How Another Crab’s Treasure Got Me Into Soulslikes

My biggest gaming sin, as someone who has been infatuated with the craft since the 90s, is that I had never given the Soulslike genre more than a fleeting glance. To be fair, I tried playing them: I made it to the Capra Demon in Dark Souls, got past the first staircase in the original Demon’s Souls before fighting Phalanx, and threw away any regard for the franchise after being repeatedly stomped by the Abyss Watchers in Dark Souls 3. Then, a silly little game about a crab came around and reignited my passion for the genre, putting me on a horrifying quest for completion.

They Always Said I Was a Little Crabby

From the first time I saw Another Crab’s Treasure, I was immediately drawn in. The colorful art style, and the humor that it brought to the table, looked like the whole package. I immediately downloaded it as soon as it was on Game Pass and realized that it was exactly what I hoped it would be. I knew it was going to be a Soulslike — or is Shoalslike the better term here? — but I was eager and ready to try the formula out once again.

Something clicked inside of my mind after the first combat encounter, and I was locked in and ready to complete this one. It took a while for me to make it happen, but I finally reached the ending — where I was once stomped into the ground over and over again by a powerful two-phase final boss. But I finally did it — I beat my first Soulslike. Without even batting an eye, I knew what I had to do. I had to ride this high of strategic combat and make my way into the world of Demon’s Souls.

I took a moment to watch the finale unfold before my eyes, I put down my trusty Xbox controller and booted up my PlayStation 5 with a copy of the Demon’s Souls: Remake primed and ready to go. It was time for me to start up the most horrifying idea I’ve ever had — beat almost every FromSoftware Souls game before the release of Shadow of the Erdtree.

Demon’s Souls Kicked My Butt as a Kid, and Still Did Today

I started my Demon’s Souls: Remake adventure as a Knight, unaware of the journey that waited for me. When I had my PS3 copy of Demon’s Souls, I could never make it past the opening level. I was too impatient, always giving my enemies the upper hand in combat. I never saw anything beyond that opening level back in 2009, and I was ready to change that now.

Thanks to the practice that I got while playing Another Crab’s Treasure, a game that kicked me to the curb and spit in my face as a teenager had suddenly become a much more enjoyable experience. I had let my previous memories of Demon’s Souls being this impossible mountain to climb hold me back from enjoying it to it’s full potential, something I planned to reverse as quickly as possible.

Within the span of four days, I had become much better at the mechanics presented to me. I was toppling demons left and right, I had conquered realm after realm in my pursuit of achieving the seemingly impossible. And then it happened.

I had finally done it — Demon’s Souls was wrapped up and in the books. While I may not have explored every nook and cranny that the game had to offer, I could finally say that I had done it. I had climbed the mountain, planted my flag at the highest peak, and achieved what I never thought I would. I felt on top of the world and started up my next adventure — Dark Souls: Remastered.

You Gotta Pay the Shoal Toll To Get Into the Souls Hole

After getting accustomed to the new world and getting accustomed to no longer being a one to two-shot tank, my Dark Souls adventure began once again. This time, instead of trusting the power of the +5 Sharp Uchigatana to obliterate everything, I wanted to see if my skills were up to the task. I’m going for a Strength Build this time around, pouring every available Soul Level into my Knight’s Strength while searching for the perfect weapon to suit me. Currently, my +10 Greataxe is doing me well, but I know its scaling isn’t the best for my build.

See, I’m learning. Another bucket-list game is inching ever-so-closer to its finale, and I’m enjoying nearly every minute of what’s on show here. Sure, Dark Souls: Remastered may be a little rough around the edges, but I’m loving every moment that I’ve spent within this unique world — something I would have never done before embarking with Kril on his quest.

Right now, I’m currently in Anor Londo. I’ve braved countless fights and spent time grinding to become the ultimate warrior, only to be stalled by a string bean and a very, very big boy. But, I can’t give up now — I still have Dark Souls 2, Dark Souls 3, and Elden Ring to get through before Shadow of the Erdtree launches in just over a month.

If it weren’t for Aggro Crab and their launch of Another Crab’s Treasure, I likely would have never embarked on this personal journey on my own accord. I just wish I could give my Dark Souls character a gun.

Another Crab’s Treasure is available now on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and PC. It’s also available on Xbox Game Pass.