The First Berserker: Khazan is a hardcore action role-playing game. The player takes on the role of Khazan, the great general of the Pell Los Empire, who defeated death, and sets out to unravel the incidents that led to his downfall and seek revenge on his enemies.
The story begins in the 89th year of the Pell Los Empire. Born into the barbarian tribes of Arad, Khazan rose above the prejudices of his origins through sheer determination, strength and skill. His unparalleled prowess in battle and strategic mind caught the attention of the Pell Los Empire, where he eventually became a Grand General. The Pell Los Empire was the most powerful empire in its time. During the reign of the Pell Los Empire, the peace was disturbed by the appearance of Hismar, a bloodthirsty dragon, and his brood, a terror unparalleled in the history of Arad. As the empire faced destruction, Khazan, along with the archmage Ozma, led a legendary campaign to defeat the monstrous threat.
Together they succeeded in killing Hismar and his offspring, restoring peace to the land. Their victory made them heroes, celebrated throughout the empire as saviors. But not everyone viewed Khazan's rise with favor. The emperor and his court, envious of the adoration that Hazan and Ozma received, began to see them as a threat to their authority. Consumed with jealousy, the emperor accused Khazan and Ozma of treason. Ozma was tortured and executed, while Khazan was exiled to the snowy mountains, his arms mutilated by cutting the tendons to ensure that he would never be able to use weapons again.
As Khazan was transported to his frozen exile, fate intervened. A massive avalanche struck and his prison carriage crashed down a cliff. Although presumed dead, Khazan survived, but the bitter cold and severe injuries brought him to the brink of death. In his darkest hour, the spirit of the Phantom Blade entered his physical body, attempting to manipulate him into allowing them to take over. Khazan's body was restored, his strength returned, and his wounds healed, but his mind and soul were forever scarred. The curse gave him immense strength and a relentless thirst for battle, transforming him into the First Berserker. Khazan emerged from the mountains as a vengeful force, seeking to uncover the truth behind his betrayal and exact revenge on those who wronged him.
Combat mechanics
Like any other Soulslike game, The First Berserker Khazan features the basics like: health bars (HP), stamina management (Stamina), access to consumables such as healing items known as “Netherworld Energy,” and basic maneuvers of light, heavy, and charged heavy attacks. The core combat mechanics revolve around exhaustion. When you hit your enemies, you not only destroy their health, but also their stamina (Stamina). When they run out of stamina, they become exhausted or tired, creating an opportunity for you to land a few free hits and perform a “brutal attack,” which not only deals significant damage but also restores your stamina. Keep in mind, however, that enemy strikes can also drain your stamina. And if you’re low on stamina and get hit, you’ll be briefly exhausted.
To achieve victory in battle, players must carefully observe and react to the different behaviors and movements of different enemies and bosses throughout the game. They have the ability to take advantage of openings, defend against deadly attacks, or quickly escape when the situation calls for it. The game will also feature satisfying actions like precision blocking and nimble dodging. Using preemptive attacks is key, as it serves as a strategic approach to gaining an advantage over strong enemies. Khazan, a fearsome warrior with barbaric skill, is adept at wielding a range of weapons, allowing players to explore different fighting styles that highlight each weapon's strengths.
Variety of weapons and skills
As mentioned earlier, you start the game holding a Dual Wield weapon set, combining an axe and a sword. Over time, you will unlock two additional weapon types: the Great Sword and the Spear.
The Dual Wield playstyle excels in pure, unrelenting aggression, catering to players who prefer a fast, furious approach. Even the most basic abilities with no resources have an impact, such as whirlwind attack which throws enemies into the air, setting them up for devastating combos followed by light attacks or precise parries. Mobility-focused skills complement this style, allowing you to quickly close gaps and maintain a relentless offensive.
One exceptional active skill, Ruthless, perfectly exemplifies the berserker archetype. It enhances the chaotic and unforgiving nature of combat, amplifying the damage output and high-reward risk dynamic that defines the Dual Wield experience. This weapon style thrives on momentum, rewarding players who can skillfully maintain pressure without leaving openings for counterattacks.
The greatsword starts out as a dedicated and methodical weapon, but with key upgrades, it transforms into a devastating power.
Passive abilities like Unstoppable significantly increase survivability, allowing Khazan to power through enemy attacks without interruption. This resilience is complemented by a variety of active skills that add speed and utility to his otherwise heavy arsenal. For example, The Great Hunt caused Khazan to leap into the air and unleash a thunderous downward strike, dealing explosive damage in a large area (AoE) and destroying clustered enemies. Meanwhile, the Warcry skill serves a dual purpose, functioning as a powerful counter attack while also providing a temporary boost to boost offensive abilities. Greatsword rewards a playstyle focused on patience and precision, requiring the player to time their attacks and counters for maximum effect.
The spear is the most agile and combo-friendly weapon in Khazan's arsenal, made for chaining fluid, stamina-draining attacks into seamless combos.
His signature passive ability, Moonlight, rewards precision and consistency by creating afterimages with each strike when a full string of light attacks is successfully executed, significantly boosting damage output. The Spear's active skills increase its versatility: Crescent Strike delivers a massive AoE spear strike ideal for clearing groups, while The Sting of the Image That Remains performs rapid strikes, excellent in single target damage scenarios. While its intricate chaining mechanics may seem complex at first, it quickly becomes second nature, offering a deeply rewarding experience for players who enjoy rhythmic, combo combat.
Each weapon provides a distinct and compelling fighting style – whether it's the ruthless fury of the Dual Wield, the measured power of the Greatsword, or the elegant precision of the Spear. The game encourages experimentation, allowing players to discover the playstyle that best suits their approach to battle.
Personal opinion
The First Berzerker – Khazan is a truly remarkable action role-playing game that took me 42 hours to complete. The game is filled with beautiful graphics that enhance every swing of your weapon. It is a dark, gothic universe within the “Dungeon and Fighter” (DNF) universe. Khazan’s first appearance in the game “Dungeon Fighter Online” was as an antagonist who, like his friend Ozma, is destroyed by the player. However, in the game The First Berzerker – Khazan we have the opportunity to see the situation from his perspective. He falls victim to the Emperor’s jealousy and although he has proven himself as a hero once before, he must do so again. It is this perspective from a different angle that gives purpose to this game. The player has the opportunity to identify with the main character within the game and himself wants revenge on everyone who has harmed him before.
During my revenge campaign against the Pell Los Empire, I realized that using the spear as my main weapon suited me best. The constant combinations that completely controlled the course of the fight created in my mind the image that all the strings were in my hands. To make the spear more effective, I put most of my points into the “Proficiency” stat, which depended on the amount of damage the spear inflicted on the opponent.
It is important to know that unlike other stats, "Proficiency" does not decrease with excessive use. So 45 points in this stat is worth much more than 45 points in any other. I completely ignored "Strength" and "Willpower" and I crammed "Vitality" and "Endurance" up to 30 points, which is the maximum number of effective points. After the thirtieth, each point placed in these states is worth less than the previous one. When it comes to equipment, I decided on the whole "Fallen Lord" set. This set gives all the essential stats to my Khazan and his spear.
With this combination of stats and gear, all I had left to do was enjoy the rest of the game and discover its story. The enemies became nothing more than landscapes of blood that marked the path to my next objective.
When it comes to the music in this game, I have to commend Lee Yeokwang and Go Junghwa who created over 20 different melodies that accompany the main character and his path of revenge. The music really complements the atmosphere in the game and makes the world as real as possible.
performance
To play this game on your computer, you need at least the following components:
- Windows 10 or newer 64bit operating system
- Intel Core i3-6300 processor
- 12GB RAM memory
- GeForce GTX970 graphics
- DirectX version 11
- 70GB of free space on your Hard Drive (SSD required, 1080 resolution at 30 fps)
Conclusion and assessment
The fact is that there are countless ways to beat this game. Countless combinations in stats, abilities, gear and weapons give this game incredible replay value. This is very important to know, because the game on the Steam gaming platform is currently €60, and it is understandable that many do not want to pay more for the game than it offers hours of play. But I definitely intend to play it again and use the Greatsword as my primary weapon this time. If you are looking for a game full of good fights and animations with a solid, but a little more limited story compared to titles like "God of War", then you are in the right place. This game will give you many hours of fun and satisfy your revenge spirit.
Evaluation that I give to this game is 8+
