Neople’sThe First Berserker: Khazanis making waves among Soulslike fans, and for good reason. It stands as one of several newer games in the subgenre that, along with 2023’sLies of P, makes a strong case for non-FromSoftware developers starting to approach the same level of quality as the games that inspired them. One of the more surprising elements ofThe First Berserker: Khazanis how limited its weapon type variety is in comparison to other games in the subgenre, which has the welcome effect of making each weapon type completely viable as the foundation of a game-carrying build, including one of the Soulslike genre’s most overlooked armaments: spears.
Plenty of strong builds center around spears in FromSoftware’sSoulsborne gamesand non-FromSoftware Soulslikes, but these builds aren’t without their compromises. While they offer unique defensive capabilities, such as simultaneously wielding a shield and using thrusting attacks, their damage output makes them not quite worth the investment. Conversely,The First Berserker: Khazan’s spear builds have early game-breaking potential thanks to their robust weapon-specific skill trees and comparable damage output, finally making them a viable choice for a build that can carry players throughout the whole experience.
Spears Are One of the Best Early-to-Mid-Game Weapon Choices in The First Berserker: Khazan
After clearingThe First Berserker: Khazan’s tutorial area and defeating theYetuga boss, players get the chance to unlock each of the game’s weapon types in the title’s second main area. The first of these is the Greatsword, while Spears make up the second, and the default Dual-Wield option is the third. Thanks to the limitations placed on the variety of weapons inThe First Berserker: Khazan, each of these three options is distinct from one another in its utility and feel, and the Spear is one of the game’s clear early standouts thanks to two specific advantages: its speed and its range.
Since there are no shields inThe First Berserker: Khazanand parrying is accomplished through a last-minute Brink Guard using any of the game’s weapon types, players are free to choose the weapon that best suits their playstyle, and the Spear is essentially the best choice for anyone who typically usesDex buildsin Soulslikes or Soulsborne games. Factor in that one of the best Spear-centric armor sets is obtainable in the second major area ofThe First Berserker: Khazan, and the weapon begins to stand out as a clear front-runner for having a power advantage in the first several hours of the game.
The Secret to Spears' Greatness in The First Berserker: Khazan is the Weapon Type’s Skill Tree
Spears inThe First Berserker: Khazanare already worthwhile by default, but they only become better through careful allocation of points into the weapon’s skill trees. In particular, the Moonlight ability in the Swift Attack branch of the Spear’s skill tree is a game-changer, continually applying damage to enemies via Khazan’s afterimage and receiving some significant bonuses to its effectiveness from the best Spear-centric armor sets. Building out the Swift Attack branch in its entirety even opens up the ability for a second dodge and increased i-frames during evasive maneuvers.
It’s a stark contrast to the way that most Soulslike andSoulsborne gameshandle spears, which typically have good range and utility as a last-resort weapon when playing defensively, but pale in comparison to other weapon types in terms of their damage output and viability as the focal point of a build.The First Berserker: Khazan’s choice to limit players to three weapon types allows each of them to serve a very specific purpose in combat, and it has the unintended (but welcome) side effect of making Spears better than they typically are in the genre.
