Developer: Calappa Games
Publisher: PLAYISM
Platform: PC
Tested on: PC
Fight Crab – Review
In 1999 we saw Edward Norton and Brad Pitt shine in Fight Club, a movie all about a top-secret fight club, that eventually took over parts of the world. This time we go for something totally different, namely Fight Crab, which does not include the attractive cast members we mentioned earlier, but a lot of different crustaceans. The initial trailer already had us hyped up, and the actual product proved to be quite amusing too.
Story
There is absolutely no story value to be found in this game, even though there is a campaign mode. The game just throws you in different themed arenas for you to duke it out with different types of crabs, lobsters and shrimps. There is no story needed to make this game more amusing, as you pretty much know what you’re in for when you start battling a lobster wielding a revolver and a knife.
Graphics
Graphically the game is a bit of a mix in terms of quality. The different crustaceans are nicely animated, albeit not always as realistic as their real-life counterparts. The shellfish all have very nice textures, even when they’re sometimes a bit oddly colored. The weapons that are thrown in the game, are very disproportionate to your underwater fighters, which is of course normal, as they represent the real deal. Nonetheless, the weapons already have slightly less detail than the actual characters in this game.
Each of the different campaign entries has its own theme, ranging from arenas on top of a dinner table, to battling on a freezer in a shop, to even going full-on Godzilla in the middle of a city. Sadly, while the game has a lot of clutter, making it quite full and enjoyable to watch, the overall quality of the environments is somewhat lacking. Some arenas look a lot nicer than others, probably depending on which artist did which assets. That last part also involves how the menus look, as they look horribly done. It feels like no one on the team could properly handle a decent menu layout and that the studio did not want to waste any money on an artist and designer who could.
The camera point of view is sometimes also a bit annoying, especially when you’re running into your opponent. Overall things are fairly clear, but you have a few moments here and there that things become a bit of a clusterfuck.
Sound
The sound design is fairly decently handled. The game throws you in an anime-esque sound setting when you boot it up, slowly shifting to music that is proper for the arena you’re in. The music itself is not that memorable, but it does its job well.
You’ll notice that the sound effects of Fight Crab suffice for what is happening onscreen. The game has the proper bits and bobs in the SFX department, but things turn a bit samey and dull after a while. Sure, it’s fun to hear a revolver go off from time to time, but after a while, you’ll get used to the action your spamming to flip over your enemy.
Gameplay
Fight Crab is basically a fighting game, in which different crabs and other crustaceans fight till they get flipped on their backs or are thrown out of the arena. The game will pit you in different arenas and you’ll be able to use a lot of silly weapons and even level up your favorite underwater fighter. Overall it’s just fighting, flip over your opponents, earn money, get stronger and fight again with even bigger and scarier weapons. Other than the Campaign and Versus mode, the game does not offer many different options.
As you progress in the campaign you will earn money. This money allows you to buy new fighters, level up the stats of your different owned crustaceans and buy new weapons. The new fighters all differ in stats, some heavier than others, some packing a harder punch, while others simply move differently and have a shorter or wider range. Each of these underwater warriors has to be leveled individually, which motivates the player to grind a bit, to level their newest addition to their roster. The weapons are also a bit of a ‘pick and choose’ formula, where you fight with the weapons you fancy the most, or are simply able to hit your opponents the best with.
Fight Crab is one of those games that uses a very unique control scheme. The two sticks of your controller will serve to move your claws and pincers, and the triggers and bumpers will allow you to attack and block respectively. The directional buttons allow you to move, and that is basically all you need for this game. Sure, the Hyper Mode makes things a bit more complex in terms of giving you a special move or two, but overall the controls are simple, albeit a bit of a gimmick. You’ll notice that not everything is very responsive, especially when you have to direct yourself towards your enemy. You waddle around the battlefield and just start bashing the triggers in order to best your opponent. The locking-on mechanism does not work well when fighting more than one opponent though.
We have tried playing the online mode several times, only for there to be no rooms available in the Versus mode, as well as the online Campaign co-op mode. You can also play locally, but it would have been nice to join a game on the go and have some quick fun too.
Conclusion
Fight Crab may be a bit rough around its pincers and claws, it is still a very nice and entertaining game. While you may feel a lack of control at times, the game does have a lot of replay value because of the different classes you get to unlock, and the weapons you can mess around with. The leveling system is decently handled, and also motivates you to grind with your favorite characters. While the price for this one may be a bit steep, it’s still a very amusing title. Also, it gives you a solid excuse to claim you have crabs now.
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