The First Berserker: Khazan is a classy motion RPG that borrows similarly from Souls-likes and looter shooters. Set on the planet of Dungeon Fighter On-line, this single-player spin-off delves into the previous, 800 years prior to the occasions of the preferred beat-’em-up, however you do not want to have performed the unique to revel in this new adventure.
Khazan’s tale is one in all betrayal and vengeance. Framed as a traitor, the once-great Common Khazan is tortured and imprisoned prior to being free of his bondage via a mystical entity made up of the ghosts of a number of robust warrior spirits. It best will get more bizarre from right here.
Not like a normal Souls-like’s interconnected global, The First Berserker’s tale is advised by way of a sequence of distinct ranges. It is a selection that fits the sport neatly, as every stage provides up a bit of the tale so that you can have interaction with, however it is not a in particular attention-grabbing story. Khazan’s quest for vengeance towards those that wronged him is a compelling sufficient get started, however the narrative takes a large number of predictable twists and turns and, as a result of you haven’t any actual connection to his previous, it is onerous to really feel invested.
One non-compulsory quest chain is especially touching and tells an emotional tale in regards to the heavy price of vengeance, however its reuse of bosses, a widespread drawback with the facet quests, makes it, and the remainder of them, onerous to revel in. Those shorter missions additionally disclose an issue on the middle of Khazan. You’ll be able to most commonly flip your mind off and breeze throughout the ranges as soon as you will have spent a couple of hours mastering the core mechanics. The painterly, cel-shaded artwork taste makes all of it beautiful to have a look at, however it is extra like a poster you look at in your means in different places than a portray you’ll be able to lose your self in for hours.
The degrees all observe the similar method. Despite the fact that the environments vary from snowy mountain peaks to hilly, rustic villages to deep, darkish mines and caves, you at all times battle your means thru a sequence of same old enemies that each one drop randomised equipment prior to dealing with off towards the boss. You get such a lot loot you might be nearly drowning in it, however happily the sport best has 3 various kinds of weapon: a dual-wield sword and awl, a two-handed greatsword, and a spear.
Khazan used to be already a mythical warrior, and the ghost has best made him more potent. Each and every weapon sort has its personal devoted talent tree that lets you carry out robust mixtures and have interaction with other battle mechanics. The twin-wield guns can unharness a devastating assault that reasons next hits to deal much more harm, and the spear permits Khazan to go into a virtually phantom state, the place every of his blows has an afterimage that moves the foe once more. You’ll be able to reset your whole realized talents so in case you ever need to switch guns, you’ll be able to accomplish that with none end result. It is a super machine that encourages and rewards experimentation. The spear used to be the most efficient all-rounder because of its rapid, broad ranging moves, however the entire guns may also be helpful in case you be informed their movesets and make investments into their talents. The battle machine is incorrect, despite the fact that.
Like Sekiro, you and your enemies have a posture bar that may be damaged to land a essential hit, however it doubles as a stamina bar, so you might be restricted in how a lot harm you’ll be able to dish out within the early levels of the sport prior to you will have upgraded Khazan’s stats. This feels antithetical to the center of the battle, which inspires and rewards viciousness.
There also are a couple of tactics to dam an assault, however they are able to be very inconsistent. There is your same old block which negates maximum harm, an excellent block which can deal stamina harm in your foe, a parry which is able to deflect positive unblockable assaults and deal harm, and a mirrored image which in reality reasons you to take some harm however offers large stamina harm to the enemy in go back. Studying the very exact timing for all of those, together with which assaults they are in reality efficient towards, is the toughest a part of the sport, and the inconsistency makes it extra irritating than satisfying. It will provide you with the similar itch for rhythmic battle that Sekiro or 9 Sols does however it by no means manages to scratch it.
The randomised loot additionally muddies the entire revel in and way you can spend a large number of time in menus that best serve to stall the extra thrilling components of the sport. Do you actually care that this helmet will provide you with +25 stamina and that helmet will provide you with +1.2% frontal attack harm? You’re going to while you see that dressed in an identical set confers bonuses in keeping with what number of pieces in it you may have provided, however then you definitely see a work of armour with means higher defence; is it value breaking apart the set and shedding that bonus? Who cares, truthfully? You will put on the armour that appears coolest on the finish of the day.
This would not be a subject if you got loot sparingly, however on the finish of each stage or two you can have dozens of latest items of substances to analyse and it simply turns into a chore. There is additionally a blacksmith who can craft equipment and a witch who can exchange its attributes. There is a long way an excessive amount of area given to the loot in a sport the place you simply need to move rapid. Thankfully, it is a chore that may be have shyed away from for some time, as your expanding flair with the sport and studying new talents make ranges a cinch to get thru till some bosses rapidly and entirely wall your growth and drive you to in reality use higher equipment.
The fights themselves are exhilarating, which best makes the entire techniques that put them off the entire extra tense. Any Souls-like is made or damaged at the strengths of its boss fights, and Khazan’s in most cases shine vivid. From beastly yetis to tanky-yet-agile flamethrowing infantrymen or even a snake-like dragon, there may be a large number of selection in the primary missions’ large bads. Whilst you get within the zone and the whole thing clicks into position, the electrifying song builds and the strain ratchets up as you battle a warfare of attrition, desperately the use of each software at your disposal to whittle the enemy’s well being down prior to your individual is depleted. However then a deflection that is at all times labored up till now unexpectedly does not, and the semblance is shattered.
Conclusion
In the end, The First Berserker: Khazan is a superb time. Its aesthetic differentiates it from the plethora of ARPG Souls-likes we now have turn out to be used to, and its good boss fights are attractive sufficient to lure you thru ranges that begin to really feel dull across the mid-way level of the sport. However its lacklustre tale and bloated, inconsistent mechanics impede what will have been a greater sport if it have been extra subtle.
