The First Berserker: Khazan was among many games placed under the spotlight during this year's Gamescom, and for good reason. The game in development by Neople is incredibly promising, thanks to an interesting setting, high production values, and a hardcore action role-playing game experience inspired by the Souls series, whose quality feels quite close to that of its illustrious inspiration.
After trying out The First Berserker: Khazan, I had the chance to talk with game director JunHo Lee and Neople CEO Myeongjin Yun about the game's settings, mechanics, and PC-exclusive features like NVIDIA DLSS 3 Frame Generation. Enjoy!
The interview was conducted via an interpreter and has been edited for clarity and brevity.
The First Berserker: Khazan is based on the Dungeon and Fighter series, which is not very well known in the West. Is the game a good introduction to the franchise?
We love Dungeon and Fighter, and we have been playing it for a long time. We started The First Berserker: Khazan project because we wanted more people to enjoy the series, and we focused mostly on two things during development. We wanted to make a game that fans of Dungeon Fighter would enjoy, but also those who didn't know much about the series. We put a lot of effort into appealing to this untapped player base and making them more interested in the series, so the game is most definitely a good starting point.
The First Berserker: Khazan feels a lot like the Dark Souls series. In the past few years, we have seen many Soulslike games, and it has become a little difficult to emerge. What makes the game stand out?
When we started working on the game, we wanted to leverage some of the features that make the Dungeon and Fighter series unique, such as fast-paced and intense combat and high challenge level. Ultimately, we brought these features into a 3D action game while also thinking about what kind of game players may enjoy. At the start of the adventure, it feels a bit like Dark Souls, with heavier combat and a high challenge level. But as the adventure proceeds, the main character becomes more powerful, finds new weapons, and unlocks new skills and abilities that change the experience into a more fast-paced one that's more in line with Dungeon and Fighter. In a way, it feels like the game's genre shifts midway, and this is what makes the game stand out the most.
You mentioned weapons. How many weapon types are in the game?
The game features three weapon types - a dual-wielded sword and axe, a spear, and a greatsword. The number of total weapon types may feel small, but it actually isn't, as we consider the three weapons as three different characters. Each weapon comes with its set of skills, and by building Khazan with different gear, it's possible to empower different play styles for all weapons. The game also features gear sets in the vein of Diablo to provide further customization options. And if any of the choices the player has made, it is possible to fully respec Khazan and try out different things.
Speaking about items, is there a loot system?
In The First Berserker: Khazan, players can farm certain items by defeating enemies repeatedly. However, the most valuable items are hidden away in the game's locations, so players will have to carefully look around to find them. This also makes exploration quite rewarding.
Recently, games inspired by the Souls series started featuring different difficulty settings to allow less experienced players to enjoy them without getting frustrated by the high challenge level. Does The First Berserker: Khazan follow suit?
The First Berserker: Khazan features a single difficulty level, but we have used the game's content to address the difficulty issues, letting the player control the challenge level somewhat. If you want to experience a high challenge level, you can play the game normally. On the other hand, if you feel the action is too difficult, we have provided mechanics that can help the player, so by leveling up items or Khazan himself, battles will be more manageable. There's also a helper system designed to help players in the most difficult battles.
You mentioned a helper. Is it AI-controlled? Does the game feature any sort of multiplayer?
The helper is AI-controlled, and there is no multiplayer at all.
Any post-game content?
More than post-game content, The First Berserker: Khazan features many reasons to play through the game again, such as multiple endings. In addition, the game features a lot of different builds that really change the way the game is played, so players can try them out and enjoy the game in a different light. Some of these builds cater to more experienced players, so they may be difficult to use during the first playthrough, but as the player's individual skills have increased, these may become viable.
Is The First Berserker: Khazan getting additional content? Free or paid?
We are working on additional content. We feel the base game will have enough content for its cost, so we want to provide content that will be worth the player's money. We will still have free updates, but the more meaningful additional content will come with paid content.
Any PC-exclusive feature?
We are currently working on NVIDIA DLSS 3 Frame Generation, and the game will also support AMD FSR and Intel XeSS. No matter the platform, however, we are committed to delivering the best experience possible. That has been our priority from the start, and we are putting a lot of effort into optimizing the game.
Thank you for your time!
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