The First Berserker: Khazan Review: A Challenging Soulslike with a Strong Visual Identity

It’s fair to say the Soulslike genre isn’t as popular as it was 5 or 10 years ago, and new releases don’t come around as often as they used to. Which is why it’s good to celebrate when a new one comes along. The First Berserker: Khazan is a bloody, brutal and beautiful addition to the genre, with just enough new ideas to keep it fresh and exciting.

Coming to us from Korean developer Neople, Khazan is actually not a completely new property. In fact, the character and lore of the world originate in their previous Dungeon & Fighter series of fighting games that have been around since the mid 2000’s. But you don’t need to have played any of those previous games to enjoy Khazan, as I can fully attest. Literally. I hadn’t even heard of the DnF series of games before playing this, so just bear that in mind if you are a fan.

You play as the titular Khazan, who may be the first berserker, but starts out chained up in a cell with shattered arms whilst being transported to a snowy castle in the mountains. One avalanche leads to another and you end up barely escaping with your life, mainly due to being inhabited by some strange presence who seems intent on using your body for nefarious deeds. Luckily, this being also gives you super strength with which to fight off against the guards hunting you down. 

The First Berserker is a Soulslike, and as such all the standard combat mechanics are here. Light attack, heavy attack, charged attack, dodge, block, parry, critical hits, drop attacks — you name it, Khazan has it. You traverse from checkpoint to checkpoint, leveling up at totems, where you also revive whilst enemies reset every time you die. All standard stuff for a Soulslike.

Combat is challenging and unforgiving at times, with each encounter requiring skill and patience to overcome. You have several different combat options based on the types of weapons you use. From greatswords and spears, to dual wielding axes, there’s a decent variety to suit your preferred playstyle. Attacks feel weighty and impactful, as well as absolutely brutal, as blood flies across the battlefield and enemies are torn limb from limb. Particular focus is on the parry system, with timing deflections and balancing stamina meters being key, akin to games like Sekiro. It’s great fun, with the flow of encounters setting a rhythm of constant killing and moving forward. 

The devs have been kind enough to add a difficulty system for those who may find it a bit too tough to handle though, bafflingly, they only offer this AFTER beating the first major boss. Surely if you bounce off the game’s challenge before this, you want the option to lower difficulty from the outset? It’s a strange decision, and one I hope they adjust in a future update.

Speaking of bosses, they’re really enjoyable. Balancing technical challenge with spectacle makes each unique and memorable. They have the Elden Ring tendency to string long combos together, but everything is well telegraphed and features a lot of variety in movesets and attack timings. They do make for a significant challenge, although one nice feature is every time you die to a boss, you’re actually given a small amount of soul items (known as Lacrima in this game) meaning bashing your head against a brick wall becomes easier as you can eventually increase your level or buy items to assist. 

These items include a vast array of consumables, as well as weapons and armour. Khazan implements a sort of loot system in this regard. Throughout your journey you’ll pick up loot from enemies and bosses alike, much of which will be the same or similar pieces of armour or weapons. However each has its own set of stats and buffs, meaning no two pieces of equipment are ever quite the same. Armour sets also receive buffs when paired together and even with adjacent weapons, so there’s much to consider when choosing what gear to use. It’s not an overwhelming system by any means, though you will be spending more time in menus going through gear trying to match up the best items more often than you may like.

There’s also a skill tree, which is unlocked separately through a hidden experience meter, which gives you access to a whole new range of attack options and skills. You can also buy items using a separate cash currency too. This all comes together to create a combat system that’s fun, varied and satisfying to pull off, giving you plenty of options for trial and experimentation, and rewarding those who delve deeper into the game’s systems.

The First Berserker sticks to a traditional linear level design, with various disconnected zones each being essentially a straight line to a boss fight at the end. However many of the levels do demonstrate some nice interconnectedness within themselves. Yes, the whole “door does not open from this side” trope is in full effect here. Think of it like the design of Demon’s Souls; the levels themselves are separate, but each twists and wraps around on itself in interesting ways. Enemy variety is good, though towards the end of a level you will tire of seeing the same few enemy types over and over. Luckily they do develop as you traverse new areas, and they always pose a new and significant threat you have to counter.

These enemies can be tough, as can the boss battles, but The First Berserker implements an NPC summon system much like we’ve seen in titles like Lies of P and Lords of the Fallen. However, it’s fair to say the implementation here isn’t great. Basically, in order to have an opportunity to summon an NPC, you have to acquire a very rare resource which can only be gained by inviting an NPC invader into your world and defeating them. This leads to you having to grind the same NPC invaders over and over just for a chance of having assistance for a difficult boss. 

But not only that, these NPCs aren’t actually all that helpful, and often die barely a quarter of the way into any encounter. Yes, they can be leveled up to make them stronger, but that ALSO uses the same rare resource, making them even scarcer for when you do actually want to use them. It’s a system I am not a fan of, so be wary if you do like to use help for boss fights.

But summons aside, The First Berserker really is a great time. I haven’t even mentioned the stunning visuals yet. The game uses a cel-shaded aesthetic to great effect, giving characters and worlds a strong visual identity. Even little details like the way your footprints carve a path through snow makes you feel truly invested into where you are and what you're doing. And that’s to say nothing of the gorgeous vistas you often encounter, which the game seems very keen for you to see every time you enter a new level, accompanying a panoramic shot of the skyline with text of where you now are. 

The audio design is similarly great, and accompanies the visuals perfectly. Particular mention needs to go to the brutal sound effects during critical attacks that are heavy and absolutely disgusting in equal measure. I would say the music isn’t the best I’ve heard from this genre of game. It’s serviceable and does the job, but is largely forgettable relative to everything else.

The First Berserker won’t necessarily push the action Soulslike genre forward, but it nails what it sets out to do in most areas, and is a brilliantly fun title to play. The combat is enjoyable, with lots of variety to fit your playstyle. Fights require skill to learn and understand move sets. Boss fights are tough and satisfying to defeat. Levels have a nice flow and demonstrate a good understanding of interconnected design. And it's all wrapped up in a gorgeous cel-shaded aesthetic. If you’re a fan of Soulslikes, or brutal action games, you really should play The First Berserker: Khazan. And if you’ve never played these types of games before, this is a great starting point.