FromSoftware’s Soulslike formula is a winning one, and so it’s really no surprise that so many other developers have taken inspiration from the studio’s games. The latest game to take a stab at the Soulslike genre isThe First Berserker: Khazan, a hardcore action-RPG set in theDungeon Fighter Onlineuniverse.The First Berserker: Khazanhas stood out from the mountain of other Soulslike games thanks to its anime-inspired art style, but rest assured, it’s a familiar Soulslike experience through and through, with the intense, tough-as-nails battles that fans of the genre expect.
There are three primary weapon types inFirst Berserker: Khazan, each with their own skill trees that give players helpful bonuses and unlock special attacks. Skill points are earned regularly enough that players shouldn’t feel stuck with one particular weapon type or another, though they will find their favorite pretty quick. I enjoy using heavy weapons in Soulslikes, so I stuck with greatswords most of the time, though I switched over to the faster-paced dual-wield weapons on occasion.
The Best Offense is a Good Defense
First Berserker: Khazan’s combat is perhaps most reminiscent ofSekiro, with a heavy focus on parrying attacks. Enemies all have stamina bars that can be depleted through parries and strikes, leaving them open to a devastating blow. Certain skills make it so players can even deal damage to enemies with their parries, which makes pulling them off that much more satisfying.First Berserker: Khazan’s parrying window is gracious, and so even Soulslike fans that aren’t big on this style should still consider giving the game a shot.
First Berserker: Khazan’s similarities toSekiroisn’t the only way that the game hastaken ideas from FromSoftware’s titles. There’s an obligatory poison swamp, and even a boss who is clearly heavily inspired by one ofElden Ring’s more memorable fights. There are certainly times whenFirst Berserker: Khazancan feel derivative of FromSoftware’s games, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
The First Berserker: Khazanclearly copied FromSoftware’s homework, but if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. The game successfully delivers a polished, exciting, action-packed Soulslike experience with all the hallmarks of the genre well accounted for. Players run the risk of losing their XP if they die and fail to return to their body, level design has players opening shortcuts to make exploration easier, there are Blade Nexuses (aka bonfires) that respawn all the enemies but let players refill their Netherworld Energy (aka Estus Flask), and of course, there are all kinds of super-difficult bosses to tackle.
The First Berserker: Khazanis one of those rare Soulslike games that features difficulty options, letting players choose between the default Normal mode and the so-called Easy mode. In typical Soulslike fashion, Normal difficulty is absolutely brutal, and while Easy is certainly more accessible than Normal, it’s no joke either. I tested both difficulties and, as someone that has earned 100% in multiple FromSoftware games, I would sayFirst Berserker: Khazan’s Easy modeis still as difficult if notmoredifficult in some cases than any FromSoftware title, with certain bosses serving as massive roadblocks to progress. Because of this, I would argue thatFirst Berserker: Khazan’s Easy mode doesn’t really succeed in making the Soulslike experience all that more accessible to those who don’t enjoy the extreme challenge in these kinds of games.
Compared to some other Soulslikes,First Berserker: Khazandoes a great job of finding balance. Yes, there are certainFirst Berserker: Khazanbossesthat are extremely difficult, but they are all beatable as long as players learn their attack patterns and master when to dodge, when to parry, and when to strike. That’s not to say everyFirst Berserker: Khazanboss fight is egregiously hard; some fights in the game are relatively easy, but there are definitely battles here that will push Soulslike veterans to their limits. In any case, mastering these fights and toppling the bosses gives players an incredible sense of accomplishment.
First Berserker: Khazan Gives Players the Tools to Succeed
The good news is that players are given all kinds of ways to upgrade Khazan to make the boss fights a little easier.First Berserker: Khazanhas a rewarding loot system where players are constantly finding better gear, with greater rewards for taking down tougher foes. There are limited-use healing items that can be collected and used in tough spots when one has already burned through their Netherworld Energy reserves, the summon can be upgraded, points can be spent on the skill tree, and of course, Khazan’s stats can be directly improved. A clever way the game staves off potential frustration is by giving players some XP for participating in the boss fights, so even if they don’t win, players are still making some progress toward upgrading Khazan, which, in turn, can make the fights a little more doable.
First Berserker: Khazanalso features side quests that can give players an edge. CertainFirst Berserker: Khazanside quests end with significant, game-changing rewards, like access to a blacksmith, and others still give players a chance to fight powerful foes and earn XP. There is a big downside toFirst Bersker: Khazan’s side quests, though, and that’s the fact that most of the time they are a bland remix of areas that have already been thoroughly explored in the main quest. Many of the side quests recycle bosses from the main quest as well, with slight twists to make the battles a little more challenging. Side quests are worth doing for the loot and the benefits that players can unlock for The Crevice,First Bersker: Khazan’s hub world, but variety would have gone a long way in making the extra content more entertaining.
The Crevice is the hub that players visit betweenFirst Berserker: Khazan’s areas, accessible through any of the Blade Nexuses, which are the game’s equivalent toDark Souls' bonfires. The Crevice starts out with very little of interest, but new features are added as players progress through the main story and complete side quests. This includes the previously mentioned blacksmith, good for building rare armor sets, breaking down unneeded gear for crafting materials, and crafting consumables, as well as a merchant who sells various helpful items that can give players an edge. There’s also an NPC who lets players augment theirFirst Berserker: Khazanweapons and armorso players can sacrifice something more powerful to boost their existing gear in case they have favorites they don’t want to give up.
It would have been nice to be able to travel directly from one Blade Nexus to another, but it’s good to visit The Crevice regularly anyway. The NPCs players collect there are important characters from the world that sometimes have interesting things to say that expand the lore, so they’re worth chatting with from time to time.
That being said, those looking for the deceptively deep lore of FromSoftware’s games or even a more exciting, traditionally-told story are going to be disappointed withThe First Berserker: Khazan. The set-up is that protagonist General Khazan has found himself captured and is on the brink of death, only to get possessed by a powerful ghost that gives him extra powers, but has his own agenda. None of the characters are particularly fleshed-out or interesting, and while there are occasionally visually striking cut-scenes,First Berserker: Khazan’s storydoesn’t offer much for players to get invested in, though mileage may vary for hardcoreDungeon Fighter Onlinefans. Regardless, it doesn’t help that there are many cutscenes that play out like motion comics instead of being fully animated.
It’s a shame that certain scenes are wasted on the cheap motion comic look becauseFirst Berserker: Khazan’s unique art stylelends itself well to impressive visuals. The game blends an anime-inspired look for its characters with dark, more realistic environments. It creates a compelling contrast that makesThe First Berserker: Khazana treat for the eyes, elevated by how smooth all the action is. Character designs are fairly generic anime fare, outside the creative bosses and enemies, but they still pop against the game’s backgrounds.
First Berserker: Khazan’s game design in general is generic in many ways, though it does have some unique ideas.First Berserker: Khazan’s summoning system is especially interesting, with players able to fight against phantoms in exchange for currency that can be used to summon and fight with a phantom during boss battles or used to upgrade the phantoms and make them more useful. The summons themselves provide a huge advantage in boss fights and are another way to make the tough battles easier, though they will die pretty quickly if players don’t keep the bosses focused on Khazan.
First Berserker: Khazanisn’t exactly overflowing with originality, but it offers an exciting, rewarding Soulslike experience with weighty combat and challenging bosses. Fans of the genre shouldn’t hesitate to pick it up, but those turned off by the high difficulty in Soulslikes hoping that Easy mode would be their way inmay want to try the demo first.
WHERE TO PLAY
The First Berserker: Khazanlaunches March 27 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X. Game Rant was provided with an Xbox Series X code for this review.
