Summary
Generally speaking,Another Crab’s Treasurereally nails the core fundamentals of Soulslike combat, from its rhythmic attack patterns, to its satisfying parry mechanic. ButAnother Crab’s Treasurealso has a fair few tricks of its own, with its shell-swapping mechanic being one of its most impressive.
Put front and center of the game’s pre-release marketing,shell-swapping is an integral feature ofAnother Crab’s Treasure, and by far one of its most unique qualities. Taking on the role of a hermit crab, players can equip a wide variety of shells, each coming with their own unique set of statistics, and a special ability. These abilities range from devastating attacks to incredibly useful support powers, and players are encouraged throughout to carefully choose the right shell ability for the job, and there are plenty to choose from.
Every Shell Ability in Another Crab’s Treasure Ranked
S-Tier
While the vast majority ofshell abilities inAnother Crab’s Treasureare useful, few are quite as all-round effective as Fortify and Probiotic. Both support-type abilities, Fortify gives the player’s shell invincibility for three strikes, and Probiotic slowly heals the player over time. With these powerful abilities also usually being paired with shells that have good stats, they easily become the most useful in the entire game.
Another Crab’s Treasurealso features a Gun shell, with its own “Shoot” ability that one-shots most enemies. This is obviously the most powerful shell ability in the game, but it doesn’t quite count as it’s only available via the game’s Assist Mode.
A-Tier
While they might not be quite as effective as those in the S-Tier, these A-Tier shell abilities are still incredibly useful in many scenarios. Party Time! allows the player to blast their enemies with confetti, dealing quite a bit of damage and interrupting most attacks, even during some boss fights. Another Chance is a simple but effective “Get out of jail free” card, and Cleanse makesAnother Crab’s Treasure’s poison “Gunk” mechanica bit less frustrating.
B-Tier
While these shell abilities are all still more than worth picking up, they do come with their own handful of drawbacks. Munch, for instance, allows the player to gain back a bit of health, but each bite drastically reduces the durability of the shell, making it a little ineffective during boss battles.Decoy is another solid shell ability, but it’s only properly effective when the player is being swarmed by large groups of enemies, which doesn’t happen all that often if they’re playing carefully.
C-Tier
The best word to describe these shell abilities is “fine.” All of the abilities listed here are still helpful, but they’re vastly overshadowed by everything ranked above them. These abilities will do in a pinch, but no player should be building their playstyle off one. For instance, Fizzle is a good way to keep enemies at bay in the early game, but as players get more confident, the ability has little purpose, only dealing minimal damage. The same can be said for abilities like Twinkle, Rollout, Freeze, and Shellshock. When it comes to Morning Buzz, the increase in attack speed is definitely helpful, it’s just not quite worththe Umami it needs to activate.
D-Tier
Unfortunately, these shell abilities aren’t overly useful, at least in most encounters. Pop Off doesn’t deal enough damage to justify its wind-up window. Shards deals a nice bit of damage but shatters the shell instantly, which can be detrimental. Drunken Claw is actively harmful to the player, drastically affecting movement controls and decreasing the effectiveness ofKril’s dodge roll. In the vast majority of combat encounters, these shell abilities should be actively avoided, never really being worth the precious Umami that they require.
Another Crab’s Treasure
WHERE TO PLAY
As Kril the hermit crab, you’ll need to wear the trash around you as shells to withstand attacks from enemies many times your size. Embark on an epic treasure hunt to buy back your repossessed shell, and discover the dark secrets behind the polluted ocean.TRASH OR TREASURE?In this undersea society, trash is not only a way of life, but a valuable resource, used for everything from fashion to firearms. But with the presence of trash comes a mysterious infection known as the Gunk, which could spell doom for the entire ocean.LEARN FROM NATUREAs Kril explores the ocean, he’ll gain a variety of Umami Techniques—powerful attacks learned from the denizens of the seas. Punch your enemies with the overwhelming might of a Mantis Shrimp, ensnare them with the horrifying Bobbit Worm, and much more.UNEXPLORED DEPTHSThe ocean goes deeper than one can imagine. Fight your way through kelp forests, coral reefs, sand castle cities, and even the unfathomable darkness of the deep-sea trenches, all in the name of getting back your prized shell.
