Does The First Berserker Khazan deserve attention from soulslike fans? See preview

Announced during last year’s The Game Awards, The First Berserker: Khazan drew attention for its stylized look. The title mixes the basis of an Action RPG with soulslike elementsbeing illustrated with an aesthetic slightly influenced by animated lines. At the invitation of the developer, Voxel tested a version of the game still under development — and we were very satisfied!

Below, we detail our first impressions of The First Berserker: Khazanin which we were able to play the first three initial missions on PC. It’s worth remembering that, as this is a test version, some details may change until the official launch, but you can already have a good idea of ​​what to expect!

Don’t worry, the text will avoid spoilers about the plot of The First Berserker: Khazan!

A soulslike barbarity

Khazan starts on a moving note; the protagonist, a defeated hero, is being transported when he is suddenly surprised by an ambush. He ends up being possessed, but resists just enough to maintain his consciousness. Host to a powerful spirit, he now possesses powers that can aid him in his violent revenge.

Purposefully mysterious, the initial plot reveals just enough to keep the player contextualized and then jump into the action — something that should greatly please those most impatient with long CGI sequences. Unlike other “more hardcore” soulslikes, which already place the first minutes of the game with a boss, The First Berserker: Khazan bet on a more traditional tutorial to present its mechanicsrevealed little by little.

The First Berserker: Khazan is scheduled for release in 2025.

And speaking of gameplay, combat is the biggest star of Khazan. Although this is expected in games of this genre, it is not so rare to find beautiful battle dynamics, but which easily become repetitive. Fortunately, this is not the case with this title, which uses a smaller variety of weapons to deliver more sophisticated and sharp movements. In this way, the clashes are fluid and very satisfying visually, marking enemies with blood and wounds depending on the intensity.

In this version, it was possible to try out four varieties of weaponry: a giant sword, sword and axe, a spear and a set of swords. As usual, each type changes the frequency of the gameplay, which in general tends to be very fast-paced and visceral. The attack movements are very individual and have a lot of personality, including extra skills from a talent tree.

And, after all, how does Khazan combat work?

Drinking from the fountain of traditional soulslikes, the combat of Khazan It is based on “stamina” management. Each action “tires” the character, gradually reducing their energy bar. When it runs out and the character is hit by an attack, he will enter a state of “exhaustion”, which will leave him vulnerable to attacks — such as a posture break or stun. The interesting thing is that the mechanic also applies to enemies and even bosses.

On the offensive, this mechanic can be used together with precision techniques, the famous “parry” or “parry”. It is also possible to perform deflections and counterattacks against specific blows — in practice, all of this serves to “tire” the enemy more quickly. With the enemy vulnerable, it is possible to execute a more powerful and lethal attack.

At first, during the excerpt, we felt that The First Berserker: Khazan makes an accurate selection of what you want to risk. In this vein of thought, the game succeeds in achieving simplicity with elegance, creating combat that is familiar, but immediately intuitive and exciting.

Familiar, mas original

Right from the introduction, it is possible to identify some inspirations from Khazan, ranging from Kentaro Miura’s classic Berserk, to Castlevania games — yes, you didn’t read it wrong. Naturally, I refer to visual issues, especially the gothic atmosphere and feeling of being in a decrepit and tyrannical world. This feeling is conveyed, especially, by details in the carriages, armor, weapons and small hints in the dialogues.

The game has beautiful graphics and ambience.

This mix, despite being familiar, is quite original in its execution. Unlike other recent releases of the genre, The First Berserker: Khazan It doesn’t present itself as another Action RPG with realistic Unreal Engine graphics. Of course, there is a touch that leans towards realism, but never dismissing the artistic touch that it aims to deliver. Added to the atmosphere, this style works very well to immerse the player, although some parts of the initial map seem slightly repetitive and linear.

Is it worth waiting for the release of The First Berserker: Khazan?

If you are a fan of Action RPGs, and have ever wanted to try some soulslike, you will definitely enjoy it. The First Berserker: Khazan. In addition to being challenging, the title offers accessible gameplay with a good learning curve. Furthermore, there are plenty of narrative moments, making it unnecessary to check the description of each item along the way — by the way, it’s not a criticism, we love From Software games!

Anyway, The First Berserker: Khazan does not yet have a confirmed release date. However, Nexon has already confirmed that the game should arrive in early 2025 on PC, PlayStation and Xbox.

And you, are you excited to play? Share on social media Voxel!