As a seasoned gamer with over three decades of gaming under my belt, I must say, The First Berserker: Khazan has left me thoroughly impressed. With its intricate combat mechanics, striking visuals, and engaging narrative, it’s like a love letter to the Souls-like genre, but with a twist that makes it stand out from the crowd.
One consistent narrative element that persistently propels a video game story is the theme of revenge. This strong desire to retaliate against those who have wronged you; to inflict a punishment far greater than the initial offense. When combined with anger, it can provide an intriguing exploration into a character’s mindset and the ethical implications of their actions. For some characters, it serves as justification for brutally defeating anything and everything in their path.
Title Character Khazan, initially portrayed as complex yet seemingly straightforward, hides deeper layers beneath his surface. The narrative unfolds around a former general who heroically saved the Pell Los Empire from the Berserk Dragon, only to be falsely accused of treason. During this time, his friend, Ozma, meets an untimely and gruesome end. In a cruel twist, Khazan himself is subjected to brutal torture, with his arm tendons severed before being banished.
The narrative unfolds as Khazan travels Mount Heinmach, when suddenly a puzzling entity known as the Blade Phantom interferes with his guards, liberating him while also invading his body. At present, it’s unclear what its intentions are – for now, the player must devise an escape plan, confronting any lingering soldiers and assorted mountain creatures along the way.
The character “Khazan,” featured in “The First Berserker,” is rooted in Nexon’s “Dungeon and Fighter” franchise. It narrates the grim past of a once-heroic figure, occurring centuries before. While Khazan has been seen in “Dungeon Fighter Online,” this story primarily focuses on his brutal origins.
Stepping into The First Berserker’s world, I can’t help but feel the influence of the mighty Dark Souls. Shortcuts, a stamina meter, light and heavy attacks, stance breaking, and those familiar bonfires, or Blade Nexus as they’re called here, are all part of the package. Enemies respawn to test my mettle, but I can always rely on Lacrima for leveling up – it drops after each defeat. And let’s not forget about dodging – if timed right, it’ll trigger a Brink Dodge.
In another aspect, Khazan’s gameplay mirrors that of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, particularly its parrying mechanism. Perfect timing leads to minimal stamina depletion and a decrease in the enemy’s resilience gauge. If this gauge is fully drained, you can unleash a potent critical attack. Moreover, Lacrima serves to boost stats, influencing weapon damage scaling, among other things. However, separate Experience Points are accumulated for acquiring Skill Points to unlock new abilities, which we’ll discuss further.
At first glance, the design of Sekiro might seem straightforward yet peculiar. What sets it apart is the absence of a stamina bar. In this game, if you fail a parry, your health and balance (poise) can be diminished, making subsequent parries more perilous. If you miss timing a parry and block instead, it will deplete more of your stamina. Overexertion can momentarily stun you, which could prove fatal against bosses with rapid attack sequences. Additionally, when attacking, you need to be mindful of your stamina level, as overzealousness might leave you insufficiently prepared for an enemy’s counterattacks.
Despite having played the closed beta for “The First Berserker: Khazan“, covering its three chapters, I’m now confident it masterfully blends what might seem like contrasting gameplay styles. This unique fusion creates a tough-as-nails experience that, while not always appearing fair, delivers an electrifying adrenaline rush.
Indeed, the initial descriptions merely provide a glimpse. The opening chapter seems rather balanced in terms of adversary kinds and game mechanics, but it serves as a foundation. These elements are crucial when confronting the boss, Yetuga. Simultaneously, it guides the player on dismantling parts, dodging (or sometimes getting caught by) command grabs, and managing status effects.
In chapter 2, the game really shines as Khazan embarks on three trials to banish the Blade Phantom, introducing various weapon types along the way. One of these new weapons is the Greatsword, which is quite hefty but excels at slicing through groups of enemies with its strikes. It also boasts a shoulder attack during sprints and a powerful charged attack that inflicts heavy damage, albeit momentarily leaving you exposed.
Firstly, let me tell you about my favorite weapon, the Spear. It stands out with its extended reach and powerful sweeping attacks. As it gets upgraded, it unlocks the Moonlight Stance. If you manage a successful series of light attacks in this stance, your following attacks will deal extra damage due to afterimages. This bonus applies to all attacks. Additionally, using a skill that transitions from a heavy attack into a swift light attack, both of which are enhanced by the Moonlight Stance and cause additional damage.
For each weapon class, there are unique skills to explore. For instance, dual-wielding allows for a charged heavy strike causing injury to opponents, while the Greatsword can boost the power of light attacks by charging them up. Things get even more exciting when considering abilities such as Whirlwind, which causes Khazan to leap into the air and attack enemies from above with a spinning move, or Ruthless, a series of swift slashes that speeds up with each consecutive hit.
You can enhance Brink Dodges to inflict greater damage in attacks, alter their nature entirely, or even restore stamina, providing a means to maintain momentum using an axe and sword. The gameplay, though primarily realistic, features skills that harmonize both elegance and brutality.
Beyond just that, The First Berserker features a gear-grinding system. Initially, you’ll have Common armor and weapons that enhance defense and certain stats. However, as you progress, you’ll receive Rare drops, some of which belong to Gear Sets, that grant additional powerful bonuses when combined with matching items. This mechanic bears a resemblance to Nioh, but it’s not the only similarity – over time, enemies will launch Burst Attacks, which cannot be blocked, but you can retaliate with a Counterattack ability. This counterpart works similarly to the Burst Counter from Nioh 2 in terms of timing, and successfully executing it restores all your stamina, enabling continuous attacks.
From chapter 3 and beyond, you’ll encounter other Spirits that can be summoned. The Spirit of Advocacy provides aid, whereas the Remnant of Adversity challenges you to battle. Overcoming the latter rewards you with items such as the Lacrima of Circulation, which are useful for summoning more Spirits or improving your equipment. Additionally, there are Elite enemies that can retaliate and have powerful attacks; defeating them offers even greater rewards.
Undeniably, the most memorable aspect of this adventure was the challenging encounters with the bosses. The Blade Phantom, in particular, presented a significant hurdle due to its diverse array of weapons, sudden teleports, smooth transitions between attacks, and strategic pauses.
Nevertheless, it offered me an abundance of knowledge on switching builds, experimenting with different weapons, and maximizing the additional time from its Fortitude-shattered state to inflict more damage prior to delivering a critical strike. For those concerned about spectacle, rest assured that Viper, the Chapter 3 boss, initially resembles larger, muscular variations of spear-wielding dragon warriors before transforming into something else entirely. Its second phase is both terrifying and exhilaratingly cool.
I found myself greatly enjoying “The First Berserker: Khazan,” even though it doesn’t release until early 2025. Its action is sharp and intense, yet the game’s design and visuals are also commendable. Transitioning from Heinmach’s dizzying heights to Embars’ temple to halt a nefarious device felt seamless and intuitive. The game offers multiple paths and optional areas to delve into, some revealing treasure chests and others granting Soulstones that can be shattered for permanent boosts. The art style, reminiscent of anime, looks stylish while maintaining the grim atmosphere of Khazan’s odyssey.
Concerning revenge, the closed beta offered a sense of merely initiating that journey, suggesting Khazan may descend even deeper into darkness once the story concludes. Despite appreciating his stoic demeanor, I’m eager to witness him unleashing his inner Berserker and succumbing to fury. The full game remains to be seen, but for now, “The First Berserker: Khazan” is striking all the appropriate Souls-like chords.
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2024-10-03 18:42