Xbox Game Pass Just Quietly Added the Funniest Soulslike Ever Made
A Crabtivating experience.
If you’ve ever thought “All these Soulslikes are so dark and depressing,” boy do I have the game for you. Another Crab’s Treasure is the SpongeBob of Dark Souls games, giving you a delightfully charming world to explore, even while you curse the heavens after fighting the jousting lobster for the fifteenth time. It’s a rock-solid Soulslike experience that packs in everything fans love about the genre, but with a colorful candy-coated veneer, and its inclusion on Xbox Game Pass means you don’t need to look any further to find something to play.
Another Crab’s Treasure exists at a strange middle point, satirizing Soulslikes as a whole, while still being a competent entry in the genre itself. But by treading this line, it manages to break new ground, as the freshest take we’ve seen on the Soulslike since the genre was invented by Dark Souls.
Another Crab’s Treasure dives headfirst into environmental themes, but has a meaningful message to impart.
You play as Kril, an innocent little hermit crab who has his shell stolen and is forced to set out on a journey to get it back. Kril himself is the beating heart of Another Crab’s Treasure, an inherently likable little dude astounded by the sheer capitalistic greed of the underwater empire he’s forced to crawl through.
In the world of Another Crab’s Treasure, everything is made of trash — housing, currency, furniture, you name it. But it’s also gunking up the entire ecosystem, and turning peaceful ocean creatures into ravenous monsters. Ignoring the bloodthirsty creatures, there’s a wide array of oceanic paradises to explore, from a dense kelp forest to a sprawling metropolis built out of cardboard and empty bottles.
The bustling city of New Carcinia is your central hub in Another Crab’s Treasure.
It’s a bit surprising how much Another Crab’s Treasure focuses on story, and there’s some really compelling storytelling to unpack in the roughly 30-hour experience. Kril builds bonds, learns the importance of life, and believe it or not, kind of turns into Ragnarok’s Kratos by the end of the game. You’ll have to play the game to see how that happens, but all the narrative themes work in service to that tried-and-true Soulslike formula, something Another Crab’s Treasure nails.
Combat is methodical and extremely focused on timing, making sure you land attacks in between the enemy’s attack patterns, and dodge or parry blows in the process. But the real highlights of Another Crab’s Treasure lie in its exploration and boss battles. The game encourages you to venture off the beaten path and packs its world with dozens of secrets to make sure you feel rewarded. Exploring might let you meet bizarre new characters, like a hapless shrimp who somehow got himself stuck in a glass bong, while also rewarding resources, weapon upgrades, new shells for Kril to wear, and more. Oftentimes getting these upgrades and bonuses can be crucial, as you’ll need them to take on the game’s challenging bosses.
Bosses are a thrill ride, with unique mechanics that make you think on your feet.
Boss battles are arguably the one thing any Soulslike game needs to nail, and Another Crab’s Treasure does it with style. Lengthy exploration sequences and story are both highlighted by climactic boss battles that truly put your skills to the test, making sure you’ve mastered Kril’s abilities.
The epic foes match the quirky personality of the story, but also have incredibly unique moves and attacks, often requiring specific strategies. For example, one giant lobster uses chopsticks like swords and ends up feeling like a Sekiro-esque dual of parries, while another boss is a queen “Gunked” by pollution, who throws up poison puddles that can sap your health. Overcoming these fearsome foes provides an immense sense of accomplishment, but also ties into Kril’s advancement as a character.
Another Crab’s Treasure feels like the perfect bite-sized Soulslike experience. It won’t take you 100 hours to beat like Elden Ring would, but manages to pack an absurd amount of variety into its colorful world. Its kaleidoscope world and cheeky sense of humor are a welcome reprieve from the usual apocalyptic setting, and no other Soulslike out there will have you laughing at every turn.
