The First Berserker Khazan Review | You’ve Got a Friend In Me

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It seems like you’re experiencing a sense of “Soulslike Burnout” after playing numerous games that fail to significantly innovate upon the foundations established by FromSoftware. At first, The First Berserker Khazan appeared to be just another standard Soulslike title, but I’m grateful I gave its demo a try, as it left me greatly impressed with Neople’s work over the past few years.

After finishing the entire game, I must admit that my earlier doubts and disregard were unfounded. The First Berserker is not merely a finely tuned Soulslike; it stands firmly as a well-crafted action game in its own league.

There’s a Ghost In Me

In The First Berserker, we step into the shoes of Khazan, a once-powerful general who’s being escorted to his lifelong exile in the frosty peaks of Heinmach. However, their journey takes an unexpected turn when Khazan is overtaken by a potent force known as the Blade Phantom. This formidable entity then indiscriminately annihilates everyone in its path with ease.

In time, it becomes clear that the Blade Phantom is a troop of warriors loyal to Charon from the Underworld. Despite their differences, Khazan and the Phantom join forces for mutual assistance in their endeavors. Rather than suffering eternal torment due to possession as depicted in The Exorcist, this scenario offers spectacular anime abilities instead.

Title Character, Khazan, boasts a full-fledged campaign with a narrative and numerous additional missions. The tale may not be exceptionally memorable, yet it’s engaging enough to keep track of, and I never had the urge to rush past the cinematics or conversations.

This work possesses a distinct anime-inspired vibe, yet manages to steer clear of excessive cheesiness by exuding an undeniable sense of coolness. Despite its dark backdrop and the protagonist’s challenging circumstances, I would classify it more in the realm of Hellsing rather than Berserk. The antagonists exhibit flamboyant, heavily stylized combat moves that create openings in the sky, Khazan’s armor is both functional and stylish, and characters express themselves with phrases like “Concur”.

This realm is brimming with blood, stylish personas, and an abundance of formidable bosses that linger in your memory. While the narrative may not be groundbreaking, it also avoids feeling insignificant or forgettable.

More Than One Way To Stab

The core focus of this game is its intense, finely-tuned combat, and you’ll notice the quality as soon as you grasp any weapon. In terms of comparable games within the genre, it shares more similarities with Wo Long and Nioh than Dark Souls. Despite having only three types of weapons, the vast skill tree for each allows for a deeper, more focused gameplay experience.

What struck me the most was discovering the immense complexity going beyond simple weapon selection. It’s packed with precise guards, strategic counters, evasive maneuvers, mirrors, parries, and numerous other features that transform Khazan into an action game hero as opposed to a typical Soulslike character.

While dodging can certainly work, the game mechanics heavily favor the Brink Guard, making it almost flawless at dodging. The design encourages players to be bold and assertive, not just in offense but also in defense. Constantly dodging attacks may prolong battles unnecessarily.

In simpler terms, you’re supposed to skillfully defend against incoming assaults, counterattack when necessary, and maintain this continuous battle instead of opting for a cautious approach. However, not all scenarios demand relentless aggression; sometimes, it’s more prudent to restrain. Generally speaking, Khazan is designed for an aggressive playstyle, and his abilities primarily support this.

In your journey, you’ll discover unique abilities tailored for your weapons too. These enhance the combos of your current moves, much like in the Nioh series. I appreciate that you can allocate points solely to the general skill tree and the specific weapon tree that appeals to you, without any hassle. If you decide to switch weapon classes later on, you always have the flexibility to reallocate your build accordingly.

Once I got accustomed to the fighting, typical foes didn’t offer much resistance. However, the bosses proved to be another story altogether – they were difficult but reasonable, which I appreciate. The variety showcased here is impressive. Additionally, it’s great that there are definite weak points to exploit in a battle, rather than mindlessly attacking their huge foot.

Additionally, I’d like to acknowledge the exceptional job of our animation team. While the game does carry some elements reminiscent of anime, it’s crucial to note that the combat behavior of the enemies isn’t typical of traditional anime characters. The character animations are clear and easy to follow, making it rewarding to pay attention to their attack patterns, reactions, and overall behavior during battle.

In simpler terms, you might find this point insignificant, but consider how often low blows from enemies in similar games left you feeling frustrated. Fortunately, I encountered very few such instances here, which can be largely attributed to the top-notch work done by the animation team.

In summary, the battles, challenging boss encounters, and especially the exceptional quality of the animations stand out. Mastering this battle system is immensely rewarding, and it’s tough to identify any significant flaws in it.

Trust Me To Get Lost

As an avid fan, I can’t help but feel that The First Berserker series could use a bit more emphasis on exploration and level design. Don’t get me wrong, it’s functional as it stands, but for a Soulslike game, it’s crucial. The reason being, exploration and level design have become key components of the Soulslike genre, providing players with engaging content when they aren’t immersed in combat.

Unfortunately, in The First Berserker: Khazan, the levels seem overly linear and tend to merge together due to a scarcity of level variety. While it’s not abysmal by any means, it’s somewhat disheartening that this aspect wasn’t developed more fully when considering the other aspects of the game that are done well.

As a gamer, I must admit that the game’s levels showcase stunning artwork and composition that keeps me hooked. However, it’s not quite what I’ve grown accustomed to from this genre. And let me tell you, the inability of Khazan to jump leaves me puzzled. It just doesn’t seem logical given the verticality often found in the level designs. After all, we’ve progressed so much in gaming, and it feels odd that even with such intricate level designs, Khazan can only traverse small platforms.

Verdict

Despite a few small issues, The First Berserker: Khazan is an outstanding Soulslike journey filled with challenging bosses, providing a diverse range, boasting a superb combat system that seamlessly combines the top features of Soulslikes and action games, and featuring striking visuals that are undeniably stylish. Although it might not excel in exploration, the interaction between Khazan and the Blade Phantom keeps the story engaging all the way through, and I’m eager to see what Neople will create next.

8.5
The First Berserker: Khazan
The First Berserker: Khazan is a solid soulslike with a lot to like. It has a robust combat system with plenty of mechanics to master, the bosses hit hard and are satisfying to overcome and the story is entertaining with plenty of fun moments sprinkled throughout. While the exploration is a bit uneven and the level design is nothing to write home about, The First Berserker: Khazan is an impressive action game that’s hard to put down.
Pros
  • Excellent combat system with plenty of variety
  • Challenging and memorable boss fights
  • Great art direction that extends to the enemy design, gear and world
  • Entertaining campaign that never feels too cheesy
Cons
  • Exploration is a bit lacking

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2025-03-24 18:23