REVIEW: Fight Crab


Title	Fight Crab
Developer	Calappa Games
Publisher	Playism
Release Date	July 30th, 2020
Genre	Fighting
Platform	Steam, Switch
Age Rating	N/A
Official Website

Sometimes a game comes along that just looks so insane that you have to check it out. When I saw a trailer for Fight Crab, which developer Calappa Games shared, I knew I had to play this. I mean, what other game can you have two giant crabs duking it out in cities, on medieval tables and other crazy places? On top of this they get a variety of crazy weapons to use as well! Let’s see just how these Fight Crabs are in action.

There is no story to speak of here. Though the Steam page for the game does say this – “In some completely different, super weird world, crabs have mastered human weapons and taken over the land. Now immortal, these crabs cannot be killed by gun nor blade. However, there is one crustacean rule by which all must live: He who turns his back to the ground shall know defeat.” That’s right – get flipped over on your back in battle, and you have no choice but to submit to your opponent. Not having a story mode is a missed opportunity. I can think of so many insane and hilarious things they could do with this if they chose to add a story mode in the future.

There may not be a story but there is plenty of good gameplay to dig into here. The object of each match is simple. Knock your opponent on their back for 3 seconds. While this sounds really easy there is a lot more to it than one may suspect. Right off the bat you are greeted with a pretty obscure control scheme. It actually fits this game really well, but it will certainly take some getting used to.

The analog sticks will move your left and right claws respectively. You can raise and lower them or move them side to side. Tapping L2 and R2 will attack your opponent, and if you hold down LB and RB you can block attacks. These two buttons can also be used to hold foes ‘arms’ or steal their weapons out of their pincers. Tapping down on the analog sticks will move the camera left or right depending on which one you press down. Moving both analog sticks in the same direction will spin your crab in that direction, while the D-pad is used to move around.

This is a lot less complicated than it sounds once you start doing it, and I honestly had a ton of fun playing this game. The insane variety of weapons you can wield makes every match seem fresh. When I say variety, I really mean it! Here’s a few of the many weapons found here: chainsaw, axe, palm tree, car, gun, swords, jet packs, dishes, candle holders and much more! In addition to this there are bunch of different crabs to unlock as well. Each one has slightly different stats to fit any play style you wish to use. Want a fast crab with less power, or maybe a heavier one that packs a huge punch? The choice is yours. You will have to unlock these with money you earn in-game, but even on normal difficulty playing a stage or two will net you plenty of cash to get what you want.

The game features online modes for the cooperative and versus gameplay. There is also a campaign mode. This has you facing a series of battles on each stage with increasingly more difficult foes. No worries though, if you lose you can pick up right where you left off. If you lose a certain number of times the game will feel sorry for you and allow you to call in some help in the form of an airstrike to start the match. Yea, I know this actually can get crazier. If you get stuck too badly you can always use some of your hard earned cash to level up your crab or buy new weapons. These will unlock in the shop the more stages you complete.

The Arenas you do battle in are just as over the top as the rest of Fight Crab. They include places such as beaches, underwater areas with fish, a play room and the Final Destination. I don’t think we can set that to no items, fox only, sadly. Anyways not only will the size of the arena affect the match, but some will have their own sorts of hazards. The play room has a toy train that can really knock you around, and fish underwater can really get in the way.

Each of the arenas are graphically detailed, and honestly the game just looks great. The art style is very fitting for a game of this type and the crab models are all top notch. There are even a ton of different colors for most of the crabs as well. I love the ones that look like they are glowing. That is just bad ass! Some of the weapons look better than others, but I think they really nailed 90% of them.

The music here is very interesting, to say the least. You will notice some hard rocking tunes while you pummel the opposing crab into submission most of the time. Some stages take lighter tones to the musical score, and you will even notice a few vocal tracks thrown in the mix here. Sound effects here are done perfectly. The pings and clangs of battle are heard clearly. The chainsaw sound is a nice effect as it grinds crabs into the dirt! Overall this one is very well done in the sound department, and I’d like to see an OST for this for download on Steam honestly.

Fight Crab is pure insanity straight out of the gate. The combat here is very weighted and the controls feel a bit clunky, but this game is just so much fun none of that matters. You tell me another game I can take a giant crab with a battle axe and beat down a foe? Or one I can have a crab throw a Kamihameha! Goku would be proud! In all seriousness, this one may not be for everyone, but if you want something unique that really is a ton of fun to play, you can’t go wrong here at the $19.99 price tag. I spent about 3 hours or so with it and I’ve unlocked a good bit of the crabs and weapons. I’ll dig into this a lot more when the online features go live, since I feel that will give this one a ton of replay value. Though I had a lot of fun just playing the single player stages over and over to see how crazy things could get. While this may not be something we ever thought would exist, I’m certainly glad that it does. We all need something lighthearted for a good laugh right now.