‘Another Crab’s Treasure’ Is A Whimsical Dystopia
by Frank Martin
It’s always a powerful storytelling tool to mash two unlikely concepts together. Whether it be comedy, horror, fantasy, or any other genre, the more different the concepts, the more interesting the pairing to tell a story. At first glance, the video game Another Crab’s Treasure can seem like a standard souls-like filled with action and adventure. But when peeling away the layers of its story, a very interesting dynamic emerges that contains elements from all over the storytelling spectrum.
The basic premise: a crab, Krill (Zuwie LeFou), loses his shell because he needs to pay taxes and goes on an incredible adventure to reclaim it. What makes the game so fascinating is its unique setting. It takes place in the ocean, which has become completely overrun with garbage — to the point that an entire underwater civilization of garbage has arisen. Microplastics are used as currency, and the underwater sea creatures use all of the garbage to construct buildings and cities. But the game also has a fairly light-hearted tone, treating its oversized garbage the same way characters in Toy Story would.
Even though it takes place underwater, it would still be easy to classify the game as dystopian. Garbage has become such a problem in the ocean that it is polluting the minds of various creatures, turning them into enemies. But the whimsical nature of the game’s characters and locations gives it a much lighter tone than other dystopian stories. The characters are completely ignorant of just how horrible the garbage is, to the point that they look forward to the days when more of it is dumped from the surface. The story is filled with levity and humor, creating a quirky, dark vibe that’s a refreshing new genre.
Another Crab’s Treasure is now on Xbox Game Pass.
