It might surprise players to know thatThe First Berserker: Khazanis actually part of a larger gaming universe that includes the popular beat ‘em up franchiseDungeon and Fighter(stylized asDNF), withKhazanmarking the first of several planned projects to expand the IP. Accordingly, Neople put considerable resources intoThe First Berserker: Khazan’s localization and voice cast, which includes a performance that should sound strikingly familiar to anyFinal Fantasy 16fans. The English voice actor for the titular hero, Khazan, is none other than Ben Starr, and his performance is one of many high points of the game’s story, which opts for a more direct approach than most Soulslikes.
For the most part,Soulslikestend to stick to the more indirect lore dumps and environmental storytelling methods of the FromSoftware games rather than opting for a direct approach, which makesThe First Berserker: Khazan’s narrative unique within the subgenre. Khazan is also a character with a well-developed past and motivations that surprisingly extend beyond the fairly standard revenge tale that the game’s main plot sets up, which Ben Starr does a commendable job of bringing to life. It’s still unmistakably Starr providing Khazan’s voice, but it’s different enough fromFinal Fantasy 16’s Clive to be counted as yet another breakout performance from the rising talent.
The First Berserker: Khazan Features a Stacked Voice Cast
The quality ofThe First Berserker: Khazan’s performances is immediately apparent from the game’s opening moments, and it only continues to get better with each new character introduced into the story. Taking a look at the game’s voice cast shows that this quality shouldn’t come as a surprise, considering how packed it is with notable talent. Aside fromBen Starrproviding the voice of Khazan,The First Berserker: Khazanfeatures the following industry veterans providing the voices of both major and minor characters throughout the game’s campaign:
Another standout performance alongside Ben Starr’s role as Khazan is veteran voice actor Anthony Howell’s turn as the Blade Phantom, with the two playing well off one another in a way that really sells the idea of their reluctant partnership and calls to mind Jackie and the Darkness’ dynamic from2007’sThe Darkness.
Of course, the voice that players will be hearing the most inThe First Berserker: Khazanis that of Ben Starr as the titular hero, and it’s one of the main factors that helps to sell the game’s surprisingly strong story. MostSoulslikestend to avoid more direct methods of storytelling in favor of obscure lore and environmental cues that communicate details about the games' worlds and their inhabitants, which makesThe First Berserker: Khazan’s approach all the more refreshing. That the game does a good job avoiding unnecessary exposition dumps or falling too easily into well-treaded tropes further underscores the idea that Soulslikes don’t have to sacrifice a compelling story for enjoyable gameplay.
Starr earned both praise and industry acclaim for his performance as Clive Rosfield inFinal Fantasy 16, including a nomination forBest Performanceat The Game Awards 2023, and it’s hard to imagine his role as Khazan not receiving similar attention. Together with his role in the upcomingClair Obscure: Expedition 33, Starr’s talents are potentially raising the bar for the future of voice acting in Soulslikes, and his performance inThe First Berserker: Khazanis proof positive that quality voice acting helps elevate games' narratives.
