The First Berserker: Khazan Review – A Contender for the Throne

The First Berserker: Khazan on PS5 Pro

When a franchise has been going on for the best part of two decades, there can be so much lore that goes into the narrative, but most of that is usually through exposition. But what if you could live the legend and shape the future? That is what Nexon and Neople are attempting to do with The First Berserker: Khazan. This hardcore action adventure stars the legendary general, and for what it’s worth, this spinoff will delight fans and act as the perfect starting point for newcomers to the franchise.

Taking the same path as many in the genre, The First Berserker: Khazan is not necessarily forthcoming with its storytelling, at least, not at the start. Players are introduced to a hero who has been branded a traitor, and while being transported alongside other criminals, a timely avalanche strikes and sets him free.

From here on out, it is all about Khazan and his bloody crusade to find out just what has transpired, clear his name, and slay whoever is standing in his way. His life is now intertwined with that of the Blade Phantom, an otherworldly being tapping on Khazan to rid the world of those who don’t belong and bring balance back to the living and the dead.

Bits and pieces of the narrative slowly reveal themselves along the way, with a cast of supporting characters that double up as helpful NPCs. The focus on environmental storytelling is quite well done as well, with notes and echoes of the path filling in the gaps as you progress from level to level, together with dialogue and exposition through and to Khazan.

Indeed, The First Berserker: Khazan is a level-based experience instead of a massive open world, similar to how Nioh and Rise of the Ronin iterated on the genre. Once players have conquered the first two primary missions, Khazan’s uneasy alliance with the Blade Phantom leads you to The Crevice, a hub area where you can embark on new and old levels. The NPCs you meet along the way will also call this ethereal realm home, giving you access to useful functions like crafting and training, just to name a few.

Level design can be difficult to get right, but this is not the case here. Every location you visit as part of the main or side quests in the game encourages exploration and experimentation. There are always secrets to be found in the form of collectibles and items, and shortcuts are always present to reward you for making progress. They aren’t sprawling either, which makes them quite manageable and a concentrated dose of fun for most players, but I will never be a fan of platforming sections in such games; such is the awkward preciseness required sometimes.

That said, the real meat of the experience stems from conflict, and your path will be full of dangers that need to be quelled and eliminated. Genre staples apply to the combat, with stamina being a key component of the formula. Whether you are sprinting, dodging, parrying, or attacking, it all takes stamina, and you do not want to be exhausted just as the enemy prepares a series of damaging attacks.

Likewise, the better you are at decimating your opponents’ stamina, the easier a time you would have, leaving them open for critical hits known as Brutal Attacks, which look as good as they are useful in a fight. With a choice of three weapon types of Dual-Wielding, Greatsword, and Spear, the game caters to various playstyles that should keep most players happy.

You could go for a heavy-hitting approach with the Greatsword at the expense of speed, accelerate your offence with the Spear, or go for a nice balance with Dual-Wielding. No matter what you choose, there doesn’t seem to be a clear winner in terms of the meta, which is good to see. This is aided by several systems in The First Berserker: Khazan, which both ups the accessibility and skill ceiling of a hardcore experience.

Each weapon type has a different skill tree that you can invest in, earning points as you use the weapon with more regularity, and held together by a common skill tree that has more general benefits like a ranged weapon. By practising with your chosen weapon, you will unlock additional skills and buffs that can transform how they function entirely. Additional attacks, improved defence, and even combat positioning can all be altered based on how you want Khazan to be built. Rather than have players contend with too many choices, this more focused approach is one that I can appreciate.

The same goes for the defensive side of things. With even common enemies capable of ending your adventure, players must get to grips with guarding, dodging, and counterattacking. In the face of relentless attacks, guarding can provide stable defence but whittles down your stamina quickly. Activating guard just before an attack lands results in Perfect Guard, which dramatically reduces stamina damage and even minimises stagger, giving you an edge when it’s your turn to go on the offensive in The First Berserker: Khazan.

The same duality applies to dodging, where regular dodges are less effective than Perfect Dodges, which is another option to consider when fighting. There will be enemies that want to attack in bunches, and more often than not, you get to decide how you want to deal with it defensively. On the occasion the opponent chooses to mix it up with attacks that cannot be guarded, such as a grab, this is where you can show your skill or learn a painful lesson.

And we haven’t even discussed the high-risk, high-reward mechanics of Counterattack and Reflection. The former negates powerful Burst Attacks, consuming large amounts of stamina. Still, if it connects, it staggers your enemy and leaves you with an entire stamina pool to punish them. As for the latter, why defend when you can counter? A successful Reflection hits hard both in stamina and damage, but it has a unique timing that players must master, and it is well worth it.

If you indeed find yourself in a bind, Khazan can tap into the power of the Blade Phantom and transforms into Phantom Form, adding a new action style to the proceedings. In this form, players can unleash enhanced moves and skills, with all damage taken reflected on the transformation gauge in place of HP/stamina. Consider it a last resort or a final flourish, giving you more of an advantage against formidable foes.

And as I alluded to earlier on, almost everyone and everything in The First Berserker: Khazan wants you dead, and the variety of monsters and men that stand in your way are a colourful bunch. The dreaded Dragonkin are as dangerous as ever, but so are the bandits and soldiers of the Empire, there seems to be always something new around the corner for you to worry about, and that’s a good thing. Then we have the bosses, epic fights that punctuate the end of each mission.

Needless to say, these are the battles you will need to bring your A-game for. Testing your mastery of every mechanic and system, victory comes with a sense of satisfaction that is hard to replicate. There is nothing quite like outlasting a zealous boss and turning the tables in a way only Khazan can. Yet, defeat will be a familiar bedfellow as players learn the patterns.

It is not all that frustrating, as you will always become better and more prepared. It also allows Neople to demonstrate its commitment to accessibility once more by rewarding Lacrima, the in-game currency used for levelling up, as long as you deal a certain amount of damage to a boss before perishing. The fact that you can replay levels to grind Lacrima means players having a hard time have an alternative way of getting prepared, and there’s always Easy Mode too.

If that’s not enough, you can utilise the Spirit of Advocacy system to summon a phantom ally like in the Souls games. You do have to defeat a Revenant of Adversity to gain the resources to summon this form of help, so consider it a sparring session. There are also Phantoms that you can equip, which bestow unique benefits to your build as you level them up by fighting. By finding special items out in the world, you will be given more choices to augment your preferred style in The First Berserker: Khazan.

Add to all that a loot system that is quite generous and has cool-looking sets for Khazan to don, and that urge to jump into battle becomes even harder to resist. I am on the fence regarding the constant loot drops, but min-maxing is certainly something some groups of players would look forward to, and many gear sets cater to this. For all intents and purposes, the system works, but inventory management can be better, especially when trying to dismantle or find stuff.

Accompanying players will be the gorgeous cel-shaded visuals, which are a treat for the eyes. Sure, we may be on the path to revenge, and desolation is everywhere, but it doesn’t mean we need to settle for drab. The colours at play, from the vibrant flames to the darkness of the abyss, definitely help with pushing the stylishness, and the soundtrack gets you into the mood whether you are traipsing through graveyards or facing off against a giant spider.

Ultimately, what can be considered the best selling points of The First Berserker: Khazan could also be its most significant drawbacks. The action role-playing adventure may be hardcore in name, but there are ways in which the developers have tweaked things to make it possible for more players to enjoy the game. It is also a more constrained journey with smaller levels that constantly funnel you into its biggest strength, the combat. Over 20-30 hours spent on an initial run, and more to see alternate endings, this bloodthirsty revenge tour was utterly enjoyable. The fact that I am now more interested in discovering the Dungeon Fighter Online universe is a testament to the quality, and positions this game as no mere pretender but a genuine contender for the Soulslike crown.

The First Berserker: Khazan will launch on March 27 on the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, with Early Access available now.