Review: The First Berserker: Khazan – A Punchy Souls-Like That Stands Out From The Crowd

The First Berserker: Khazan checks all the boxes of a classic souls-like experience—think bonfire-style checkpoints that respawn foes, and XP that’s lost upon death—but its biggest inspirations might surprise you. While its parry-focused combat immediately evokes From Software’s Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, its mission-based structure, weapon skill systems, and gear mechanics draw clear inspiration from Team Ninja’s Nioh. Developer Neople also injects its own creativity, though, with a layered progression system and a cel-shaded art style that sets Khazan apart visually from most of its genre peers. The result is a souls-like that feels comfortingly familiar yet refreshingly distinct, offering a tough but deeply rewarding adventure anchored by a hard-hitting, defense-driven combat loop and plenty of freedom in how you shape your playstyle.

Story-wise, you step into the boots of the titular Khazan: once a legendary general celebrated for saving his empire from the terrifying Berserk Dragon, he’s wrongfully branded a traitor at the game’s opening. After enduring brutal torture—his arm tendons severed—and exile to a frigid, mountainous wasteland, our hero escapes and forges an unlikely bond with a mysterious being called Blade Phantom. This entity bestows Khazan with supernatural powers, fueling his quest for vengeance against those who betrayed him.

In the end, the story serves little purpose beyond moving you from one location to the next—and in that regard, it gets the job done. As mentioned earlier, The First Berserker mirrors Nioh structurally, sending you on missions across self-contained environments. There are optional side quests too, but these bite-sized diversions simply reuse areas with swapped enemy types and repeated boss fights. The rewards (including crucial upgrades like unlocking a blacksmith) make them worthwhile, but the side content itself lacks memorable moments. The main missions fare far better: whether you’re battling ferocious Dragonkin on the docks of a overrun fishing village or delving into the depths of a labor camp in a desolate desert, each locale offers distinct visual flair that keeps the journey engaging.

Venturing off the main path rewards you with new gear, collectibles, and upgrade materials, but The First Berserker’s level design is mostly linear. There are a handful of exceptions—these are easily the game’s most compelling stages—but while linearity isn’t inherently a flaw, it’s hard not to feel a twinge of disappointment. In a genre defined by labyrinthine, interconnected worlds that reward exploration and discovery, these levels don’t quite capture that same sense of wonder as the best souls-likes.

With exploration taking a backseat, each level is clearly designed around combat encounters—and this is where The First Berserker truly shines. Fights revolve around mixing light and heavy attacks, paired with dodge and block mechanics that offer two distinct defensive strategies. Every action drains a stamina meter you must constantly monitor; let it deplete, and you’ll be left defenseless. Enemies face the same stamina constraints, creating a tense dance of attrition: you’ll need to break your foe’s stance to land a devastating Brutal Attack, all while avoiding suffering the same fate yourself.

Landing light or heavy hits chips away at both an enemy’s health and stamina, but pulling off a perfect block—dubbed a Brink Guard—does double duty. This is where the Sekiro influence is most pronounced: aggressive enemies unleash barrages of attacks, challenging you to chain perfect blocks in succession. Dodging is an option, but the timing window is extremely tight—miss, and you’re guaranteed a hit. Nailing a Brink Guard is not only more forgiving (you’ll still block early attempts at the cost of significant stamina) but also speeds up stance breakage, turning defense into a key part of your offensive strategy. Weaker foes can be staggered and taken down without much blocking, but tougher enemies demand you learn their attack patterns, defending patiently until you spot an opening to strike back.

Executing a Brink Guard is immensely satisfying—steel clashes ring out, sparks fly, and chaining them together in quick succession feels thrilling. Some attacks, like grabs and Burst Attacks, can’t be blocked, so you’ll need to stay alert to dodge or use Counterattack techniques to avoid damage. All of this makes defense an active, rewarding part of most fights, complementing an offense that feels weighty and impactful. Every hit lands with a satisfying crunch, no matter which of the three distinct weapon types you choose.

Khazan can wield a dual axe-and-sword combo, a greatsword, or a spear. Three options might seem limited at first glance, but each weapon feels unique and comes with its own skill tree. As you progress, you’ll unlock passive and active abilities that deepen the game’s punchy combat. Better yet, skill points are fully refundable for free, letting you experiment with different weapons without commitment. I settled on the spear for its speed, range, and Moonlight Stance—this ability creates afterimage attacks after a few light strikes, making it feel like you’re fighting alongside clones of yourself. Later, I unlocked weapon skills that could be chained into regular combos, allowing me to pull off lengthy, satisfying sequences that decimated enemies. The influence of Nioh is clear here, and it becomes even more apparent when it comes to gear and its bonuses.

You’ll loot gear of varying rarities from chests and defeated enemies, with each piece (helmet, gloves, weapon, etc.) boasting three random attributes plus defense or attack stats. These random perks might boost max stamina or amplify Brutal Attack damage, while complete gear sets offer five or six fixed bonuses. Snagging a specific set involves some luck, but crafting eventually becomes available, letting you tailor gear to your playstyle. This is part of The First Berserker’s multi-faceted progression system, where multiple elements come together to shape your experience.

XP from enemies can be spent on standard stat upgrades—vitality, endurance, strength, and more—but there are other ways to boost Khazan’s abilities. You’ll find and unlock a wealth of Phantoms, which provide passive buffs (like increased stamina or health regeneration) when equipped. Collecting all items in a level earns Vengeance Points, which can be traded for three types of damage boosts. Destroying all glowing red crystals in a stage improves XP gain and health recovery. You can even summon an NPC companion for boss fights, who can be upgraded by defeating antagonistic versions of them. Essentially, you can tweak the game’s difficulty to your liking—all without even mentioning the dedicated easy mode.

On normal difficulty, The First Berserker is no walk in the park. Each boss fight acts as a skill check, putting your current abilities to the test at the end of every level. These battles never feel unfair, but they expect you to die, learn from your mistakes, and return stronger with each attempt. The fights are tense and engaging, and the game boasts a diverse roster of bosses and regular enemies: from dual dagger-wielding outlaws and horned demons to enraged yetis and ghostly knights. The cel-shaded art style—blending realism with illustrative flair—creates a striking contrast that brings these creatures to life with anime-like clarity.

Despite its forgettable story and somewhat restrictive level design, The First Berserker: Khazan’s exceptional combat more than makes up for its shortcomings. It’s challenging, engaging, and consistently satisfying, backed by a roster of dynamic enemies and a versatile progression system that goes beyond the typical XP grind. At times, it feels derivative, but the way The First Berserker merges its influences with fresh ideas results in a thrilling souls-like that stands out in an increasingly crowded genre.