The First Berserker: Khazan is a hardcore action role-playing game. The player takes on the role of Khazan, a great general of the Pell Los Empire who has conquered death, and sets out to uncover 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 bravery 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 of its time. During the reign of the Pell Los Empire, peace was shattered 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 such as: 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 basic combat mechanics revolve around exhaustion. When you hit your enemies, you not only destroy their health, but also their Stamina. When they run out of Stamina, they become exhausted or tired, giving you the opportunity 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 various behaviors and movements of various enemies and bosses throughout the game. They have the ability to take advantage of openings, defend against deadly attacks, or quickly dodge when the situation calls for it. The game will also feature satisfying actions such as precise blocking and agile evasion. Using preemptive attacks is crucial, as it serves as a strategic approach to gaining an advantage over powerful enemies. Khazan, a fearsome warrior with barbaric skill, is proficient in wielding a range of weapons, allowing players to explore different fighting styles that highlight the strengths of each weapon.
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: a greatsword and a spear.
The Dual Wield playstyle excels at pure, relentless aggression, catering to players who prefer a fast, furious approach. Even the most basic, resource-free abilities have an impact, like a whirlwind attack that 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 standout active, Merciless, perfectly encapsulates the Berserker archetype. It enhances the chaotic and unforgiving nature of combat, amplifying the damage output and high-risk, high-reward dynamic that defines the Dual Wield experience. This style rewards aggressive 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, Great Hunt has Khazan leap into the air and unleash a thunderous downward slash, dealing explosive damage in a large area of effect (AoE) and destroying grouped enemies. Meanwhile, the skill Warcry serves a dual purpose, functioning as a powerful counterattack while also providing a temporary boost to offensive abilities. The Great Sword 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 versatile weapon in Khazan's arsenal, designed to chain together fluid attacks (continuous striking) that appear to be a seamless combination of blows.
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 increasing damage output. “Spear” active skills further enhance his versatility: Crescent Strike delivers a massive AoE spear strike ideal for clearing groups, while “Image Stab” that lingers delivers rapid-fire strikes, great for single-target damage scenarios. While his intricate chaining mechanics may seem complex at first, they quickly become second nature, offering a deeply rewarding experience for players who enjoy rhythmic, combo combat.
Each weapon offers a distinct and compelling fighting style - whether it's the relentless fury of the Dual Wield, the measured power of the Great Sword, 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 I spent 42 hours in to finish. This game is filled with beautiful graphics that visibly enhance every swing of your weapon. It is a dark, gothic universe within the Dungeon Fighter Online (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 the real reason for this game. The player has the opportunity to identify with the main character within the game and himself want to take 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 significantly 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 put into these stats is worth less than the previous one. When it comes to equipment, I decided to go for the entire “Fallen Lord” set. This set gives all the most important 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 within this game, I have to praise it. Jekvanga i Go Junghwa who created over 20 different melodies that accompany the main character and his path of revenge. The music really complements the atmosphere within 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 procesor
- 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
The fact is, there are countless ways to beat this game. The countless combinations of stats, abilities, equipment, and weapons give this game incredible replay value. This is important to know, as the game is currently priced at 60 euros on the Steam gaming platform, and it's understandable that many people don't want to pay more for this title than the hours of gameplay it offers. But I definitely intend to play it again and this time use the Great Sword as my primary weapon.
If you're looking for a game packed with good combat and animations, with a solid but slightly sparse story compared to titles like “God of War,” then you've come to the right place. This game will provide you with many hours of fun and satisfy your vengeful spirit.
8+
Game review The First Berserker: Khazan
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