ApexReaper Reviews

Promotional image for "KHAZAN: The First Berserker," featuring a muscular, bare-chested man with long blonde hair and a stern expression. He has red markings, armor with red eyes on one arm. Dark, stylized wings form a backdrop, creating a dramatic and intense atmosphere.

The First Berserker: Khazan

Should You Play The First Berserker: Khazan? A souls like game with a beautiful anime cell shaded art style. Come read as I take a look at this game and answer the question. Should You Play?

ApexReaper

Latest Reviews

Released on: March 27, 2025
Developed by: Neople
Published by: Nexon
Avalible on:
PlayStation
Steam
Xbox

The Story

In the The First Berserker: Khazan you play as Khazan a man who is exiled. On the way of being escorted out you get attacked. An entity known as the blade phantom forms a pack with you. You agree to help him find the source of the chaos. In return, he will lend you his strength. This will help you discover why you were exiled. Along the way, you will find old friends who will need your help. They will give you intel on what is happening and who got you exiled and the source of the chaos.

The story in this game is good but does not do anything special. There are some really good moments in the story. It makes you care about the characters. Whether you like them, hate them, or even feel bad for them. But this games story does not really offer any surprises. You can figure out the story pretty early on. My problem with the story of this game is it is way too long. I mean it took me 50+ hours to finish my first play through. That is mostly playing through the levels. I only got stuck on a boss or two for about 1 hour. With one boss taking me about 3 hours to beat. If this game was about 20 hours shorter it would have been much better.

I will give the story of The First Berserker: Khazan a middle of the road 5 out of 10. That being said you don’t play souls like or hardcore action games for their storytelling

Rating: 5 out of 10.
A body chained and bloodied in a cold, bleak environment. The person has long, dirty blonde hair and is wearing dark clothing. Bloodied skin. They are chained in a cage. The ground is made of snow-dusted planks or tiles. The sky is a hazy, muted blue, snowy overcast day. The overall atmosphere is dark, violent, and oppressive.
Sepia-toned digital illustration. Close up dramatic composition shows monstrous figure on the right with glowing white eyes, tattered clothing, and open mouth. On the left, the back of a warrior with their axe raised in a threatening pose. Dark, textured background.
Sepia-toned illustration. Center composition features a fair-skinned woman with blonde hair and dark feathered shoulder armor. She is positioned in the foreground with a gentle smile. Blurred, background features figures in distress, creating depth. The background has a rough texture.
A man is tied upside down on a ship's wheel in a sepia-toned illustration. His arms are stretched out.

The Characters & Enemies/Bosses

The characters of The First Berserker: Khazan are great. Khazan is a really cool looking main character with amazing loyalty. The blade phantom is awesome I loved his design and the cut scenes with him are so good. There are some strange characters like the bard. Who you find throughout the levels. He does have a story he will tell you as you keep finding him. Then there is the jar dude. He is great and he will sell you jars you can put on your head. You will have to find jarlings for him. I don’t want to say the names of the other characters for spoiler reasons. But some of them are great and they all add to the story. Some of these characters will also have a function that will help you.

An anime male warrior takes up center right of the frame, he has long blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail. He is wearing a dark brown leather jacket trimmed with feathers. His right hand (covered in a bright red glove), is on a large sword, which takes up most of the left of the image The background shows a snowy, wooded area with angled light beams behind the figure which provides a high-key lighting effect. A shallow depth of field blurs the backdrop
A formidable knight clad in dark, intricately detailed armor stands prominently in a dark, somber forest. The armor features sharp edges, red eye-like accents throughout, and a horned helmet. The background is a dark blue and purple gradient displaying barren trees.
a woman with long blonde hair, wearing glasses and ornate clothing, looking at the camera while reading an open book. The book features illustrations of fantastical creatures and indecipherable text. The scene is set outdoors, with foliage and stone structures in the background. Game interface elements, such as currency counters, are visible in the upper right corner.

The enemy design is amazing. All the different types of enemies look great. The dragonkin and the demons are my favorite. It’s great that the enemies that have a bow look different than the enemies that have a spear. This makes it possible to identify what you are up against before the fight. This allows you to come up with a strategy. You will also start to see enemies that are just annoying to deal with. I usually just take them out from afar. As for how challenging the enemies are there not bad. Some of the enemies are more challenging than most but they don’t appear that often. If multiple enemies fight you simultaneously, it becomes challenging. This is especially true when their attacks are timed just right so they are constantly attacking. There are elite enemies that will not respawn after defeating them. There is a really cool effect that happens to the screen when you come up to an elite enemy.

The boss designs in the game are fantastic and easily some of the best boss designs I have ever seen. Of course, the bosses in this game are meant to be difficult and some are really difficult. For the most part the boss fights are really fun to play with the exception of a few. The few are not that fun to play and are really annoying to fight. The worst for me was the magic users. They just do everything in their power to stay as far from you as they can. It is frustrating to get hits in. However, this is by design, making them a good boss. It’s just frustrating to fight them. The best fight for me hands down is the boss Volbaino. This fight was so cool from his design to his animations. Even his boss music was the best in my opinion. This fight was so much fun. It had great mechanics. Some of them are cancelable, making the fight even better. Volbaino also has a good story to him as well. You also can fight the bosses over again by going back to the mission they are in. You just pick the blade nexus that’s close to the boss and fight it again.

I will easly give the characters & enemies/bosses a solid 10 out of 10. I hope the devs had as much fun designing them as I did fighting them.

Rating: 10 out of 10.
In a snow-covered landscape with crumbling stone structures, a menacing dragon-like creature stands ready. With a textured, scaled hide and sharp horns, it faces a blurred figure in the foreground. The scene evokes a sense of impending conflict and fantasy.
A female warrior, clad in armor and wielding a shield, confronts a massive, grotesque beast within a dilapidated, ruinous structure. The beast is covered in fur, blood, and has multiple, grotesque features. A fallen warrior lies on the ground in the foreground, suggesting a recent battle. The setting is dark and foreboding, with debris scattered across the floor and the crumbling structure looming overhead.
A warrior with long blond hair stands, back to the viewer, facing a massive, grotesque spider in a dark cavern. The spider, suspended above, has a cluster of eyes, large fangs and claws. Webs cover the dimly lit cavern walls. The scene suggests a tense, dangerous encounter.
A stylized digital illustration depicts an elf woman in a dark fantasy setting. She has white hair, pale skin, and pointed ears, with a stern expression on her face. She is wearing a dark, ornate outfit with chains, bone-like shoulder ornamentation, and what appears to be a harness. Her left hand is extended, surrounded by a swirling, glowing blue magical effect with tiny sparkling particles. The background is dark and appears to be a rocky or cavernous setting. The overall mood is one of power and mystique.

The Gameplay

The First Berserker: Khazan is a hardcore action game or souls like game. This means that it is meant to be challenging. You will have limited heals and if you rest at the blade nexus. The enemies you have defeated will come back to life. When not if but when you die. You will have to make your way back to where you died to get your Lacrima back. Lacrima is what you use to level up and modify your gear as well as buy certain items.

Screenshot of an in-game "Upgrade Stats" screen. The character is Level 148 with Available Upgrades of 1. On the left, a list of stats: Vitality (47), Endurance (44), Strength (56), Willpower (11), and Proficiency (39). On the right side of the screen, stats such as Max Health (4425), Stamina (1886), Damage (1150), and other stat information is presented. Below this is displayed the Lacrima needed to upgrade this character. Required: 362,500, After upgrade: 377,260. On the side is an image of the in-game character in red tones.

This game has you explore a level and at the end of the level there is a boss. Throughout the levels you will get equipment, Lore and other resources. Such as Lacrima and gold and other material need to craft. From the beginning of the game there are these red glowing rocks that you destroy. These are needed to give you a buff.

After a certain point in the game, you will start seeing jarlings in the levels. Even the levels you already completed. The jarlings are really easy to find there was even an update to make them even easier to find. As you find the jarling you will get more items in Danjin’s shop

Once you reach a certain story point in the game. You will start seeing floating red mist that you can interact with. This will summon a Spirit of Advocacy for you to fight. This enemy will drop a special item that will let you upgrade your summon.

When you are at a boss fight after a certain story point. You will be able to summon a Spirit of Advocacy. This cost the item you get from fighting the spirits. The spirit will have either a great sword, spear or dual wield. They will only help you with the boss fight.

As you finish levels you will start to get side missions. These will have you going back to past levels and exploring a different area. Sometimes you will explore the same area you were in before. These are fun as they will give you more lore on the world and story. As well as more gear and resources. Sometimes you will also get an item that will give you a new function in the crevice. You will find a red glowing rock and a jarling in these side missions.

I really like how this game did the item that gives you more Lacrima. Not only does it give you more Lacrima it also heals you. I found myself saving them for the boss fights, so I have more heals.

The gear in this game comes in different levels and rarity. The higher level you are the higher level the gear will be. There are a good number of armor sets in this game. With the sets the more of the set you have equipped the more buffs you will get.

There are 3 different types of weapons in this game. They are duel weld you use a sword in one hand an axe in the other. Then there is greatsword you have a massive sword that hits hard but attacks slow. Last there is a spear I noticed that the spear can ignore defense of the enemy.

A screen capture of a video game's "Gear" user interface. The "Helms" category is selected in the top navigation. Two items are highlighted side-by-side for comparison: a "Great General's Helm" (level 136, unique) on the left, and "The Most Special Jar" (level 142, legendary) shown as currently equipped. Each item displays its defense rating, weight, and various attribute bonuses. To the right, character stats labeled "Wulfric the Resilient" are listed, including level, vitality, strength, health, attack damage, and agility. Controller button prompts appear at the bottom of the screen for equipping and viewing additional information.
A screenshot from a video game displaying a gear menu with a focus on the "Pilgrim's Ring." The ring's level, max health bonus, and random attributes such as defense, attack damage, and damage increase are listed. Set attributes for "Pilgrim" include bonuses to potent blow damage and stamina damage increase. The menu also shows the character's overall stats, including vitality, endurance, strength, willpower, proficiency, max health, max stamina, attack damage, defense, weight, and agility. The background is a blurred combat scene with an enemy named "Wulfric the Resilient." Hotkey items and Netherworld Energy are displayed at the bottom left. Menu options for equip, unequip, info window, attribute info, selecting, and closing the window are also displayed.

You have a few options when it comes your old gear. You can sell it for gold at the merchant. You can dismantle them for the materials needed to craft gear. The other option is to extract Lacrima from them this will destroy the piece of equipment.

You also get to have a Phantom equipped. These Phantom have different abilities like frontal assault damage increase, Stamina recovery up or even Ranged attack damage increase.

The image shows a character selection screen from the game featuring "Wulfric the Resilient". Wulfric is illustrated as a menacing, horned figure with red accents. Below, there is a written description of its abilities, along with its ally effects increasing damage by 15% upon frontal assault, and spirit rewards for successful counters. Other phantom characters are displayed as selectable options.

Spirit is used to activate skill and to use your javelin. Spirit is gained as you attack and brink guard. You can enhance spirit acquisition by assigning skill points. This allows you to gain spirit from brink dodges, taking damage, or even interacting with Lacrima. As you play the game you will increase the amount of spirit charges you can have. For me the javelin was the best use of spirit charges. I would take out the more difficult enemies or just thin the heard before a fight. They are also very helpful in boss fights.

This game has a compendium of all the enemies in the game. As you defeat more enemies they will appear in the compendium. A really cool feature of the compendium is there are bonus missions for you to complete. These can be defeating the enemy without taking damage. Even defeat the enemy after doing a set number of counter attacks. The rewards for the bonus missions can sometimes be really good other you can pass on. You can also train against the enemy from the compendium it will take you to an arena.

There are fake walls for you to find. I will say you should look around the crevice and you will see what they look like. For me I did not find many fake walls no until late into the game. I hope you have more luck than me at finding them.

I will give the gameplay of The First Berserker: Khazan a solid 10 out of 10.

Rating: 10 out of 10.

Combat

The combat in The First Berserker: Khazan feels really good. With this being a hardcore action game, you are not meant to go in hack and slash style. You are meant to think carefully about your attacks. Use your attacks and skills to defeat your enemy without taking any damage.

You have your basic attack as well as a heavy attack. You also have a dodge and a guard. The dodge and guard can be timed to be a brink dodge or guard. Brink dodges and guard are a very important skill to learn. There are armor sets and skills that will give you buffs for doing a brink dodge or guard.

You also have a brutal attack. This is a powerful attack that you can do when you break your opponent. You can sneak up to an enemy and perform a brutal attack from behind. You can also brutal attack from above once you learn the skill.

Breaking your opponent requires you to do stamina damage and deplete their stamina bar. You can do this from attacks or brink guards. Some weapons and gear will have an increase to stamina damage. This was the main focus point of my build. I concentrated on stamina damage to deal massive damage with the brutal attacks.

You also have two different counter attacks.  One you get through the story and it allows you counter certain attacks.  The other is one you can learn with skill points. This one lets you counter any attack if you can time it.

The most important thing to keep in mind about the combat in this game is the stamina. The stamina will get you killed if your not careful. It feels bad when you get tunnel vision and see the kill. You go for it, only to find out you have no stamina. You try to attack and nothing happens, and instead, the enemy destroys you, and you die. This does happen and you got to learn from it and not get greedy.

You will gain skill points as you defeat enemies. In the skills menu you will see dual wield greatsword and spear as well as common. In these tabs, you can learn skills. In the weapons tab, you can learn new attacks. You can also learn passives that work well with your chosen weapon. In the common you will find skills and passives. They help you get more spirit. They power up your brutal attacks and counter attacks, as well as others.

I will give the combat of The First Berserker: Khazan an easy 10 out of 10

Rating: 10 out of 10.

Graphics

The graphics of The First Berserker: Khazan is amazing. I love the anime cell shaded look this game has. It works so well with all the blood that happens as you use skills and combos. The areas you explore look so good.

There really is not much to say about the graphics other than I really like them. With that being said, I do have one negative thing to say about the graphics. There is a couple of area that was so eye straining to look at and made the levels not fun. But for the most part this game looks so good.

I will give the graphics of The First Berserker: Khazan a 9 out of 10

Rating: 9 out of 10.
A player-controlled character in a dark fantasy action role-playing game faces off against a humanoid enemy in a snow-covered wooded area. The character, armored with a bucket on their head, is crouched, ready for combat. Behind them, another enemy lumbers forward. In the background, ancient stone ruins and snow-dusted trees create a gloomy, atmospheric setting. The game's user interface is visible, showing health, items, and currency.
A dark and ominous scene from a fantasy video game. A figure clad in dark armor stands at the bottom of a long stone staircase, facing a huge, jagged castle made of dark stone. To the right, a crucified figure hangs on a wooden cross, silhouetted against the castle and sky. The overall atmosphere is foreboding and oppressive with a cloudy sky contributing to the dark mood and the indication of the user having currency at the top right corner.
A character clad in dark, ornate armor stands on an elaborate, dark-red balcony in a vast, multi-tiered hall. The grand hall features intricate architecture, with numerous levels and balconies adorned with detailed carvings, statues, and chandeliers. Sunlight streams in.
A warrior figure, seen from behind, stands on a stone bridge, framed by an imposing gothic-style castle in the distance. The sky is heavily overcast, giving the scene a somber, apocalyptic feel. The warrior is clad in dark, textured armor, and wields a large sword. The bridge shows signs of disrepair.

The Crevice or The Hub

The Crevice is your safe space in The First Berserker: Khazan. Here you can do a few things. Once you have the merchant available, you can buy and sell items with them. There is also a blacksmith for you to unlock here you can dismantle and craft new gear. There is also a lady who once you complete a certain side quest she can alter your gear. For me I used this feature twice I believe. I did not use it a lot. You get so much gear in this game. You are constantly leveling up, so the new gear is better. It was so helpful for the final boss. Let’s not forget the jar dude. A fun part of getting the jarlings from the levels is they will be in one area of the crevice. You will be able to see all your little buddies you saved.

A cool part of the crevice is there are two sides to the crevice. The realm of the living where you will find people who are helping you that are still alive. The merchant, blacksmith, and jar dude for example. They are some of the people you can find in the realm of the living. There is also a secret chest in the realm of the living. It contains armor that is strong. The armor can be used for a very long time. The other side is called the Netherworld Realm. Here you will find a helpful NPC. This NPC can level up your summons. They can also give you a buff for destroying the glowing red stones. You will also find gates that you will use to select the level you want to play.

The crevice is a good size. When I first saw it, I was so excited to see it fill with people. I was really disappointed at the end of the game when I saw how empty the crevice really was. It really was a letdown there are places in the crevice that no one ever goes to. A good thing about the crevice is the NPC’s give you lore about the game and thats cool.

Overall I have to give the crevice of The First Berserker: Khazan a 7 out of 10. This is mainly because of how empty this hub is. In a game that took 50+ hours and has 18 levels. With most of those levels having multiple side quests. It was just really disappointing to see an empty hub at the end of the game.

Rating: 7 out of 10.
A third-person perspective from a dark fantasy game. The player character, wearing detailed dark armor with fur trim, stands on a stone platform facing a large, ornate structure in a desaturated reddish environment. The structure is flanked by stone statues and topped with three large, floating red crystals. A second character in a red and black ornate robe stands to the left. The sky is a murky reddish-brown, and the scene evokes a sense of foreboding and high fantasy adventure.
The main subject is a heavily armored warrior facing away, centered in the foreground. Behind the warrior is a symmetrical structure of ornate stone steps leading up to a platform with large carved statues and linked chains hanging above. Other warrior figures are positioned on the left and right bottom sides of the frame. The background features a blue, cloudy sky. The color palette is cool, with shades of grey and blues dominating.

Should You Play?

Yes, this game really is a good hardcore action or souls like game. It was challenging and rewarding to play. All that plus the great art style this game has makes it a great game. I would say this game goes up into the top 5 souls like games. Now I really do wish it was like 20 hours shorter. But a longer game gives you more bang for your buck.

With this games enemies and bosses mixed with the music really makes this game memorable. I can easily say the Volbaino boss fight is my favorite boss in any hardcore action or souls like game. That fight is just so cool and the music is the best in the game.

So now for the final score I will give The First Berserker: Khazan a score of…… 8.5 out of 10. That’s a solid score. The only things that hurt the score were an average story, some levels being eye-straining, and the empty hub. Overall, I loved this game, and I am looking forward to the next game that Neople make.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

I have a playthrough on my YouTube channel if you would like to check it out you can HERE.

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