Crab Champions

If you are someone who enjoys games that put you in the role of an animal, then Noisestorm Limited’s new release, Crab Champions, should perk your interest. This intriguing gam is all about taking on the role of a heroic crab and fighting your way across exotic landscapes. This third person shooter contains some classic roguelike elements that can boost the replayability, but the charm of the game is in its cast.

Yes, you play as a crab that can use a gun – that is as insane as it sounds. Currently in Early Access, the title pits you up against other enemies as you collect loot, take them out, and try to build as powerful a build as you can. Does this work? Or does the gimmick of being an armed crab run out?

An interesting idea that needs some polish

The first thing to note about Crab Champions is that you are literally roaming around as a crab. If you have played other multiplayer shooters like Fortnite, you will probably feel at home here pretty fast. The game involves spending plenty of time running around with an interesting range of weapons, destroying other crabs and other assorted foes on the beaches of this universe.

The visuals are striking, though they do have a hint of a mobile game about them from time to time. Runs last for anything from 20 to 40 minutes, and you will need to survive for as long as you possibly can against increasingly tough swarms of enemies. The combat is smooth and enjoyable, and one thing that we found very interesting was how easy it was to get to grips with whilst still having more to show us.

However, while it looks nice enough, there are some obvious limits to the game at the moment. It can feel a bit janky and thrown together at times, though it is fair to say that Crab Champions has plenty of heart. Given it is Early Access, too, it can become even better

A unique concept that pays off (mostly) (8.5/10)

At the moment, Crab Champions offers a pretty enjoyable competitive experience. The fact that you unlock skins simply by playing the game is nice, too; there is no in-game microtransactions or extra purchases needed. If you buy Crab Champions, you get the whole thing as it is today.

With the chance to play alongside other players, too, there is always the choice to make this game a more social experience. Every run comes with new options in terms of lot and enemy types, too, so each run can feel pretty fresh. The gameplay is intriguing enough, too, that it is easy to keep on playing - Crab Champions very much has that ‘one more run’ feel about it.

Pros

• Fun and engaging combat that makes sure you never feel out of your depth
• Enjoyable both solo and with others - Crab Champions is satisfying either way
• Challenges scale up appropriately; no real difficulty spikes that feel out of whack
• No microtransactions or extras, only skins that are unlocked by playing the game

Cons

• Can be quite buggy and low-rent at times, though this can easily be fixed over time