The First Berserker: Khazan Is a Soulslike for Masochists (Here's Why)

The First Berserker: Khazan Review – Pain, Glory, and Perfect Parries

You know a game is wild when your first thought after beating a boss isn’t “finally”—it’s “I hope my neighbors didn’t hear that scream.”

The First Berserker: Khazan isn’t just another Soulslike. It’s an endurance test dressed in manga-flavored armor, dipped in a vat of sadness, and sharpened with the bitter steel of betrayal. And yeah… I played it. A lot. Probably too much. My therapist has questions.

Let’s go.

👊 A Quick Intro Before the Pain

If you've been living under a rock—or just haven't dipped into the chaotic brilliance of Dungeon Fighter Online (DFO)—here’s the deal: it's a massively popular beat-em-up MMO that's been a giant hit in Asia since the mid-2000s. With over 700 million registered players worldwide, its influence is huge, especially in South Korea and China. The First Berserker: Khazan is the first full-fledged single-player spinoff from that universe, giving us a dark, gritty prequel that’s equal parts lore drop and controller-snapping punishment.

Now, here's the best part: you don’t need to know anything about DFO to dive into Khazan. The game does a decent job introducing you to its world and protagonist without requiring an encyclopedic knowledge of MMO history. You play as General Khazan, a legendary hero who saved his empire from a massive threat—only to be stabbed in the back, framed, and sentenced to death. That alone could be a solid setup for your classic revenge arc, but the game cranks things up to eleven by having him possessed by a spirit known as the “Phantom of the Blade,” a literal embodiment of vengeance and unholy rage.

From the get-go, Khazan isn’t here to make friends. He’s cursed, pissed, and his soul’s been fused with an underworld specter that gives him dark powers—and a serious chip on his shoulder. The story quickly spirals into an intense journey through a world that’s crumbling spiritually and politically, with Khazan at the center of it all, carving a path through betrayal, monsters, and supernatural forces.

This isn’t just “a Soulslike with story.” This is full-on vengeful anime protagonist mode unlocked.

🔥 Combat: A Love-Hate (But Mostly Love) Relationship

Okay, cards on the table: this game is hard. Like, "I’ve played Elden Ring and Nioh and still screamed at my screen" hard.

But the combat? Chef’s kiss.

You get three main weapons:

• Dual blades = fast and flashy
• Greatsword = slow but hits like a truck
• Spear = the balanced overachiever

You can swap and respec freely, which is great for experimentation. I tried everything, then settled on the dual blades because I like pretending I’m anime Yoda on caffeine.

Combat revolves around parries (Brink Guard) and dodges (Brink Dodge)—both requiring surgical timing. Pull them off, and you feel unstoppable. Miss? Well, enjoy getting pancaked by a flaming centaur with daddy issues.

🎨 Visuals: Dark Fantasy With a Manga Kick

If Dark Souls, Berserk, and Demon Slayer had a weird, angsty baby—it would probably look like The First Berserker: Khazan. The game oozes style from the first cursed battlefield to the last crumbling underworld temple. Visually, it’s a dark fantasy playground drenched in drama, contrast, and that distinct East-meets-West aesthetic flair. Every frame looks like it could be pulled straight out of a high-end manga panel—or at least printed on a poster you'd hang proudly next to your gaming setup.

The environments are beautifully bleak. One minute you’re trudging through snowy ruins while crimson blood sprays across the screen, the next you’re deep in a misty, underground mine that feels more haunted than functional. Even though the world is technically linear, the variety in stage design is enough to keep it from feeling repetitive. Snowy mountain passes, burning cities, corrupted forests—it all bleeds with atmosphere and thematic depth.

The character design, meanwhile, is straight-up fantasy eye candy. Khazan himself looks like a nightmare knight crossed with a wandering Ronin. His armor evolves as you go, giving you that visual feedback loop that says, “Yeah, I earned this look.” Cloaks billow, demonic sigils glow, and his transformation into berserker mode? Pure hype. That red-on-white visual contrast when he's covered in blood and snow? Straight up art.

Even the enemies bring it. From hulking beast-men to undead warlords and creepy soul-sucking shades, everything looks intimidating and ready to ruin your day. And those boss animations? Smooth, cinematic, and terrifying.

Simply put: Khazan may break your spirit, but it does so with undeniable style.

🧠 Systems on Systems on Systems

I need a flowchart.

Khazan has so many progression systems that at some point I just gave up trying to understand half of them. You’ve got:

• Leveling via soul juice (aka Lakrima)
• Skill trees per weapon
• Phantom upgrades
• Gear sets with synergy bonuses
• Stat points
• Memory upgrades
• And probably a hidden prestige system for all I know

Honestly, unless you're spreadsheet-brained, you'll likely just pick your favorite weapon, upgrade whatever you can afford, and hope for the best. And that’s okay. The core mechanics are strong enough to carry you, even if you're playing build roulette.

🧍 Accessibility? Kinda.

Alright, so the devs heard the cries of the non-hardcore crowd and decided to include an Easy Mode. Props for the effort… but let’s be honest—it’s more of a mercy flick than an actual lifeline.

Easy Mode in Khazan still demands your full attention, razor-sharp timing, and an unshakable will to power through defeat after defeat. I dropped to it expecting a slight reprieve. Instead, I got bodied by a tree monster that felt like it had trained in judo and carried emotional baggage. Don’t get it twisted—this is still a hard game, no matter what mode you're on.

That said, the game does make some clever choices in the accessibility department. My favorite? Even if you die to a boss, you keep a portion of the XP (Lakrima) based on the damage you dealt. That means every attempt matters. It encourages learning through failure rather than just punishing you with wasted effort. Honestly, this one feature alone made the grind feel less soul-crushing and a lot more like a training montage.

Another win: no death-run to reclaim your XP. You don’t have to sprint through 20 enemies just to recover your ghost. Instead, you grab your Lakrima outside the boss arena. Little things like this go a long way in making the experience more bearable—even if you’re still dying every five minutes.

Still, if you’re expecting Sekiro but with training wheels—this ain’t it. You’re gonna suffer. But you might learn to like it. Kind of like spicy food. Or leg day.

⭐ Final Rating: 8.5/10

For Soulslike veterans who crave a challenge wrapped in gorgeous, manga-inspired brutality. Not for the faint of heart—or the easily rage-quit-prone.

✅ Pros:

• Deep, responsive combat with multiple weapon styles and skill trees
• Jaw-dropping visuals and art direction that blend Eastern and dark fantasy aesthetics
• Rewarding boss mechanics that feel fair (even when they hurt)
• Non-linear build flexibility lets you experiment freely
• Smart XP system that respects your time—even in failure

❌ Cons:

• Difficulty curve is steep AF, even on "Easy"
• Progression systems can feel overwhelming or under-explained
• Linear world structure might disappoint those expecting Elden Ring-scale exploration
• Minimal accessibility features beyond damage scaling
• UI quirks like disappearing health bars can get annoying

🤕 A Glorious Pain

Look, The First Berserker: Khazan is not for everyone. If you thought Elden Ring was tough, this one might wreck you emotionally. But if you live for high-stakes battles, love analyzing attack patterns, and want a world that looks like a cursed painting come to life—this might just be your next obsession.

Just… maybe buy a stress ball first.

8.5/10 if you’re into Soulslikes. 3/10 if you just wanted a casual fantasy romp.

Stay bloodied but victorious with more brutal boss battles at Land of Geek Magazine!

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