During Gamescom 2024, I had the chance to get a first taste of The First Berserker: Khazan's experience and, despite the limited time and a testing environment that was far from being ideal for a challenging action role-playing game inspired by FromSoftware's Souls series, I couldn't help but notice how the game is shaping up as a solid title with a personable, distinct feel that is sure to set it apart from similar games released in the past few years. So much so that I thought it was among the best games I played during the show alongside Monster Hunter Wilds and Phantom Blade Zero.
Last week, I had the chance to try out The First Berserker: Khazan Technical Closed Beta Test before its debut on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S later this month. My four hours or so with it not only confirmed my positive opinion about the game but also improved it a bit, as I was able to see more of the beginning of the game, test out the skill system, and gain a better understanding of the flow of combat.
The First Berserker: Khazan Technical Closed Beta Test build features the game's first three missions - Heinmach, Stormpass, and Embars. In the first one, former general Khazan is released from imprisonment, obtaining a mysterious power that allows him to survive the harsh environment and defeat the many enemies on his way. In the Stormpass mission, the long-haired warrior visits one of the sacred sites of Bantu, revered since ancient times, where he gains a better understanding of his powers. The journey continues in Embars, with more enemies that bar his way and more information on his backstory and how he ended up where he is. The three missions may be a little light on story compared to other role-playing games, but I feel they set the experience up rather well, making the Dungeon and Fighter universe interesting right from the get-go, even for those with little knowledge of it. This was one of the goals developer Neople set for itself with this project, and the Closed Beta made me feel they will definitely achieve what they set out to do, in this regard.
As already mentioned, being able to try out The First Berserker: Khazan without a strict time constraint allowed me to get a better feel of many of the game's elements and how they come together to offer what could be one of the best action role-playing game experiences in a long time. For starters, I feel like much of the game has been designed around combat. Locations, for example, with their multiple paths and all, feel like they have been made in a certain way for the combat system to show its prowess, offering a variety of scenarios that force players to utilize Khazan's toolkit to its full extent. Exploring just for the sake of experiencing a unique location, like in FromSoftware's Elden Ring, doesn't seem to be a thing in The First Berserker: Khazan. Exploration leads to treasure and, more often than not, a unique combat encounter that puts the player's skills to the test. This could be disappointing for some, but I think this sort of intensity will greatly benefit the experience in the long run.
The longer playtime of The First Berserker: Khazan Technical Closed Beta Test also allowed me to appreciate combat more. While it is undeniable that the stamina-based combat system is very reminiscent of the Souls series, the Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and Nioh series influences are more prominent. For starters, the evade maneuver doesn't have a whole lot of invincibility frames, making it a little risky to use in close-quarter. The parry, called Brink Guard, on the other hand, is a much more effective defensive technique as it is generally easy to pull off and allows Khazan to stay on the offensive since there's a small cancel window at the end of each move that allows going into the guarding stance immediately, and it restores stamina while depleting the enemy's. An instant evade technique called Brink Evade, is also in, but it seems to interrupt the flow of combat when used to avoid attacks that could be parried.
All this, alongside the fast pace of combat, makes the combat system feel like a mix between Sekiro and Nioh, with the latter's influence being more prominent due to the skill and gear systems, as The First Berserker: Khazan features gear sets with different beneficial properties, and a dedicated skill tree for all three weapon types - Dual Wield, Great Sword and Spear - which allow the player to unlock different skills that can be assigned to different button combinations ala Nioh. These skills truly elevate the combat, in my opinion, and I can't wait to see what else Khazan can learn to take down the many enemies he will find on his path. The first three missions feature a decent selection of mobs and bosses, and hopefully, the rest of the game will feature a similarly well-designed mix.
The First Berserker: Khazan may have been influenced by the Souls series for many of its game systems, but I feel, now more than ever, that the game will have what it takes to emerge from the competition. My time with the Technical Closed Beta Test build made me even more excited about the game, and I really cannot wait to experience more of the game when it launches next year on PC and consoles.
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