The First Berserker: Khazan

The First Berserker: Khazan blends strong offensive and defensive combat systems with anime flair in a brutal and engrossing action-RPG.

Despite a forgettable story and some constricted level design, The First Berserker: Khazan's excellent combat is more than enough to cover for these missteps. It's challenging, engaging, and consistently satisfying, complemented by a cavalcade of dynamic enemies and a versatile progression system that extends beyond the typical XP-based approach.

The First Berserker: Khazan is a masterclass in action combat, delivering thrilling boss fights, diverse level design, and tight mechanics that rival the genre’s best. While the narrative and side characters falter in depth, the fluid progression, customizable skill trees, and satisfying difficulty curve make this a standout soul-like experience—even for players unfamiliar with the Dungeon Fighter Online universe.

The First Berserker: Khazan is a perfect game that achieves everything it sets out to. While I do wish for more weapon types and an open-world, not having these doesn't take away from the core experience at hand, which is nothing short of perfection.

The First Berserker: Khazan is undoubtedly the hardest game I’ve played this year, but it’s one I encourage fans of the genre (or even those just curious about it) to play. The journey is tough, and it won’t be for everyone – but if I can get through it, with plenty of time and practice, you can too.

Despite somewhat samey missions and a flat protagonist, Khazan's combat and boss design are some of the best I've seen in a soulslike.

The First Berserker: Khazan is a brilliant blend of the Soulslike and Hack and Slash genres, offering some of the best combat in recent gaming years and an incredibly polished product. While it does have some shortcomings in its story, replayability, and occasionally borrows too heavily from past titles, if you live for action games such as Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice or Devil May Cry 5, this game will likely be your Game of the Year so far and a title we can recommend at full price.

The First Berserker: Khazan is a perfect fit for fans of Soulslike games looking for something fresh yet familiar. And it certainly holds its own among the genre’s heavyweights.