While soulslike games have provided numerous templates for both budding and prominent developers to build upon, actually standing out and establishing a name for yourself in this crowded genre demands innovation and deviation. Of course, such a notion is far easier to preach than to execute, but it’s an undeniable truth. You can approach this general recommendation in various ways, offering authentic visionaries the internal playground they need to blend their personality with established external successes.
Another Crab’s Treasure, developed and published by Aggro Crab, is a title that, even at first glance, impressively radiates distinctiveness. Its endearing sense of humor and vibrant presentation captured the attention of many during its initial announcement. However, the question of practical gameplay implementation is equally vital. Therefore, I played the new Steam Next Fest demo to gain insight into what the full game would be like.
The demo of Another Crab’s Treasure comprises two levels, with the first serving as a tutorial and the second providing a more comprehensive representation of how the complete game will function. The title introduces a few unique elements, such as the shells of the protagonist, Kril. On a quest to regain his original shell, he can use pieces of the environment as makeshift temporary shells for defensive purposes. Of course, these objects can all break if struck enough, with each type having different amounts of health.
Improvisation and adaptation are at the heart of this experience, as players will need to ensure that when they use a shell for defense, they are prepared to either fully engage in evasive maneuvers or find a nearby replacement should it break. The tutorial does a fairly decent job of introducing that design choice alongside Kirl’s movement. There’s a lot going on with a physical combo, dodge, and block, as well as spells that depend on one’s equipped shell, special attacks called Adaptations, and accessories called Stowaways.
However, while it may seem overwhelming at first, the naming conventions, at least personally, are what initially made the gameplay loop difficult to grasp. After a dozen or so minutes, you’ll figure out what to do. From what I played, Another Crab’s Treasure has the potential to be quite challenging, particularly in crowded situations. On the other hand, one-on-one encounters are fairly forgiving. Fortunately, the enemy lock-on can rapidly switch targets without any issue, so you’ll just need to be aware of your surroundings.
The telegraphs of foes are all reasonable, with nothing standing out as unfair or the like, though the exploration can become taxing due to the lack of a map. This exclusion may have been purposeful to make players learn about the environmental layouts more organically. Unfortunately, the second stage of the demo doesn’t have many identifiable landmarks, so it became tiresome to progress. I hope some form of map is incorporated since the compass alone doesn’t provide much assistance, or the stages could make your location clearer if a map is definitively not included at all.
Another issue, or rather, set of issues, that I encountered pertains to the performance. It’s worth noting that Aggro Crab released this demo earlier than originally planned, meaning that bugs and performance issues are entirely expected. Nevertheless, they deserve mention. The framerate was frustratingly inconsistent, hindering certain enemy encounters, and the load times for respawning after a fall or death were surprisingly long. I’m sure they’re aware of these issues and will address them before the full release.
Another Crab’s Treasure is a soulslike game with a lot of heart. Its combat is fluid and enjoyable, and its setting, while occasionally confusing to navigate, sets it apart from others in the genre. Additionally, the developer intends this experience to be accessible to those who don’t typically enjoy soulslike games, with an option to skip combat encounters planned for the full game. As for the demo itself, you can toggle an extra parry window if you desire it. Such efforts are rarely added to this genre, as the usual intention is for players to experience the game at the provided difficulty level, so it’s interesting to see this team challenge that philosophy.
Should the framerate and progression systems be improved, this is fresh soulslike I’m willing to dive into. Another Crab’s Treasure will launch for PC and Nintendo Switch in 2024.
