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24.04.2024 - 16:57 / blog.playstation.com
Developer FromSoftware minted a new genre when Demon’s Souls first released on PlayStation 3 back in 2009. The “Soulslike” genre was born, inspiring developers across the globe with its risk/reward mechanics, thoughtful melee combat, and connected world design.
Aggro Crab is one such developer. I recently went hands-on with their game Another’s Crab Treasure, which charts a different course through the genre. The PS5 game, out tomorrow, April 25, eschews grim, crumbling kingdoms in favor of colorful underwater lands. Instead of grim lore, it injects cheeky humor overflowing with references to Soulslike games and other properties. While at its core it still plays like a Soulslike, it introduces unique mechanics such as equippable shells with distinct properties.
On the surface, Aggro Crab’s Soulslike resembles a cheerful, simple adventure based on children’s cartoons. Beneath the surface lies controls and combat encounters familiar to fans of FromSoftware’s third-person action-RPGs.
The game begins with snail protagonist Krill being evicted from his shell, as a result of not paying taxes. Naked and vulnerable, he ventures deeper into the ocean to speak with the local matriarch to reclaim his home.
Aggro Crab’s tongue is firmly in cheek throughout the colorful adventure. For example, experience points are represented by environmentally devastating microplastics. Magic power manifests as mystical “Umami.” Trash litters the sandy sea floor, including fun and groan-worthy puns (see above used popsicle stick joke). One of my favorite details is a castle guard holding a straw and plastic soda cup lid like a greatsword. Aggro Crab’s sense of humor and colorful aesthetic serve as an entertaining antithesis to the familiar melancholy Soulslike tone.
Of course, the main hook of any Soulslike lies in the gameplay, and Aggro Crab remains faithful to the genre with some fun twists. Krill’s moveset includes light and heavy attacks mapped to R1 and R2, respectively. The Circle button is sprint, Square casts Umami magic, and L1 blocks with your makeshift shell. Locking onto enemies like aggressive crabs is key to studying their movements, blocking and dodging until the perfect opportunity to strike. Holding R1 unleashes a satisfying charge attack, oftentimes causing defeated foes to drift off with the ocean currents.
Krill’s shell is where Another Crab’s Treasure distinguishes itself from many Soulslikes. As the game’s name suggests, Krill is in the market for temporary homes while he reclaims his original shell. These come in the form of soda cans, bottle caps, banana peels, party hats, you name it. Each “shell” acts as a shield and offers unique stat boosts, like tradeoffs for attack, Umami, defense, etc.
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There are 69 different shells to collect in. When the game opens, the conflict starts, and one of the driving factors of the plot is that Kril has his Shell repossessed and longs to get it back. From then on, Kril must travel the ocean, equipping anything he can find until he can earn his original Shell back.
There are eight total adaptations in , an adorable «shoals-like» from developer Aggro Crab, and each one of them makes Kril stronger in a unique way. Some of these abilities come from defeating story bosses, so they're impossible to miss, but others are hidden behind secret interactions or optional bosses that inhabit the reefs. Finding them all is tricky, but will keep Kril fully equipped to get his home back.
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Developer Aggro Crab has revealed that Another Crab's Treasure became the studio's best launch yet after selling 100,000 copies in under four days. Another Crab's Treasure is only the studio's second game but has quickly earned a positive reputation after its successful launch.
Along with Kril's 69 different shells, also offers several different costumes to equip. While they don't necessarily benefit Kril in gameplay as the shells do, they give the player a way to customize their experience. Many are clever references to other popular icons that players may be familiar with.
Despite being a cute entry in the soulslike genre, Another Crab’s Treasure doesn’t hold back on the difficulty level whatsoever. In fact, it’s a punishing experience for newcomers and veterans alike. With that in mind, you’ll want to take advantage of every mechanic available to you to increase your chances of surviving the many dangers lurking beneath the sea. That’s why you’ll want to equip the best Stowaways, this game’s version of accessories, as they can offer meaningful stat boosts and more that can enhance your build more than you would think.
Soulslike games are known for being immense challenging, and Another Crab’s Treasure is no different despite its cutesy vibe. You’ll be certain to have quite a lot of challenges to overcome as you fight your way through this underwater world, and you’ll want to always be at your best as you do it. As such, you may find yourself wanting to reallocate your skill points at certain times, especially during the first half of the game when you have limited resources for getting new skills. Below, we’ll tell you how to respec in Another Crab’s Treasure.
is a souls-like game in which Kril embarks on a dangerous journey across the ocean and, even though difficulty can be adjusted, increasing your HP is a valuable feature that you'll want to take advantage of immediately. Don't be fooled by the adorable graphics, many challenging enemies await, and you'll need every edge to defeat them.
In addition to Kril's Fork in , he also has access to Magic Attacks that can be increased with Old World Whorls. When Kril initially obtains his Magic abilities, including his Shell abilities and Adaptations, he will have a set number of charges, and each use of an ability or adaptation will require the use of a specific number of charges.
This newly crowned crustacean is the second-story boss of , and beating her is no easy feat. Her fight opens up the rest of the map; until you beat her, you're confined to the starting area and its surrounding caves and crevices. You'll quickly run out of things to do here, so beating Magista is a surefire way to find new places and shells to put on.
Another Crab’s Treasure no doubt looks like a kid-friendly game, but hiding beneath its charming and cute exterior is a challenging soulslike experience that can test the mettle of genre veterans. Those who either can’t or don’t want to engage with such intense difficulty throughout this underwater adventure can make great use of a variety of assists. Among these is a rather shocking, but hilarious option that can completely negate nearly all of the game’s challenge while providing some laughs along the way. Here’s how to get a gun in Another Crab’s Treasure.