Every time a new Soulslike releases, players are going to feel a need to compare it toFromSoftware’s near-flawless libraryof games.
Is it as challenging? Are the levels as intricate? And does it bring over the same build customization and depth that major titles such asElden RingandDark Soulshave at their core?
While these are all valid questions to ask when playing a new game clearly inspired by those classic titles, the most important thing to question is if it brings anything new to the table.
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Mandatory deaths and lessons for posterity are FromSoftware’s core values.
The First Berserker: Khazan answers a clear yes to that, bringinga unique experience to players that carves itself a spot as one of the best Soulslike of recent memory.
The First Berserker: Khazan isn’t perfect, though, and some caveats keep it from reaching the top of the genre.Some choices are questionable, in both its build customization and level design, which will have diehard Souls fans frustrated throughout its approximately 40-hour story.
Still, what Neople crafted here with The First Berserker: Khazan is nothing short of exhilarating, and any Souls player, or action RPG fan, should give it a try.
In this review, we take a deeper look at what The First Berserker: Khazan does wrong, and most importantly, what it does right.
A Similiar Structure, With Differentiating Elements
Right off the bat, players will instantly notice the similarities between The First Berserker: Khazan and other titles in the genre.
An introduction to the “bonfire” mechanic is immediate, which the game likes to call Blade Nexus, a mechanic that resets the entire level and is a safe space for players to upgrade their character.
Unlike “checkpoints” from other Souls games, however, The First Berserker: Khazan’s Blade Nexuses offers more than just a place to level up.
Players can also unlock Phantoms and access Khazan’s Memories, two mechanics that add layers of depth to overall customization.
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Phantoms are invisible characters that follow you on your journey, each providing a different buff to Khazan. Some buffs include a Health Recovery increase, Guard Stamina DMG Decrease, a Ranged Attack increase, etc.
While it’s only possible to have one equipped at a time, players can switch between them freely as long as they have the specific item required to unlock it.
Additionally, each Phantom has its own upgrade path that requires rare and hidden items, encouraging the player to explore in order to create a stronger character overall.
As for Khazan’s Memories, it’s a place where players can spend Vengeance Points (earned by completing missions) to upgrade crucial stats such as Stamina DMG, overall Damage, and DMG Multiplier. It’s another layer of character progression that makes it feel like you’re consistently making progress, outside the traditional leveling system.
It’s not simply about character progression at the Blade Nexus, though.Khazan’s Memories also allows players to replay cutscenes and read journal logs from previous missions, as well as view an in-depth relationship menu to further understand thegame’s characters and lore.
While it’s nice to piece the puzzle together yourself in Souls games, and there’s something special about the mystery of it all, having it presented to the player clear as day in The First Berserker: Khazan’s relationship menu makes it easier to appreciate the lore Neople has created.
Levels Can Grow Bland Fast
The First Berserker: Khazan has some great level layouts that can be fun to explore, but none of them are detailed enough to be considered memorable or leave a mark on the Souls subgenre.
Unfortunately, the first level, which was playable in the demo version before launch, is arguably the best-looking location of the entire game.
By the time you reach the 10-hour mark, you pretty much know the aesthetic style of all the levels going forward.
The First Berserker: Khazan opts for a foggy and samey look throughout the rest of its duration, except for a handful of segments, which makes progressing less enjoyable than it could have been.
By the time you reach the 10-hour mark, you pretty much know the aesthetic style of all the levelsgoing forward.
Unlike other Soulslike games, such asLies of PorLords of the Fallen, where each level was unique compared to the last, The First Berserker: Khazan went the safe route.
I’m not sure if it was budget constraints or simply more of a focus on the boss designs and combat, but it’s hard not to feel disappointed when it comes to the way these levels look.
However, the actual level layouts are quite good and feel like a true Soulslike. Labyrinthe-style hallways, secret shortcuts leading back to the Blade Nexus for resting, deadly traps to avoid instant death, and even narrow pillars to carefully navigate are all present here.
The Most Incredible and Hardest Boss Fights in the Genre
Now, for the moment everyone has been waiting for: how are the bosses in The First Berserker: Khazan? Let me tell you, this game hassome of the best bosses I have ever fought in any Soulslikegame to date.
Let me tell you something else: these bosses are some of the hardest I have ever fought in a video game, period. The First Berserker: Khazan’s main bosses will test your reflexes to the nth degree, leaving almost zero room for error.
Unlike other Souls games, where you can beat bosses by deciding between blocking or dodging, The First Berserker forces you to get good ateverythingto defeat its challenging foes.
The feeling of satisfaction one can get from finally defeating a boss that has halted progression for numerous hours is stronger than any Souls game of recent memory.
You need to learn how to counter, how to perfect block, when to dodge, item management, manage stamina, remove status effects, etc.
Each of the game’s 16 main bosses will test your patience to almost the point of exhaustion, where each will take upwards of 20, maybe 30 tries, to defeat depending on skill level.
And you know what? It’s amazing. The feeling of satisfaction one can get from finally defeating a boss that has halted progression for numerous hours is stronger than any Souls game of recent memory.
Players will gradually see progress with each attempt. Slowly understanding the moveset of the boss, learning when to attack and when to take a cautious approach, and watching that large health bar become shorter than the previous attempt.
It’s a challenge that requires the player’s full attention and demands to be studied, or else you will ultimately meet your demise, again, and again, and again.
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Even though these bosses will kill you quickly, they’re all fair and don’t include artificial difficulty. The game wants the player to achieve success.
For example,each time the player dies to a boss, they are rewarded with Lacrima (a resource used to level up) to help with the next attempt. In other words, you don’t have togo elsewhere to farm.
Luckily, while the game is absolutely brutal in its boss fights, the journey to their locations isn’t all that bad. The standard enemies throughout the levels are mainly here to provide Lacrima and can be ripped through easily, in ahack-and-slash stylesimilar to Devil May Cry.
An Overwhelming Amount of Loot
The biggest drawback of The First Berserker: Khazan is its loot system and how it works with build customization. Unfortunately,the game only has three weapon options to choose from.
While each weapon has its own progression tree with unique skills, allowing for customization in the character’s moveset, it would have been nice to have more weapon options to prevent combat from growing stale in the long run.
Even worse, the equipment system in The First Berserker: Khazan is designed like a looter shooter, which is simply a weird design choice for a Soulslike game.
Instead of learning where to find specific equipment, the game randomizes drops and constantly throws loot at the player.
Each piece of gear dropped by enemies comes with its own stats and buffs, and since so much is acquired in a single mission, it can be exhausting having to constantly open up the menu and compare between your current loadout and the new loot.
The First Berserker: Khazan would have benefited greatly if it had less gear to gather, with a more substantial impact on the player’s overall build. This way, finding new equipment would feel more satisfying. Instead, your inventory just gets littered with mediocre equipment constantly.
However, the game adds a smart mechanic that reduces the exhaustion of the overwhelming amount of loot. At the Crevice, the home base of the game, players can turn the excess loot into Lacrima, which can be a great way to level up quickly.
Closing Thoughts:
The First Berserker: Khazan is a fantastic game that has some of the best bosses of any Soulslike ever created. It’s a game that will test patience and demand the utmost attention from the player, or else they’ll meet the game over screen time and time again. This Soulslike is absolutely brutal, and yet, it remains fair throughout its 40-hour runtime. While the levels begin to blend in with one another aesthetically and the overwhelming amount of loot can become exhausting, The First Berserker: Khazan is a welcomed addition to the subgenre and I can’t wait to see what developer Neople has planned next for this new IP.
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The First Berserker: Khazan
Reviewed on PlayStation 5
