Soulslikes are a genre that is hotly contested by some of the greatest games ever made. Dark Souls and Elden Ring are household names at this point, so when a cute little crab came along and blew everyone away with his charm, wit, and power, it was a complete smash hit and a new take on the formula.

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Another Crab’s Treasure Review

Balancing brutality and comfort is tough for any game, let alone a Soulslike, but Another Crab’s Treasure proves capable of supporting both.

With a few updates under their wing, Aggro Crab looks poised to move towards developing either a sequel, a spin-off, DLC, or an entirely new IP. If they choose to move forward with a sequel, fans of Another Crab’s Treasure will be eagerly expecting many of the core mechanics to make a return, as well as some extra additions to improve on the already stellar first attempt.

10

Co-op

A Helping Claw

Soulslike co-op has always been a fun twist on the hardcore solo play. If a boss is proving too much of a challenge, call upon a friend and have them soak up the damage or swoop in for the final blow. ACT has the potential for some hilarious co-op gameplay, tossing shells between players or rolling through the sandy depths like a racing game.

The integration could be simplistic, like Dark Souls, where players are summoned at critical points to help push through a tricky fight, or it could be more seamless and allow players to traverse the entire ocean floor in a group of friends. Both would work great and both would elevate the aquatic fun to new heights.

9

Customization

Pimp My Crustacean

The introduction of shell-based combat was a unique take on armor types, parrying, and character skills. There is a lot of depth in skill expression and personal taste, but for the next title, being able to physically color the objects to specific tastes or perhaps borrowing a mechanic from Lies Of P where players can break apart weapons and benefit from the strengths of a handle and a head at once, could potentially work like combining a rubber ball and a light bulb for speedy, electric fun.

It doesn’t need to stop there either. Though Krill is adorable and a lovable protagonist, it may benefit the game to have a few options in terms of altering the appearance of the player character, whether with simple color changes or entirely different models, if the player would prefer to be an adventuring horseshoe crab or a more extravagant blue lobster.

8

New Game+ At Launch

Play Again And Again

If one adventure wasn’t enough, how about a harder, more punishing second, third, or fourth playthrough? Aggro Crab has since updated ACT with a new game + mode that amps up the difficulty with subsequent playthroughs and this is a feature that should be an aspect staple to any new Soulslike at launch.

It’s nice having an extra incentive to go back and replay the story and explore areas that maybe players missed the first time, so having a dedicated new game + option from the get-go, will add some much-needed replay value that players will be used to from previous Soulslikes.

7

PvP

Crab On Crab Action

A Soulslike wouldn’t be complete without some action-packed PvP action and with the addition of a Co-op option, it seems like a no-brainer that players should not only be able to assist each other but juke it out in a coral-filled battlefield.

An invasion option could also prove rewarding, as enemy players could sail down from above and prepare to take down the home world owner, being rewarded for their triumph and potentially punished for failing to do so. Risk and reward for players looking for a rush outside the traditional boss combat.

6

Weapon Variety

More Than Just A Fork

Having a wide arsenal of bows, staffs, and greatswords to choose from is always great, as it gives players the choice on how to approach combat and there’s always something for everyone. While games like ACT and Sekiro take a different rogue and focus on gameplay over weapon variety, it would be nice to have a few more options to take on the undersea enforcers.

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Another Crab’s Treasure’s Gun is About Making Accessibility Fun

Another Crab’s Treasure developers talk with Game Rant about making accessibility more than just a button to skip a boss fight.

ACT does have the amusing addition of the gun, which serves as an incredibly overpowered weapon choice and helpful accessibility feature, being able to equip a wider range of silverware could make replaying the game more enjoyable and the potential to find new armaments could be an exciting incentive for exploration.

5

More Locations

Land Crabs Galore

Who says crabs can’t go on land? No-one! Though the primary setting is an underwater world of pollution and decay, Aggro Crab could certainly take the game upwards, exploring rocky coves and adding a whole new set of threats like birds or even humans.

ACT sticks to its guns and keeps the journey going deeper and deeper into the depths, with dark caves and underwater cities, but it could certainly benefit from even more variety, adding a few more above-water levels or some Finding Nemo-style rescue missions like a kidnapped fish in a tank.

4

Character Questlines

Every Detail Counts

It’s no secret that Fromsoftware has always led the way with obscure quests and conditions, making players scour the Wikis for answers and read through entire novels of lore to uncover the next quest step. There is no shortage of NPCS in ACT, with a few smaller quests and hidden bosses that are accessible to players with a keen eye for exploration.

A sequel could extend the level of immersion and love for the character cast, by giving more specific quests to each and adding rewards for following paths and helping out around the towns and cities.

3

Environmental Interactions

Blow It All To The Ground

Hidden walls be damned, entire structures can come tumbling to the ground, letting players access new heights and loot that requires a bit of a heavy hand to get to. There are some instances of destructible terrain and objects already, but giving even more depth to certain buildings and areas could make them feel more alive and impactful.

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Another Crab’s Treasure: 7 Things That Make It A Brutal Soulslike

Though Another Crab’s Treasure is indeed a Soulslike, it does a lot to stand out – still, it takes inspiration from FromSoftware’s formula.

The undersea world is already filled with junk, trash, and everything in between, so why not have giant objects that can be erased or destructive that can change the boss arena in a matter of seconds?

2

Frequent DLC

Even More Crabs And Even More Treasure

When the end credits roll, one of the biggest feelings is that of wanting more. Aggro Crab crafted a unique quest across the sands with little to no complaints and has players begging for more content.

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Being an indie studio does come with its issues when it comes to release times, so waiting for high-quality content is to be expected. Content updates can add so much to a game’s longevity and even adding workshop tools can hand some of the responsibility off to the community rather than needing to craft time-consuming yet incredibly in-house DLC expansions.

1

Open-world

The Elden Ring Treatment

Take after FromSoftware and go all out, expanding the world to a full open-world experience, filled with dungeons, enemy camps, and plenty of flavourful NPC questlines scattered throughout the journey.

This style of gameplay is far less linear, departing from the established ACT formula and allowing players to roam vast seabeds and entire forests of kelp and coral. The fast combat and movement tech would certainly suit a larger world and there is no doubt that Aggro Crab would be able to pull it off.

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Released

April 25, 2024

ESRB

T For Teen Due To Blood, Crude Humor, Language, Use of Tobacco, Violence

Developer(s)

Aggro Crab

OpenCritic Rating

Strong