One of the major things I love about Dark Souls, and From Software's work in general, is how the tough exterior and dark world holds something powerful at its centre. There's a brilliant light at the bottom of it all, one that will blind you if you stare into it too long, yet it lures you in and won't ever let go. For a decade now, Dark Souls has been the game I play when I'm feeling down. The days are getting dark and cold, I'm starting to see my friends a little less. Yet, its story about nihilism, perseverance, and the past just feels so cosy. Silver Mt Zion's 'He Has Left Us Alone but Shafts of Light Sometimes Grace the Corner of Our Rooms' has been a yearly listen for the exact same reason. The pain of its brooding atmosphere can feel rewarding when you get through it.
If Dark Souls is catharsis, Another Crab's Treasure is carcinogenic. The bright sickly sweet exterior hides something rotten at its core and, for this reason, it's almost as enchanting.
Self-described as a crab soulslike, this video will involve a lot of namedrops to Miyazaki's works. I don't think the comparison always helps when trying to analyse art or make recommendations on how to spend your Friday night, but I think it's justified here and I think you will see why.
Kril, our tiny little main character lived a peaceful life before the literal loan shark came to collect taxes. He knows nothing about taxes, the economy, or life outside of his shell. When the shark forcefully takes his home as payment, he is thrust into a world he is unfamiliar with, battling husks of angry soulless enemies and smooth-talking queens to get it back. Seemingly stuck in the unenviable place of attempting to ground concepts of money, privilege and power with the cute bright aesthetic of a Kid's game, Another Crabs Treasure is a story about ecological disaster, mistreatment of the ocean, class consciousness, and just some crab. We’ll get a little bit more into all of that later.
First, we’ll start with where it differs from a more traditional soulslike. Before difficulty, before atmosphere, perhaps one of the most important parts of a soulslike is stamina management. In fact, it is often more important to keep an eye on your stamina than your own HP. Another Crab’s Treasure does away with this, and this leaves it open to being cheesed in certain ways. However, it is not an easy game because it allows you to do this. In fact, it can be harder as a result. You learn very early on that constantly dodging and using dash attacks can get you out of most situations, until you are hit in the skull with the realisation you can’t. Suddenly, you have to play by the game’s rules and it will beat them into you. Though there are character levels in the game that you can increase through resources gained from killing enemies, I felt softcapped almost immediately, doing up mere points of health or percentages of damage each time. This lets down some of the fun of making a build and committing to a play style.
Another place where the playstyle feels a bit limited is in weaponry. Kril picks up a fork very early on and this is his weapon. You don't wield new weapons throughout the game so if you don't like the move set, you are forced to get used to it. Luckily, combat is mostly pretty satisfying, with moves feeling weighty, and enemies feeling distinct. These distinct enemies play into the game's most unique mechanic. Where Lords of the Fallen has its Umbral mechanic and The Surge has dismemberment, Another Crab's Treasure has shells. Kril is in search of the shell he has lost and, in trying to find it, he wears whatever is around and harnesses its ability. Some are slow-moving, with tonnes of shields, others are a glass cannon. The fat roll mechanic is determined by the gear you grab while you walk and this can allow for some real depth.
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Code provided by publisher for critique purposes
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