The First Berserker: Khazan (PS5) | REVIEW | An Accessible Genre Entry Point

Nexon brings to us the bloody tale of Khazan, a berserker borne of DNF Duel lore who was tortured and exiled for his supposed crimes against the kingdom. This once commendable general who slayed the berserker dragon was now cut from head to toe, and shackled in a prison cart set for a final destination. As fate would have it though an evil spirit had it's sights set on Khazan's body. This possession that was all, but assured ended up in a tug-of-war battle for control between Khazan and the evil spirit. Something that led Khazan through a trial to rid himself of it only to make a pact with the spirit for revenge sake. Now on dual quest to get revenge, and aid the evil spirit in restoring order to the netherworld, Khazan is put to the test.

Khazan, the last berserker, is a heavy weapon wielding monster when teamed up with his new netherworld partner. Using multiple different weapons including a sword and axe combo, a great sword, and a spear he is tasked with clearing foes, and bosses to gain the Lacrima needed to improve upon his base stats. That along with earned skill tree points that can be applied to each weapon's skill tree he can become a formidable force against those he engages in combat. With an added side step, parry, and execution move he can dish out the damage needed to end lives. That, and his multiple pieces of equipment and single use items available via quick access will make surviving long enough to enact revenge more of a probability than a possibility.

When the game first opens up we are shown, through interactive means, Khazan's dire situation. As we guide him along the beaten path we are also shown mechanics tutorials that explain away every aspect of gameplay. This includes the javelin throwing item for catching distant enemies off guard as well as parrying, and stealth kills. Once we get past the tutorials, face our first big boss, and transition to the netherworld Crevice which acts as a hub portal going forward we get into the meat and potatoes of the ordeal at hand. Utilizing key vendors at the Crevice we can deconstruct unused items for Lacrima, and even forge greater gear using materials gathered from boss battles.

In the heat of combat maintaining the health, javelin, and stamina gauges in tandem with upgraded stats at the sword rest stops will mean the difference from victory or defeat. Should you die you respawn at the last sword save point, and will have to retrace your steps to gather any lost Lacrima like a true soulsborne experience. For the most part each named area features a beaten path with lesser and bigger enemies that each harbor different attacks that require different methods of counter-attacks and defensive maneuvers to deal with. Ultimately leading to boss battles that will test your overall mechanics understanding. Knowing when to side step, parry, or use weapon combos/skills is imperative to winning. And while the odds might be stacked against you restorative items, and damage dealing items can aide in survivability. You get three health restorations at each sword rest stop, and a replenished health bar. Also at this stop you can spend Lacrima to upgrade the usual base stats that effect damage, vitality, and recovery.

Additionally there exists an accessible map at the Crevice hub world where you can apply special orbs that are earned to apply further stat boosts of the damage, stamina, and recovery sort. This map showcases progress, and key character relationships that are effected along the way. For those looking for lore you will find notes, and key items that come with a story attached. Even the souls gathered from the dead add a haunting revelation regarding the world Khazan is apart of. 

The Presentation ...

Visually The First Berserker: Khazan is a stunning modern masterpiece done up like an anime Soulsborne adventure. It blends cell shading with a more anime style aesthetic. The environments vary, and each have dynamic weather, destructible set pieces, and a biome's worth of enemy inhabitants unique to it. From the on hands action to the cinematic cutscenes, and the art panel illustrations between this action RPG is filled to the brim with life and death. A bloody spectacle that only grows in violence as Khazan treks forward on his mission of vengeance. All of which is is accented by a orchestral fantasy soundtrack heightened by lows an highs with the special sound effects adding to the atmospheric ambiance that encapsulates the experience.

The Verdict ...

Whether you're new to the genre or are glutton for the usual punishment The First Berserker: Khazan offers something for everyone. Through a Beginner's difficulty and accessibility options you can experience this game with minimal trouble. Outside of that Normal through Extreme difficulty offers a gradually increasing challenge for those brave enough to take it on. This in unison with the new game+ options makes a returning replay much more possible, and at a higher difficulty setting. With the recent patch update there were also some quality of life changes, and gameplay alterations that made the game even more accessible. Things like changes to the UI, and mechanics functionality helped make the experience better. There's even some fixes for bugs. And if you buy now you get access to the new female version of Khazan as well as some bonuses for choosing the game. 

As a soulsborne fan I personally found Khazan's adventure to be both fun, and intriguing. It had me hooked from the start. Having played the BETA I was glad to see the control scheme was changed, and that everything plays smoothly without a hitch. The gameplay is satisfying, brutal, and challenging if you desire it. I feel it's the perfect entry point soulsborne that could elevate newcomers to the skill level needed to tackle harder soulsborne experiences. It has something for all skill levels, and you usually don't see that in a soulsborne. While this may be debatable amongst the community I personally feel it's the perfect way to get more players interested, and we all know that more players means more soulsborne adventures!!! Something we should all be for. Be sure to pick this one up if you haven't already. It is most definitely worth getting for anyone looking to get into a new action RPG.