Neople, developer of Dungeon Fighter Online, have extended their universe in a big way with The First Berserker: Khazan. A Soulslike in all but name, the hard-hitting, anime art style game is not for the faint-hearted, be it in the gameplay or revenge-based storyline, but as much of a rollercoaster as it can be, the real question is, is it any good?
The First Berserker: Khazan is a Beginner’s Introduction
Before release, the developers Neople were adamant that The First Berserker: Khazan absolutely isn’t a Soulslike, in fact, it’s an action RPG. After many hours with it, I can safely say that to the average gamer, they’re going to think it’s a Soulslike, just with some twists. Some incredibly beneficial twists.
Telling the story of Khazan – a long-dead and forgotten General in the original Dungeon Fighter Online lore -, The First Berserker: Khazan takes us on a winding road of new powers, supernatural elements, massive boss fights, and a revenge theme that’d make John Wick blush.
The First Berserker: Khazan shares A LOT of similarities to Soulsborne/Soulslike games, with the over-the-top boss fights, difficult-to-kill and respawning enemies, limited health replenishments, and more besides, but it also has some stark differences. Not only does it have difficulty levels, making the game easier (not by much) for those who need it, but it also has a mechanic that is a potential game-changer. Everyone knows the feeling of getting a boss in Elden Ring, Bloodborne, etc to its last hit, and being vanquished before managing it can be incredibly frustrating, with the added loss of currency a double hit. Well, The First Berserker: Khazan softens the blow somewhat by giving players some Lacrima (the game’s experience points) every time they lose to an end-level boss.
This softens the blow, minimizing frustration somewhat, but also helps you to continually get better with every attempt. Stuck on one of the many bosses for five hours? Well, beyond learning determination, it also means you’re leveling up constantly. Patience and the aforementioned determination are still required, but every attempt felt worthwhile because of this, and they changed over time as I’d be unlocking different skills and attributes to help me change up my playstyle – all whilst fighting the same boss.
Talking of skills and attributes, The First Berserker: Khazan has a plethora of different armor options, and the regularity you find and pick up news one will make strengthening yourself a breeze, if somewhat difficult to part with some of the cooler looking items so quickly. The three different weapon types all come with their own skill trees, so you’ll be able to focus on one, or become a Jack-of-all-Trades and try to master them all. During my playthrough, I ended up focusing on the Dual Blades for speed, whereas the Spear enabled a longer reach, and the Greatsword had higher damage.
With a game like The First Berserker: Khazan, it lives and dies in its combat, and thankfully, I can say that it’s a high-level, highly energetic hit. It reminded me of Bloodborne in the sense that whilst patience will be needed, a lot of the enemies and bosses’ main weakness is being on the front foot and taking the fight to them. Learn their patterns, sure, but unleash hell when you have the opportunity.
The First Berserker: Khazan has a lot of its own twists on various established mechanics in the Soulslike/Action RPG genre and some work, some don’t. Being made to earn allies (not online, but AI-controlled), by beating their evil counterparts is a particularly nice touch. Nothing is given to you in this game, and this is just one example. Beat the Spirit of Adversary to get a token to allow you to summon a Spirit of Advocacy, and make those boss battles a little easier. Albeit not a lot. The linear nature of each level rather than a huge, sprawling open world like others in the genre is a masterful touch by Neople as well, minimizing the overwhelming nature of those games and adding to the feeling of real progression with each hour spent in-game.
From entire skill trees to enticing combat, even those with no experience of Dungeon Fighter Online (or Action RPG/Soulslikes) will have fun with The First Berserker: Khazan. It offers a range of different mechanics that haven’t been possible to cover for spoiler reasons, and the power fantasy is real with Khazan, as he’ll be nearly unrecognizable by the end of your journey with him, compared to the weak, near-death version you began with.
The First Berserker: Khazan follows Khazan, the supposed traitorous General as he finds the answers to why he was betrayed, all the while dealing with supernatural forces beyond comprehension.
Summary
A beginner’s introduction to difficult games, The First Berserker: Khazan has many of the accessibility options Soulslikes/Action RPG fans have cried out for, and it does it all with an excellent combat system, interesting lore and story, and some fine visuals.
HOURS PLAYED: 25
PLAYED ON: PS5
- Accessibility options like difficulty levels are a much-needed addition in the genre.
- Beautiful anime-inspired visuals, brutal kills, no-holds-barred action.
- Innovative method of gaining experience even through failure at boss attempts.
- Only once, but it crashed mid-battle.
- The Spirit of Advocacy AI has them running into death.
The First Berserker: Khazan releases on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC on March 27th.
For more Thumb Wars Reviews, check out our thoughts on Monster Hunter Wilds, or how long it takes to beat The First Berserker: Khazan This and every Thumb Wars review is featured on OpenCritic.
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Luke Addison is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Thumb Wars. Having previously been a part of multiple outlets over the years, including building an entire gaming team from nothing to something, he thought it best to forge his own path and answer only to himself. As likely to be found playing the latest game as he is in the kitchen relaxing (by cooking), he always brings the same bold and brash attitude to everything he does, with a heavy leaning on sarcasm and dry wit!
