Synopsis:
Welcome to Fight Crab a new 3D action game where you take control of a crab, and fight off other giant enemy crabs. Physics allows for crabs to move powerfully and quickly in this hardcore battle arena. Freely control your pincers to use weapons and develop your own crab fighting style.

Publisher: PLAYISM  
Reviewed on: PC
Also available for: Nintendo Switch (September)

Developer: Calappa Games
Game Development: Masafumi Onuki
Music Composer: DEKU

Anime crossed with crab-fiction meet in this crustacean street-fight in which ocean life smash crust-on-curst for territory rights. It starts simple as you battle it out over sands in the games first level but soon things turn Kaiju-brawler as you begin fighting not only bigger crabs and other ocean life forms, but also in the streets, cities and inside store spaces.

Plain and simple: this is a game about crab fighting. There is no way to sell it as something more artistic or noble than that. And why bother? Developer Calappa Games know exactly what their game is and who they’re targeting: crabs. Alternatively, gamers seeking something a bit silly.  You duke it out and the first crab to keep the other on its back wins. 

There’s no health bar involved, instead, a damage bar that builds and much like Smash Bros that makes flipping your opponent — or them flipping you — easier. Pinch em, slap em, flip em. Simple. 

Each level plays out over serval stages with there being one, or multiple foes to defeat. Fighting is pretty simple as the crab moves automatically in a direction and you simply tap a button to have it change which direction that its side-stepping in. This leaves all your concentration in moving them claws. Which, if you’re playing on a controller as the game suggests, are moved with each analogue stick. You can then whack away for days, attempt to block, parry and even pick up weapons. 

I’m very blasé about the combat because although it tries to sound like you can master it, there are simply too many random factors involved to ever get good at it. The game asks you to block and parry, but it’s the worst tactic. Spamming buttons led to more victories. The controls lead the game to feel like QWOP but crabs. The only thing I managed to do with consistency was to press the trigger buttons to grab stuff with my pincers.

The hectic and random nature is obviously a part of the charm of the game but only to a certain point. It just wore on me fast. I can see playing the game with a friend in PVP being more enjoyable as you yell and laugh together at the absurd crab fighting game that features a K-Rock song in its title screen. Playing solo — through the campaign of the game, not so much.