The First Berserker: Khazan Guide – 15 Essential Tips and Tricks

Neople Developer has emphasized the importance of games being engaging rather than draining, hinting that excessive stress in a tough game may drive players away. However, this philosophy doesn’t imply that The First Berserker: Khazan, their new Souls-like action RPG, will be a walk in the park. On the contrary, it is ready to test your mettle and can prove challenging, sometimes overwhelming, and more than capable of delivering a tough beat.

The General has numerous paths to success in addition to understanding all that life presents him. Without any delay, let me share 15 useful strategies you should consider when playing the game “The First Berserker: Khazan“.

In this version, I’ve tried to keep the essence of your text while making it more conversational and easy to read for the average reader.

Prioritize Vitality at the Start

As an enthusiastic player, I’d recommend focusing on Vitality in your early stages. This stat boost isn’t just about increasing your health, but also provides minor enhancements to your damage output and overall resilience against diverse elements. Additionally, it helps reduce the weight of your equipment – a significant advantage in the game. Initially, it might seem tempting to distribute your stat upgrades evenly, but trust me, focusing on Vitality at the start is a wise choice!

Choosing a Weapon

In the game “The First Berserker: Khazan”, you’ll find three types of weapons: spear, axe, sword, and greatsword. Each of these weapons scales with a primary and secondary stat. It’s advisable to focus more on upgrading the former for increased damage output. There is some shared scaling among the weapons, but let me elaborate: proficiency plays a key role in the spear’s scaling, while Willpower serves as a minor stat. Conversely, Willpower becomes a major scaling stat for both the axe and sword. Allocate your upgrades as you see fit, but be aware that the overall damage of both weapons may take a hit regardless.

Even though you start with an item called Primal Regression Orb for resetting your stats, I didn’t find any more drops like this during my gaming session. This orb becomes craftable later in the game, usually after defeating Observers in a manner that seems quite absurd. So, make sure to choose your weapon carefully and hold onto that one Orb if it’s not performing well for you. You can adjust and modify things in the late game if needed or when you feel bored.

Useful Skills

Most of my playtime involves wielding the spear. Essentially, prioritize learning Moonlight Stance and Full Moon abilities. The Moonlight Stance enhances your attacks with trailing after-images for extra damage. Additionally, it can deal damage while Brink Dodging and even block damage from an evaded attack. Full Moon is a powerful charged attack that gradually weakens bosses’ Fortitude, and it’s less susceptible to interruptions. To amplify Fortitude damage, consider adding Assault. For ranged attacks capable of destroying projectiles, opt for Winged Eagle. Lastly, Heatwave offers additional defense. Don’t forget to acquire skills that minimize stamina consumption while blocking or dodging.

It’s essential not to overlook the versatile abilities that aren’t weapon-specific. Focus on enhancing your Spirit through maneuvers like dodging, taking damage, parrying, and attacking. Opt for the skill that restores health when you perform fierce attacks from the front. Additionally, boosting Counterstrike damage and skills related to Phantom Form can be advantageous too.

Special Cleanse Potions

In this game, Khazan attracts various status effects, so it’s wise to stock up on purifying potions as their effectiveness can range from useful to completely ineffective. Unfortunately, the vendor never seems to have any cleansing potions, not even during the final stages of the game. However, there is an alternative solution. As you progress, you’ll come across enemies known as Corrupted Creations. Instead of using recovery items when fighting these enemies, try to defeat them without using any. Once you manage to do so, a recipe for the Special Cleanse Potion will become available. This potion allows you to remove any unwanted status effects from your character. Please note that defeating the boss form of a Corrupted Creation does not unlock this recipe.

Throwables are Underrated

It’s possible that you believe that boosters, which increase the elemental harm of your assaults, are optimal choices. However, it’s worth noting that throwable items such as elemental fuels and essences are often underestimated. These can be thrown from a safe distance, dealing reasonable but not extraordinary damage (so using many of them makes sense). With numerous bosses possessing grab attacks and complex combos, throwables serve as a useful method to maintain damage output without exposing yourself to excessive risk.

Properly Executing Counterstrikes

If you’re finding it tough to perform Counterstrikes effectively, it might be beneficial to master techniques that decrease the activation time and widen the window for counterattacks. Rather than activating at the exact moment the icon flashes, consider doing so just before an enemy’s attack is about to reach you. Keep in mind that different enemies and bosses have distinct windows between the flashing icon and their actual attack, so adapt accordingly. If you’re having difficulty identifying this window, focus on a specific enemy type and then head to The Crevice’s Training Grounds to practice.

Dodging Burst Attacks

If you’re not too sure about your Counter-strike skills, consider dodging instead. This move could help you avoid the full impact of an attack, especially during early to mid-game when attacks can be particularly harsh. Keep in mind that you can’t block these attacks, but a well-timed dodge will let you slip away unscathed.

Don’t Get Grabbed, Don’t Get Grabbed, Don’t Get Grabbed

In The First Berserker: Khazan, one type of intense assaults to watch out for are grab attacks. These cannot be blocked and a large portion of them have powerful tracking, making it crucial to dodge. However, keep in mind that they’re more frequent than you might anticipate, appearing not just in most bosses but also in a significant number of smaller adversaries. The spear’s Moonlight Stance is particularly beneficial because one of its abilities grants an additional dodge right after the first, providing extra space between you and an enemy’s bothersome grabs.

Delays Between Dodging and Blocking

In simpler terms, when you try to dodge and simultaneously press the block button, there’s a short pause before the block takes effect. This slight lag can feel prolonged, especially in intense combat situations. If you quickly dodge one attack, then another enemy immediately counters with an attack (and let’s not forget about groups), it’s easy to take damage because of this block delay. Additionally, there’s also a brief pause when you rapidly press the block button, so try to avoid that.

When to Start Crafting

After rescuing the Blacksmith and getting his hammer back during a side quest, crafting options will be unlocked for you. Feel free to break down any surplus equipment that’s accumulated in your storage for crafting materials.

Instead of creating items straight away, it might be wiser to wait as better loot becomes available at higher levels. Crafting should primarily be used for filling gaps in your character’s build. In the later stages of the game, focus on obtaining the Soul Eater set, as having three pieces will provide benefits such as stamina recovery, health recovery upon defeating enemies, and increased stamina.

Which Gear Perks to Prioritize

In this role-playing game, you’ll find action-based gameplay featuring items, equipment sets, bonus perks from those sets, and various rarity levels. But be cautious: in the later stages, simply upgrading numbers and seeing blue arrows when switching to better gear isn’t always beneficial. Instead, focus on understanding the distinct stats and how they enhance your current setup. Aim for boosts in raw damage and aspects like defense and health for improved survivability.

Additionally appealing features include reduced damage taken and increased charged attack power, particularly beneficial for the spear’s Full Moon. I generally advise steering clear of perks that activate when your health is at 100%, but if you’re a pro, feel free to take advantage of them. If there’s any uncertainty about a specific stat, press R3 while hovering over the item, and you’ll get a comprehensive explanation.

Phantom Form Sucks

The Phantom Form isn’t great to begin with, but it has its uses over time. Its damage output is weak, and you can be continuously staggered which can be frustrating against armored enemies like Elites and bosses. However, Khazan remains unscathed in this form and there’s no drain on your stamina. This means you can absorb a lot of damage, keep dodging, parry attacks, and even perform Brutal Attacks. Use it when surrounded by enemies or as a safety measure against a boss’s powerful attack. You’ll recognize it when it happens.

More Damage vs. Brutal Attacks Against Exhausted Enemies

Once you’ve stunned your opponents, your initial reaction may be to initiate a Powerful Strike for increased damage, and that’s a smart move. However, as you gain access to more abilities, you might find yourself debating between adding additional blows or swiftly executing the Powerful Strike and recuperating some health. For example, the spear’s Assault: Descent skill inflicts greater damage when the target is stunned (or “drained,” as the game refers to it). Spending too much time might result in missing the opportunity to perform the Powerful Strike and restoring your health. Adjust your strategy accordingly.

Spirit of Adversity Uses

After repeatedly facing defeat by the boss, it might seem appealing to battle some Spirits of Adversity to increase your character’s level. However, this may not be the most effective way to gain XP (unless you’re significantly underleveled). A more beneficial approach would be to utilize these spirits to acquire additional gear, Spirit Orbs (an essential ingredient for creating throwables), and Lacrima of Circulation, which are handy for summoning Spirits of Cooperation to assist in boss battles.

Complete Side Missions at Your Own Pace

If you jump straight into the main quest without leveling up enough first, you might find yourself facing bosses that are too difficult. You could try fighting the boss repeatedly to gain some pity Lacrima, but it’s likely better to tackle side missions instead. These missions not only offer additional Phantoms and experience points, but they also provide opportunities to collect gear. Even if the gear drops aren’t great, you can still dismantle them for materials or trade them for more experience points.

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2025-03-27 15:15