If you're on gaming Twitter, you've probably heard of Another Crab's Treasure. This indie game immediately gained a lot of attention after a May 2022 Indie Showcase because of its hilarious Soulslike-starring-a-crab premise. Aptly named developer Aggro Crab quickly capitalized on that and now has one of the most consistently funny gaming Twitter accounts out there as it promotes Another Crab's Treasure. Still, when developers are that loud and boastful about a game on social media, it needs to live up to the expectations that have been set. All the jokes mean nothing and will feel like a distraction if the game isn't good. Thankfully, Another Crab's Treasure lived up to my expectations when I played it at Summer Game Fest Play Days.
During my half-hour demo, I was able to platform and fight through a preview build-exclusive level and fight two bosses. During that time, it lived up to the Soulslike moniker with tough, fast-paced fights, which are only emboldened by Another Crab's Treasure's unique shell mechanic and moveset that feels like it could work in a more traditional 3D platformer. On top of that, it features a colorful and cute aesthetic that makes it feel like the more masochistic cousin of this year's SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake.
Se(a)kiro
As soon as I hopped into this preview build of the game at Summer Game Fest Play Days, I was able to get a feel for Another Crab's Treasure's controls. It actually feels a bit like a traditional 3D platformer like The Cosmic Shake, which is similarly set underwater, as players can jump, climb, run, roll, and swim-glide around. The level was designed like with platforming challenges in mind too, so fans of 3D platformers may want to check this out. As soon as you get into a fight, you'll be quickly reminded that Another Crab's Treasure is inspired by FromSoftware's games, namely Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.
Controls are similar to FromSoftware's game, and the pace of fights is fast, like Sekiro or Bloodborne. The game really encourages blocking and parrying, like Sekiro, which plays into the game's unique shell feature. Scattered around the levels and arenas of Another Crab's Treasure, I found lots of trash that I could equip and use as a shell. This not only allows me to take more hits while blocking, but comes with unique special abilities. A soda can let me shoot bubbles at my enemies, while I could eat a piece of sushi I used as a shell to restore health.
