Review: Fight Crab

• Platforms: PC (Reviewed), Nintendo Switch
• Developer:  Calappa Games
• Publisher: PLAYISM
• Release Date: July 29th, 2020

Do you ever find yourself staring at the lobster tank at your local grocery store wondering what it would be like to pit them against each other like gladiators? Do you find yourself lurking Youtube for compilation videos of crabs brandishing kitchen knives at Caribbean resorts? Do you have an affinity for obscure 3D fighters from the Playstation 2 era? If you answered yes to one or more of these questions then boy, does Calappa Games have a game for you.

In Fight Crab crustaceans go head-to-head in a battle to the death using a variety of weaponry ranging from revolvers and propulsion jets to katanas, shuriken, and flails. Each crab combatant must flip their opponent on their backs and pin them for a three count to be crowned the victor, and the higher the damage percentage a crustacean has, the higher the chance of flopping onto their backside.

 The endless possibilities for comedic battles are Fight Crab’s bread and butter, as the first encounter of a blue lobster wielding a revolver in one pincer and a nun chuck in the other will likely have you keeling over in laughter. The more you progress through these battles the more outrageous your arsenal of weaponry will become, as there are plenty of unlockables to purchase. The realistic character models for each crustacean is also a smart design choice that really adds to the humour of the game as well.

In many ways Fight Crab feels like a throwback, for reasons both good and bad. It wastes no time getting to the point, throwing you right into battle with no cutscenes or story setup. Also, the battles are quick and the levels are very replayable for grinding unlockables. On the flip side, the overall presentation of the game visually and audibly feels quite dated. The user interface and menus lack a lot of polish, and the sound effects sound like something you’d hear from a game a few console generations ago.

It’s highly recommended to use a gamepad when playing Fight Crab, and for the majority of my time with the game an Xbox One controller was used. The controls can take a lot of getting used to, with most of the action happening on the analog sticks and bumpers/triggers. Each claw is controlled using an analog stick, while grabbing onto objects or your opponent is done with the bumpers. Thrashing your claws haymaker style is done with the triggers and it’s how you’ll dole out your damage. The most clumsy aspect of the controls is the movement of your crab, which is done with the directional pad. Pressing a direction on the pad will send your crab on auto pilot in that general direction, and if you forget to press the D-pad again to stop, which is easy to do in the heat of battle, you can inadvertently send your crab into a wall or you opponent, causing it to flip onto its back.

Overall Fight Crab is a game with a hilariously intriguing premise with a dated feel in its presentation and gameplay. How you weigh these two factors will ultimately determine whether Fight Crab is the game for you. If you’re someone who values plenty of polish and production value in their gaming experiences, Fight Crab is most likely a game you should shy away from. If you’re someone who wants a few good laughs or a streamer that’s looking for a game to entertain their audience Fight Crab is a no brainer.

A Steam review code for Fight Crab was provided by the Publisher