When it was first revealed, The First Berserker: Khazan appeared that it’s yet one more Soulslike title, albeit one with a extra stylized strategy that helped it stand out. Dig deeper, nonetheless, and it’s clear that Nexon and Neople’s new sport has far more than that to supply, particularly for followers of the in depth DNF universe.
The supply materials, which locations the titular Khazan as a legendary hero who will get betrayed by Pell Los Empire after defeating Hismar the Berserk Dragon and is the origin of the Khazan Syndrome, and thus, the Slayer faction, is wealthy and storied. But, what the group hopes to attain with The First Berserker: Khazan is to each invite new gamers into the DNF world and to fulfill veterans in a single fell swoop. That required a deft contact and a splash of multiverse storytelling.
“The story of Khazan wasn’t actually realized regardless of what it symbolizes and the importance in the entire DNF universe,” defined Junho Lee, Artistic Director. “There are such a lot of sources and references that [come] from DNF, however on the identical time, we needed to enchantment to individuals who don’t know the universe.
“To be precise, we thought in terms of creating these spinoffs, we selected the tales that may be attention-grabbing if it went in a different way from the unique story. So, Khazan will get betrayed and despatched into exile, however what if he truly survived?”
And that’s the place I discovered myself when attempting out The First Berserker: Khazan for the primary time. Described as a hardcore motion roleplaying expertise, the violence and mechanics match properly right into a style that has develop into a mainstay in gaming, however the way in which Neople approached its design nonetheless delivered some good surprises.
From a visible standpoint, watching Khazan transfer by the snow and the ruins, it’s straightforward to be taken in by the visuals on show, particularly with its distinctive artwork type that forgoes realism for one thing rather more eye-catching.
As Artwork Director Kyuchul Lee mentioned, “Whereas creating Khazan, it was actually essential for us to include the IP parts of the unique sport but in addition cater to the market’s wants. Now we have performed quite a few assessments to seek out the appropriate course, and we didn’t go for the photorealistic strategy as a result of it restricted the creativeness of the gamers. This strategy is extra evocative and likewise helps differentiate our sport.
“The lifetime of Khazan is stuffed with struggles, he goes by betrayals and completely different issues in his life, and we actually needed to painting graphically and aesthetically the bloody battles and likewise the grit that he faces on this state of affairs. The graphic strategy that we’ve taken justifies the violence and completely different struggles he goes by within the sport.”
It ought to come as no shock that the motion was methodical and impactful, with even the supposed fodder enemies proving to be harmful foes. It takes some time to get used to the heavier weight of Khazan’s motion and assaults, and with blocks and dodges to think about, gamers might want to sharpen their abilities in fight as quickly as they’ll.
That is particularly so when assembly one of many sport’s optionally available encounters, like a monstrous bear resting in a cave. Every swipe of its claws was terrifying, however after deciphering its patterns, it grew to become a way more manageable affair as I constantly parried it and ultimately broke its stance, giving me time to really deliver the ache.
For sure, I used to be swiftly introduced again right down to scorched earth when going through the demo’s precise boss: A hulking frost ape that was greater than wanting to punish any overeager participant that has no defensive sport. Between lengthy combos, delayed assaults, and swift motion, the encounter grew to become extra of a tactical dance, and the primary one to make a flawed transfer was in for a foul time. But, when you’ve gotten gotten into the rhythm and introduced this beast right down to its haunches, that satisfaction is definitely one thing else. With victory in hand, it was clear that The First Berserker: Khazan had awoken one thing in me, and I needed extra, which the group was more than pleased to think about.
“In the case of increasing the IP by completely different content material, like novels, webtoons, and animation, we are able to contemplate alternative ways,” added the inventive director. “However in terms of video games, we consider that many of the tales the universe can provide are higher instructed with motion.”
And on this case, I couldn’t agree extra.
The First Berserker: Khazan is at present in growth and is about for a 2025 launch on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Collection X|S, and PC.