The First Berserker: Khazan Hands-On Preview – A Hardcore Experience

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The First Berserker: Khazan Hands-On Preview - A Hardcore Experience

As a seasoned gamer with a soft spot for Soulslike games and a deep-rooted affection for DNF universe, I must admit that The First Berserker: Khazan has me utterly thrilled! With its blend of hardcore action RPG mechanics and an intriguing narrative surrounding the legendary figure of Khazan, this game promises to be a captivating journey.

In the world of Nexon’s game DNF, Khazan is a renowned character known for defeating Hismar the Berserk Dragon, with help from Ozma, and essentially founding the Slayer faction. This character is significant, making an action RPG titled The First Berserker: Khazan a compelling exploration. It’s not only appealing to those who want to delve into Khazan’s story within the DNF universe, but it also seems to have piqued the interest of fans who enjoy Soulslike games as well. This game could serve as an excellent entry point or standalone experience for newcomers to the DNF franchise, while also providing answers about Khazan and the Empire for existing fans.

In comparison to the Soulslike genre, there are a handful of subtle distinctions in “The First Berserker: Khazan,” but they share a significant commonality: both deliver an intense gaming experience. During our short demo play at Gamescom, we discovered that abilities honed from games like “Bloodborne” and “Elden Ring,” as well as other prominent Soulslike titles, proved useful. These skills translate seamlessly into this game, and players are compensated in a manner reminiscent of those Soulslike experiences too.

The First Berserker: Khazan’s Opening Level Design is a Treat

In any hardcore action RPG, the allure of combat is undeniably significant, but it’s not the only aspect that makes these games captivating. Games like those from FromSoftware and Soulslikes are frequently lauded for their creative world-building techniques, where stories are subtly conveyed through the game’s diverse environments. This subtle storytelling was evident from the moment we embarked on The First Berserker: Khazan, albeit more straightforward than typical Soulslikes. The demo started with an imperial escort transporting Khazan in a cage, only for him to eventually break free. A sword summoned him, imbuing his battered body with strength, and we embarked on our journey to flee from a frozen mountain. As we progressed through the level, eliminating various wildlife and imperial soldiers, what truly stood out was what we discovered when we ventured off the main path.

In The First Berserker: Khazan, the main path was breathtakingly beautiful, swarming with numerous adversaries and challenges, and even included a few mini-bosses. Yet, each time we departed from it, we remained immersed. When we reached dead ends, there were distinct elements such as an enemy surprise attack or entertaining environmental peril. Every hidden nook or cave we ventured into yielded something, demonstrating that the environments in The First Berserker: Khazan serve multiple purposes. It’s not just a path for players to hastily traverse and battle bosses; rather, it rewards players based on their playstyle. Moreover, it allows stories within the environment to unfold organically.

As a curious gamer, I stumbled upon a cave that wasn’t part of the main quest line. An Imperial soldier burst out, frantically calling for aid, with just a sliver of health left. I could’ve opted to leave him be, but my curiosity got the better of me. After dispatching the soldier (he turned hostile upon seeing me), I ventured into the cave to investigate the source of his distress. Inside, I encountered a colossal bear, engaging in an exhilarating battle that felt like a mini-boss fight, reminiscent of Soulslike games. However, once I reached the true boss of this First Berserker: Khazan demo, I realized how insignificant that bear was compared to the real boss. It was indeed a large bear, but a tiny fish in the ocean when compared to the actual boss.

The First Berserker Khazan’s Boss Fight Proves the Merit of its Combat

The First Berserker: Khazan Hands-On Preview - A Hardcore Experience

As I navigated through the winding corridors of this stage, I finally encountered the first boss – a colossal ice ape, its body encrusted with shards of frost. In terms of gameplay, The First Berserker: Khazan feels reminiscent of Soulslike games. You can upgrade your character, respawn enemies, and replenish healing items at bonfire-like checkpoints. The combat is focused on syncing with the enemy’s rhythm and adapting accordingly. While the attacks appear to be hack-and-slash, they require the precision and control found in Soulslike games, enabling a variety of combos, dodges, blocks, and parries. Parrying, in particular, plays a crucial role in The First Berserker: Khazan, as it allows for breaking an enemy’s stance, opening them up to a barrage of attacks.

In the thrilling world of The First Berserker: Khazan, it’s crucial not to let your hunger for victory cloud your judgment. It’s all about diving in, delivering a few solid blows, then stepping back, blocking (or better yet, parrying), studying their moves, and exploiting their openings when they lose focus. This strategy works equally well during the boss fight, but it’s significantly tougher. Not only do you have to keep up this rhythm for longer due to its increased health, but it throws off your game with extended combos, ranged attacks, and freezing effects. Just like in the best Soulslike games, this fight against The First Berserker: Khazan was both incredibly tough yet immensely satisfying. I’ve fallen to this boss a few times, but each defeat brought me closer to mastering its moves, predicting its patterns, and progressing further.

In our last try against the boss, the action was hectic and intense. We were so engrossed that we didn’t notice right away that our demo was overtime and we were running behind schedule for our meeting with the developers of The First Berserker: Khazan. It was evident no one wanted to disturb us. Our final attempt saw us reducing the ape-like boss to around 25% of its original health before we ran out of potions, finding ourselves in a precarious situation similar to the imperial soldier and the bear. Instead of giving up, we found ourselves relying heavily on blocks, parries, and synchronizing our moves with the boss’ rhythm even more closely. It was a high-risk situation where missing a block or a parry could mean certain death, but we managed to persevere. We dodged numerous attacks, parried every ranged attack, blocked each hit, and avoided all jump attacks. Regrettably, victory proved just out of reach for us this time as the boss managed to land a blow, ending our run. However, we had managed to reduce him from 25% health to approximately 5%.

As a seasoned gamer with years of experience under my belt, I must say that the brief encounter we had with the boss fight was nothing short of exhilarating. Though our team fell short and the victory eluded us, there was an overwhelming sense of pride in the limits we pushed ourselves to reach and the gameplay we were able to execute. One more go, and we could have claimed victory. It was a struggle to step away, but we knew we had to. That experience encapsulates the essence of Soulslike/hardcore action RPG design – the relentless challenge that keeps us coming back for more. With The First Berserker: Khazan slated for release in 2025, I can’t wait to see what other trials it will put me through and how it will test my gaming skills!

The First Berserker: Khazan is in development.

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2024-08-29 01:44