Action RPG

The First Berserker: Khazan Review In Progress

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Over the past week and a half, The First Berserker: Khazan has left me drained. My hands are sore, my thoughts feel muddled, and I’ve had to walk away quite a few times due to sheer frustration. This game is incredibly challenging, pushing for near-perfection in its most demanding moments. I’m gradually making progress through this Soulslike expansion of Neople’s Dungeon & Fighter universe, and it’s no exaggeration to say it’s given me quite a struggle – which is one reason I still have some way to go before I can complete my review. However, much like a fresh recruit in the military, it’s worn me down and, over time, transformed me into a formidable force ready to tackle whatever nightmarish challenges lie ahead. Despite encountering seemingly impossible obstacles for hours on end, I’ve somehow found myself immersed and exhilarated by the battles that push me to my limits.

Title Translation: The First Berserker: Khazan – A Tale of Revenge

Khazan: The First Berserker is a timeless tale of retribution. Khazan, an esteemed military leader, experiences betrayal from his empire and is falsely accused as a traitor. Injured severely during capture, he miraculously recovers but finds himself controlled by a formidable horde of vengeful spirit warriors – collectively known as The Blade Phantom. This spectral entity serves the underworld’s interests, while Khazan is driven to seek retaliation against those who wronged him.

The narrative sets up an intriguing foundation by interweaving political machinations of the medieval era with otherworldly forces seeping into existence. However, the subsequent storyline has primarily been lacking in depth and impact beyond this initial premise.

As Khazan journeys, he encounters diverse characters, but they don’t significantly impact the narrative in a way that makes me feel invested in the story. A place called The Crevice serves as a central hub filled with intriguing visuals like floating stone sanctuaries and mysterious staircases. However, there aren’t many interactive activities beyond managing inventory or moving to the next mission area. The Crevice could have been a richly immersive environment, but it seems more like a technical requirement for collecting side quests, crafting, upgrading, and enhancing Khazan’s gear rather than an area to explore and deepen the storyline.

As a seasoned warrior like Khazan, I’ve got an arsenal ready for taking down foes – it took me some time, though, to feel like I truly matched his skill level. My introduction to The First Berserker came with a mission that showcased the versatility of his weaponry. You can select from three distinct options: wielding the heavy and sluggish yet defensive greatsword, the swift and stamina-draining spear, or the frenetic dual blades that spin at a whirlwind pace. I appreciate how each weapon type offers a different playstyle, with unique move sets ranging from strategic defense to full-on offensive attacks.

Khazan feels way different than he did at the start roughly 40 hours ago.

Each weapon comes equipped with an extensive skill system that amplifies Khazan’s performance in combat. The branches on these skill trees modify your standard attacks, such as adjusting the behavior of your charged Potent Blow (or heavy attack), modifying the consumption of stamina for actions like dodging and blocking, or offering new maneuvers by spending a resource called Spirit Points during battle. My Khazan now plays quite differently compared to when I started around 40 hours ago. There are numerous customization options available as you level up Khazan, and it’s been quite enjoyable discovering which moves and abilities complement my playstyle best, helping me navigate through the intensifying conflicts with ease.

In The First Berserker game, you can easily switch among your three weapons at any time, but each weapon has distinct abilities, making a quick swap feel more like a significant transformation and inconvenience. For example, in Dark Souls games, most weapons essentially offer light and heavy attacks, with perhaps an extra ability when wielded two-handed. However, The First Berserker’s weapons allow for up to six Spirit attacks and further customization options within the skill tree. This can be overwhelming when selecting a specialized class. Consequently, I’ve chosen to specialize in dual blades during my gameplay, continuously refining my skills with each major battle. Fortunately, you can freely reallocate skill points if you ever decide to switch to a greatsword or spear. Unfortunately, the process of reallocating points on the fly is complex and frustrating enough that I’ve chosen to stick with one type of weapon throughout.

When starting the mainline missions in The First Berserker, its structure closely resembles what’s typical in a soulslike game. Each level requires defeating dangerous foes guarding the area, managing scarce healing resources, gathering loot from fallen enemies, and utilizing these items to upgrade at this game’s version of a bonfire, known as a Blade Nexus. Although it doesn’t introduce anything new compared to FromSoftware’s games, The First Berserker effectively recreates the familiar loop by cleverly designing levels with shortcuts that lead back to previous safe zones.

At the conclusion of each mission, you’ll find yourself in a tough battle against the local boss, who serves as a significant challenge preventing further progress in The First Berserker. Initially, I found these battles daunting, but they’ve grown on me over time. The first major encounter I had trouble with was the final boss of Mission 2, an entity resembling the souls inhabiting our protagonist. Its close-range attacks were lethal, and it frequently switched weapons to keep me guessing. After numerous failed attempts and unexpected weapon swaps from my opponent, I realized a new strategy was necessary. Another early boss, a bipedal goat demon armed with a flaming spike and hammer, caused a lot of trouble by dealing heavy blows and occasionally igniting the battlefield with flames. At first, I attempted to defeat weaker enemies within the level to collect Khazan’s equivalent of souls, called Lacrima, to enhance my stats and improve my chances of survival. This helped some, but it wasn’t enough to turn the tide. I then scrutinized my equipment and decided on a more durable build. Unfortunately, this didn’t work either.

What was once a peak point of frustration has become my favorite part of The First Berserker.

In The First Berserker game, your superiors are incredibly challenging and remorselessly tough from the get-go, resembling an unyielding wall at times. Smaller adversaries serve as a guide on how to tackle specific aspects of bosses, but they do little to prepare you for what’s expected further along. Unlike other games where you might discover powerful items or boost your stats to break through such barriers, there’s no such convenience here. Even in grueling games like Elden Ring, early bosses like Margit can be conquered with some strategic preparation beforehand, but that’s not an available strategy here. This sudden increase in difficulty almost made me abandon the game after a few initial levels, but I’m glad I persevered.

Mastering each boss’s unique strategies, recognizing when to evade or defend, is crucial in The First Berserker. This skill set was essential for me to find enjoyment amidst challenging circumstances. Initially, perfecting these techniques felt tedious and nearly broke my gaming spirit. However, executing well-timed defensive maneuvers like damage blocks or rolls, followed by strategic counterattacks, became vital. Some bosses in the early stages of the campaign consumed as much as five hours of my time individually, often leaving me questioning if reducing the difficulty from Normal to Easy might be beneficial to alleviate stress. These formidable enemies tested my perseverance, but once I surmounted that initial hurdle, established a foundation for my response options, and tailored my attack strategy, I became more adept at handling subsequent ones.

Initially, The First Berserker’s challenging bosses used to be a source of frustration for me. However, they’ve now transformed into my favorite aspect of the game. Despite being tough to defeat, each boss is like an open book, revealing their upcoming moves and strategies. Every time I fail, it’s a learning opportunity that I eagerly embrace. Each attempt offers a fresh chance to improve my skills and strategy. Yes, there are instances of cheap attacks, instant kills, and occasional blunders, but studying these bosses has become as rewarding as the satisfaction of finally defeating them.

As a devoted fan, I’ve found myself overcoming seemingly impossible challenges within The First Berserker, and it’s all thanks to two thoughtful design choices by Neople that have greatly enhanced my gaming experience.

Firstly, instead of dying repeatedly at a boss being a fruitless endeavor, it now yields valuable Lacrima, the further I manage to deplete their life force. Each upgrade I purchase with these hard-earned Lacrima brings me a step closer the next time around, and the levels I gain from grinding the boss I’m trying to conquer are far more beneficial than wasting time farming elsewhere.

Secondly, skill points are doled out independently of the levels gained by cashing in Lacrima, but rather are earned through an old-school experience bar that fills up simply by engaging in combat. These skill points don’t directly boost my stats, but they do enable me to unlock new moves and enhance existing favorites, which can be the key to success when facing a particularly tenacious encounter.

At last, I’ve gotten the hang of each mission’s requirements and acquired abilities that make me feel prepared for any challenge. What really keeps me going is the formidable bosses in Khazan. They’ve made the somewhat dull levels and endless enemies more bearable. It’s been a tough, occasionally disheartening journey to master my skills and stats, but the thrill of pulling off quick countermoves and evasions to dodge constant attacks and strike back with a barrage of blows is exhilarating. If I weren’t reviewing it, there might have been a point where I took an extended break. But now that I know I can tackle whatever Khazan has thrown my way (thus far), I can’t wait to finish the game.

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2025-03-24 18:53

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