The First Berserker: Khazan is a new action RPG set in the universe of Nexon's MMORPG Dungeon Fighter Online (DnF) and will be released on March 27, 2025 for PS5, PC and Xbox Series X/S. Available since January 16th a demo in the PlayStation Storewhich allows interested parties to try out the title for free. The progress from the trial version can be transferred later if you buy the game. We took a look at The First Berserker: Khazan for you and report on our impressions here.
What the game is about
The First Berserker: Khazan is set 800 years before DNF and tells the story of Khazan. The Grand General of the Pell-Los Empire is falsely accused of treason and sent into exile near death. There, a mysterious power frees him from the clutches of his guards and gives him superhuman strength. As a result, Khazan sets out to find those responsible for his exile and take revenge.
The demo already makes it clear how dark and brutal The First Berserker: Khazan is likely to be. There is a lot of blood and the color palette consists primarily of black, grey and red. The cutscenes are relatively simple, but the English dubbing is really well done.
A Soulslike of the old school
The developers from Neople and Nexon offer familiar fare in terms of gameplay. The levels are quite linear, with small detours here and there. Khazan can only withstand a few hits, which is why the use of well-timed parries and evasive maneuvers is essential. On the offensive, we have the choice between light and heavy attacks. The latter can also be charged, which causes a lot of damage but also leaves us vulnerable for a short time.
Attacks can also be carried out from the air and from ambush. However, most battles take place directly man against man or man against monster. Progress is saved at regularly distributed campfires and character values can be improved. When we die, we lose experience points, which we can then regain.
The basic gameplay has been familiar for years, but is also very popular. Genre veterans will quickly feel at home and should enjoy the fluid and really fun battles. The difficulty level is tough right from the start, although not as nightmarish as a Nioh 2, for example. After completing the first mission, you can even select an easier difficulty level.
The basic structure of The First Berserker: Khazan stands on stable legs. Of course, the decisive factor with Soulslikes is always what the developers ultimately do with this foundation. The level and enemy design is quite appealing in the 3-4 hours of gameplay offered by the demo. However, it didn't really blow us away either. Hopefully there will be a bit more variety and positive surprises later on in the game.
Chic cel-shading look
There was a time in gaming when cel-shading was the big graphics thing. The Borderlands series in particular certainly owes many gamers' hearts to this special look. In recent years, the use of cel shading has become less common again, which is a real shame. After all, the mix of "real" elements and hard comic edges simply looks cool and often holds up pretty well even after years. See the Borderlands games mentioned above.
The First Berserker: Khazan also relies on a cel-shaded look and thus stands out visually from other soulslikes. The genre is known for gloomy knights, huge monsters and barren environments. Such a unique selling point certainly can't hurt. In any case, we liked the look and are curious to see what the developers will do with it in the finished game.
English 
German