DuneCrawl review: across the desert sea on a giant crab – now on consoles
Alientrap’s co-op adventure launches today on PS5 and Xbox. PC reviews praised its idea and multiplayer fun but criticised the combat.
Photo: Giles Laurent / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Trailer: YouTube · PlayStation · youtube.com
Critics' rating
Scores: TheSixthAxis 6/10
- Platforms
- PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Android
- Studio
- Alientrap
- Release
- 19.10.2026
+ Pros
- Original rides on a giant battle crab
- Fun co-op for up to four players
- Distinctive desert world with humour
– Cons
- Combat lacks bite
- Much harder going solo
- Little sense of progression
- Fairly short
Critics' verdict
A wonderfully quirky idea that is most fun in co-op with friends – but in terms of gameplay the crab adventure falls short of its potential.
Summary of published reviews – sources below.
The open-world adventure DuneCrawl from studio Alientrap launches today, 19 October, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Android; on PC it has been available on Steam since 5 January. Versions for Switch 2 and Switch are due later in 2026. Alone or with up to three other players, you steer a huge crab-like vehicle across a desert sea, fight invaders, bosses and rival vehicles, ride giant insects and explore islands and dungeons. Gear and vehicle can be upgraded step by step.
Reviews of the PC version are mixed. Try Hard Guides awards 8 out of 10 and praises the desert world inspired by African and Middle Eastern fantasy, as well as piloting, fighting with and upgrading the crab; the mix of seafaring in the style of Sea of Thieves and on-foot bullet-hell sections works. TheSixthAxis gives 6 out of 10: co-op is the big draw, and the humour of the world – a society that worships crabs and has trouble with its pottery – gives it a distinctive appeal early on.
Both reviews see weaknesses in combat: TheSixthAxis finds both the crab battles and the on-foot fights underwhelming and feels the game does too little with its unusual ideas. Try Hard Guides criticises that weapons change your play style rather than your power, so there is little sense of progression. Solo play is considerably harder, especially in the on-foot sections, and the game is fairly short overall.