The First Berserker: Khazan review

Why does every action game have to be a Soulslike these days? It’s hard to complain too much, though, especially when they are as polished and fun to play as The First Berserker: Khazan, the latest spin-off of Neople and Nexon’s Dungeon Fighter Online series. And don’t worry if you’re not familiar with Dungeon Fighter Online at all – this is a game that perfectly stands on its own two feet.

Set 800 years before the events of Dungeon Fighter Online, The First Berserker: Khazan put players in control of the titular Khazan. Once the great general of the Pell Los Empire, he’s been falsely branded a traitor and brutally tortured, but an incident while he’s being transported gives him a chance to escape. There’s a catch, though; it seems the incident might have been orchestrated by a ghostly entity called the Blade Phantom, who wishes to claim his physical body as its own.

With both Khazan and the Blade Phantom needing each other to achieve their goals, a pact is formed. And so, Khazan has an opportunity to get revenge on those who have wronged him, while the Blade Phantom can carry out his master’s orders and investigate what’s disturbing the balance in the Netherworld. But don’t for one second think that achieving either of their goals is going to be easy: this is a Soulslike, after all, and quite a challenging one at that.

Format-wise, The First Berserker: Khazan is very reminiscent of Team Ninja’s Nioh games. After finding your feet and completing a couple of introductory missions, you unlock a hub where you can then continue the story if you wish, as well as revisit past missions and tackle any side-missions that may be available. There are reasons why you might want to revisit missions beyond gaining Lacrima that allows you to level up Khazan, too, such as collectibles in the form of crystals and pots, and gear that provides a wide range of benefits.

You can just equip gear willy-nilly if you want, though to get the best results you’ll want items that form a set. Gear comes in various colours, too, according to its quality. So, if you want to give yourself the best chance of success in The First Berserker: Khazan, you’re going to want to find a set that provides bonuses that are useful to your playstyle, and that’s also the highest quality possible. Thankfully there are vendors to help you with your gear needs, and you’ll also unlock a blacksmith that can craft gear for you providing you find the plans and have the required materials.

But gear is only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to overcoming your enemies in The First Berserker: Khazan; your proficiency with your chosen weapon is also vitally important. Three weapon types are available in the game, and with skill trees available for each, it’s wise to choose just one and focus on it. Skill points are earned as you play, and with them you’re able to unlock new moves and enhance those you already have available. Ultimately, unlock the right skills and use them well, and you’ll find yourself having a much more manageable time with the game.

Whichever weapon type you choose, you’ll find that both swift and potent attacks are available, with the latter being particularly useful for wearing down an enemy’s stamina meter. If you manage to fully deplete an enemy’s stamina meter, you get the opportunity to pull off a devastating brutal attack. When it comes to defense, you can block and dodge, of course, but blocking just at the right time also reduces an enemy’s stamina meter while draining less of your stamina, giving you an advantage. There are other quirks to the game’s combat system, too, like being able to counter certain enemy attacks, well and truly keeping you on your toes.

While the combat in The First Berserker: Khazan is fun from the outset thanks to solid mechanics and crisp controls, the fact that it opens up as you place points in the skill trees of your choice keeps you hooked. Eventually, you can perform impressive combos and develop your character to your strengths. You might choose to wield a huge sword, for example, and focus on charging powerful attacks while using a ghostly hand to block incoming attacks in the meantime. Or you could focus on being nimble on your feet, dodging swiftly before unleashing a whirlwind of blows with a sword and axe combo.

My only gripes with The First Berserker: Khazan revolve around balance. Some encounters here, bosses in particular, truly are hard as nails. And while there is an ‘easy mode’ for those who find themselves dying a few times, many will still find that the game remains a tough cookie to crack. There’s no multiplayer for players to fall back on here either, though players can summon a helper for boss fights providing they have the required item to do so. The trouble is, they’re about as useful as a chocolate fireguard, often dying within 10-20 seconds of the start of the fight. You’d have to grind an awful lot to make them worthwhile.

Still, for those up for the challenge, it’s hard not to be impressed by The First Berserker: Khazan. It looks great, and I’ve not encountered any performance issues playing on PS5 Pro. And while it sometimes might make you want to tear your hair out, the combat is so much fun that chances are you’ll keep going back until you emerge victorious. If you’re after a new Soulslike to play, then, this is very easy to recommend.