6 Things I Loved, and 1 Thing I Didn’t, About Another Crab’s Treasure on Nintendo Switch

As someone who'd carefully been watching the development of Another Crab's Treasure unfold over social media for years, the game was definitely one of my most highly anticipated titles of 2024. It finally got its big release on April 25 of this year, and it met all of my expectations in terms of silliness and fun, while also surprising me with its dark yet hopeful environmental message.

The game stars Kril, a hermit crab whose shell is repossessed by a "loan shark" and sets off on a quest to get it back. What he doesn't realize is that he's about to embark on an epic platforming journey, becoming a Soulslike-style hero in the process, and that the sea is becoming more and more treacherous with every passing day.

I'm a cozy gamer by nature and prefer to play my games nestled up under the covers, and thus requested a review code for the game on Nintendo Switch, which I was graciously provided. You may want to keep reading before you decide whether or not you want to do the same. Below are six things I loved about Another Crab's Treasure on Nintendo Switch—and one thing I didn't.

(Another Crab's Treasure via Aggro Crab)

The Good

A Surprisingly Complex Combat System

With its vibrant colors and sweet, cartoony characters, you might think that Another Crab's Treasure was a kiddy game at first glance, but that really couldn't be further from the truth. It may be simplified, but the combat truly is modeled after Dark Souls-style games, with a complex system of dodging, blocking and parrying and that can be built upon even further as the game progresses.

The hero, Kril can also wear dozens of different kinds of shells during his adventure, and these serve as so much more than simple armor. In addition to affecting your weight and defense, they also come with perks that can be utilized using your umami abilities powered by MSG (think mana). Whether you'd prefer a spin attack, slow healing or decoy abilities, it's up to you to decide whether you want to swap upon encountering a new shell—and to be extra careful once you acquire your desired shell, because they can be broken in combat. To add to the Soulslike feel, during battle, you also heal with Estus-like Heartkelp Pods.

The leveling system will also feel familiar to anyone who's played a FromSoft title, except this time, instead of collecting souls, runes or blood echos, you're collecting microplastics (in line with the game's anti-pollution message). These can be traded in to level up Kril's stats however you see fit, with the boosts feeling a lot more streamlined than you might see in other titles. Like in one of those games, every time Kril dies, your microplastics wait for you where you were slain—and they're lost forever if you die before you're able to return.

By defeating tougher enemies or finding them in the wild, you can also collect Purple Crystals, which can be used to open up the skill tree or enhance abilities collected from bosses, so that you can play your way. There are even stowaways you can wear to grant further enhancements. Overall, the game is generally linear, but there is some variability to it based on your build and the powers you prioritize first.

(Another Crab's Treasure via Aggro Crab)

 

Incredible Boss Fights

Another Crab's Treasure gets its enemy designs right. Even in areas where you're mostly fighting other types of crabs, there's a lot of diversity in both the appearance of enemies and how they fight back and make your adventure trickier, all suited to the game's colorful underwater environment.

Of course, the game's most unforgettable enemies are its bosses. From jellyfish and mantis shrimps to electric eels, not only are they huge, with unique designs, but upon first appearance, they'll usually destroy the player, seeming almost unsurmountable. Of course, that's what makes this style of game so fun. It's all about learning patterns, exploiting weaknesses and finding the right time to strike, and when you finally do get into the groove and take them down, it's all the more satisfying. Unlike the Souls games, however, these bosses usually eschew the annoying and difficult runbacks, allowing you to recollect your microplastics and try again in an instant or even back off if you need to better prepare yourself elsewhere.

(Another Crab's Treasure via Aggro Crab)

 

It Looks Great

I played Another Crab's Treasure on Nintendo Switch, which is by far a less powerful system than the others the game is available on, so my experience with the game was unique. I thought it looked great, with the cartoony styles perfectly suiting the tone of the game while setting my expectations for what it should look like.

Only when I saw screenshots of the game on the other consoles did I realize how much better it was supposed to look. Still, even now, I don't think that higher graphical fidelity is at all essential to the experience of the game. The enemy designs were fun and unusual, with well-telegraphed attacks and behavior, and the environments were surprisingly varied and stunning while all sticking to the polluted sea theme. At no point did I think the visuals seemed ugly or misplaced. However, if you're a stickler for that kind of thing and need the prettiest version of the game, the Switch port probably isn't for you.

(Another Crab's Treasure via Aggro Crab)

 

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An Actually Compelling Story

When it comes to video game stories—especially ones with cartoony aesthetics like Another Crab's Treasure—I usually don't expect much more than your typical "save the day" hero tropes, so this game truly took me by surprise. Kril's quest to get his shell back is anything but straightforward, with every step seemingly getting him farther from his goal as he becomes aware of what's going on in the world and his helplessness to stop pollution, corruption and people being taken advantage of. Instead of neatly wrapping things up, its ending left me feeling a little lost and overwhelmed, yet hopeful, and that's something that games—even ones much more involved, adult and gritty—rarely make me do. I don't want to say too much, but it's something I definitely recommend you experience for yourself.

(Another Crab's Treasure via Aggro Crab)

 

The Perfect Blend of Soulslike Gameplay and a Classic Platforming Adventure

While I've mostly compared this game to a Soulslike, it's not a pure Dark Souls clone, but more a game that blends some of its combat and leveling systems to classic platformers—reminding me in particular of an all-time favorite, Banjo-Kazooie. Maybe it's the lively characters and the funny sounds they make when they talk, but when I'm climbing, jumping and running around in this game with all kinds of unique abilities, it brings me back to the feel-good platforming moments of the '90s.

There are even some collectathon aspects, and I regularly found myself going out of my way to explore every nook and cranny in a level or get to a hard-to-reach area in order to score more microplastics, stowaways or any of the other items used to enhance the life bar and MSG meter. It's a lot of colorful fun, making this game very much its own thing.

(Another Crab's Treasure via Aggro Crab)

 

The Accessibility Is Unmatched

Even if you're a pretty seasoned player, Another Crab's Treasure is liable to kick your butt frequently. It's designed to be a challenge, but it doesn't have to be, thanks to tons of accessibility options in the game's Assist Mode.

Just by going into the menu, you can toggle on and off different ways to make the game work better for you. Maybe you want to increase Kril's shell durability or the damage he takes, lower the enemy's health or get more invincibility when dodging or have a bigger window to parry successfully.

Maybe you don't want the stress of having to go back and collect your microplastics when you die, to slow down the game speed or even make it so that when you fall in a pit, Kril doesn't receive any damage.

I played the entire game with pitfall damage off, and I know that it made my experience much less aggravating, especially given that sometimes the movement can be a little janky, and much of the time, it didn't feel like falling was my fault in the first place. I also shamelessly toyed with the durability and reduced damage options at many points when bosses were giving me trouble and I was more than ready to move on in the game.

The funniest option, however, has to be that you can give Kril a gun as his shell. Not only does it look hilarious, but it allows players to take down even the toughest enemies in no time at all. I love it when an accessibility option is also an iconic feature.

 

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The Bad

The Performance on Nintendo Switch Is… Not Fantastic

I won't sugarcoat it—the Nintendo Switch isn't the ideal platform to play Another Crab's Treasure, particularly when it comes to performance. On certain screens—particularly ones connecting larger areas—the frame rate would regularly dip to the point that it felt like watching a slide show rather than playing a game.

Fortunately, this is rarely an issue in terms of combat, because these screens typically don't accompany enemy areas. However, there's a late-game area in which my Switch chugged pretty much the whole time, which was not ideal as I ran away from tank-like, laser-shooting baddies.

It's also an indie title that sometimes had weird geometry. There were moments when I'd clip through walls or the floor and either get stuck within the environment or endlessly fall into nothingness. Also, an occasional pitfall wouldn't bring me back to solid ground, but drop me back where I was, falling into the abyss again and again. It's definitely not ideal, but at least there's a workaround not to lose too much progress—you can temporarily turn on the option to not lose your microplastics upon death, then push the "Die Instantly" option in the menu to be transported back to safety without losing too much.

Was this a dealbreaker for me? Absolutely not. Despite these hitches, I just had to see the game all the way through, and after spending about 20 hours on my first playthrough, I'd be happy to play it on the Switch again for the convenience of its portability If you're like me and willing to put up with a bit of glitchiness, I'd still recommend the game on the system. Otherwise, it's very much worth playing, but you'll definitely have better luck playing it on a different console or PC.

 

Another Crab's Treasure is rated T and available on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S for $29.99.

 

For more on the games we loved this year, click HERE to read our review of Pepper Grinder.