The First Berserker: Khazan is the latest game to take inspiration from Demon’s Souls and put its own spin on the gameplay that FromSoftware perfected. Set in the incredibly popular Dungeon Fighter Online Universe (the same as the fighting game DNF Duel); it’s a gorgeous-looking soulslike with an anime art style. Developer Neople has done a great job creating a rewarding combat system that rewards aggressive yet strategic play.
The general gameplay loop will be quite familiar to fans of Dark Souls or Elden Ring. You go through winding levels facing off against a wide range of foes, collecting souls — called “lacrima” in this — in order to level up, and slowly make progress by unlocking shortcuts until you reach a terrifying boss fight that will absolutely destroy you upon your first go. The fun is always in figuring out attack patterns and coming up with a strategy that allows you to overcome the challenge that once seemed impossible.
What Khazan does well — and what a lot of soulslikes struggle with — is making sure the core combat feels satisfying and fair. Fights can often be decided upon by stamina management, as blocking and parrying attacks can make an opponent tire out quickly, allowing players to unleash brutal attacks (which are even more effective from the back) once their foe is exhausted. This goes both ways, though, so players have to be careful to fight with measured aggression. This makes boss encounters incredibly tense, as each fight has several key moments where a few mistakes can result in either disaster or the ultimate triumph.
There’s not a wild amount of different weapons on display: you’ve got dual blades, greatsword, and spears to choose from. While that makes it a bit more limited in customizability, there are full skill trees for each weapon type, still allowing for a lot of trial and error and mastery. While I preferred the dual blades, as they’re the most balanced of the three — with the greatsword leaning towards pure attack power and the spear being great for reach and stamina — I would recommend checking out all three and figuring out what best fits your play style. I’m looking forward to spending more time with the other options, which adds even more replayability.
It’s more than a bit reductive to call a game “anime Dark Souls,” as Code Vein was labeled that back in 2019, but Khazan’s style is one of its biggest strengths. The game features some really beautiful cel-shaded art design, which looks really stunning in motion. The later bosses have some particularly cool forms and attacks, which help the game have its own identity. I’m not super familiar with Dungeon Fighter Online, but that didn’t keep me from enjoying this any (although I’m sure fans will get an even bigger kick out of it).
The First Berserker: Khazan also features an easy mode, an often requested feature in Soulslike that is sacrilege to some. I’m all for the addition, as it allows players to get more familiar with the game and its systems while making progress rather than hitting their heads against the same boss or having to grind in areas to acquire souls slowly. The main game is quite challenging, so nothing has been lost by this inclusion. It should be noted that once you go into easy mode, you are stuck there for the rest of your playthrough. Plus, you’ll be unable to unlock some trophies, so make sure to be sure about your decision or give it an honest go at first to make sure you want to turn it down.
The First Berserker: Khazan Review: Final Verdict
Nexon’s The First Berserker: Khazan is another great entry into the soulslike canon. Filled with style, satisfying combat, and some very difficult boss encounters, this is a rewarding game that goes above being a derivative of what’s currently popular. It’s also a solid entry point, thanks to an optional easy mode that allows for less experienced players to still make progress and see its anime-influenced story to the end.
SCORE: 8.5/10
As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 8.5 equates to “Great.” While there are a few minor issues, this score means that the art succeeds at its goal and leaves a memorable impact.
Disclosure: The publisher provided a digital PS5 copy for our The First Berserker: Khazan review. Reviewed on version 1.002.021.
