud, other times printed out.) It can range from deep-sea winks of “holy crab,” “Codspeed” and “Well, boil me slowly,” to uses of the s-word, “d–n,” and “codd–mit!” One angry cry appears to be a stand-in for the f-word, too.
There’s lying and deception in the story mix.
Another Crab’s Treasure has a cheery look, salt-water humor and gameplay that will appeal to some. But it’s not exactly smooth sailing.
After spending more than two decades touring, directing, writing and producing for Christian theater and radio (most recently for Adventures in Odyssey, which he still contributes to), Bob joined the Plugged In staff to help us focus more heavily on video games. He is also one of our primary movie reviewers.
