The First Berserker: Khazan — a brutal, precision-first soulslike with style
Presentation
The First Berserker: Khazan is a third‑person action RPG by Neople and Nexon, set 800 years before Dungeon Fighter Online, blending cel‑shaded dark fantasy visuals with tight, punishing combat built around perfect guards, parries, and stamina management, with Spirit point conversions for high‑impact skills. Weapons define tempo and spacing across distinct archetypes (dual blade/axe kits, greatswords, polearms), while a mission‑based structure with shortcuts and an interdimensional hub (The Crevice) emphasizes boss mastery, set synergies, and remixable side missions over open‑world wandering. Expect roughly 30–35 hours for the main story, 40–50 hours with most side content, and 55–60 hours for a completionist run; the game is strictly single‑player with no co‑op modes available.
Story
Khazan, a famed general of the Pell Los Empire, is framed for treason, mutilated, and exiled to die; surviving the ordeal, he pursues the truth behind the conspiracy and a path of retribution. A fateful bond with the Blade Phantom grants him otherworldly power and a burdened destiny, with storytelling delivered in a soulslike key—elliptical dialogue, environmental cues, and boss encounters that expose pieces of Khazan’s past and the empire’s rot. Themes of betrayal, atonement, and hard‑won redemption anchor his rise from disgraced hero to the first Berserker, with The Crevice serving as a narrative and mechanical hub where allies gather, upgrades unlock, and choices echo through combat style and buildcraft.
Reception and critics’ scores
Players have praised the combat’s clarity and responsiveness, the weighty boss design, and performance stability, while noting the severe difficulty curve and a more linear, mission‑forward structure than open‑ended peers. The community highlights replay value from gear sets, mission remixes, and layered defensive/offensive options, but cautions that progression remains demanding and best suits those seeking mastery over comfort.e
Critics’ scores (top outlets)
- IGN — 8.5/10
- GameSpot — 8/10
- Metacritic (critics) — 82/100
- Eurogamer — 8/10
- Polygon — 8/10
- GamesRadar+ — 4/5
- Game Informer — 8.5/10
- PC Gamer — 81/100
- OpenCritic (top critics average) — 83/100
