Summary
- The First Berserker: Khazan shared an 8-minute overview of its combat mechanics.
- The upcoming ARPG should feel right at home for soulslike fans, as its combat will be all about smart stamina management.
- The First Berserker: Khazan releases for the PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on March 27.
The Best War Games can share an exclusive new look at The First Berserker: Khazan, which serves as an overview of its core combat mechanics. The overall fighting dynamics of The First Berserker: Khazan should feel right at home for soulslike fans.
Originally announced in December 2023, The First Berserker: Khazan is a hardcore ARPG from Neople, a subsidiary of South Korean gaming giant Nexon. The game is scheduled to debut on the current-gen PlayStation and Xbox consoles—as well as PC—on March 27.
How Long Is The First Berserker: Khazan Demo?
The demo for The First Berserker: Khazan is finally out. Here's how long it will take players to complete it.
Ahead of The First Berserker: Khazan's release, Nexon shared an in-depth overview of its fighting mechanics, which The Best War Games can now exclusively reveal. The eight-minute video immediately identifies attacking, dodging, and guarding as the three core pillars of the game's combat. Guarding consumes much more stamina than dodging, though it's a more reliable way of surviving attacks while still learning enemy movesets. A perfect guard performed just as the attack is about to land will consume less stamina and minimize any stun effects. A dodge will consume even less stamina, but getting the most of its invincibility frames will require both moveset knowledge and quick reflexes.
The First Berserker: Khazan's Combat Is All About Being Smart With Stamina
As is the case with most soulslikes, the combat in The First Berserker: Khazan is all about being smart with stamina management, depending on how the battle is going. Running out of stamina will see Khazan enter a state of exhaustion, during which he's completely vulnerable to attacks. This same mechanic will apply to stamina-based enemies, of which there will be plenty. One effective way to utilize this system is to bait an enemy into depleting their stamina before attacking. If an enemy is defensive-minded and starts guarding, their reluctance can be punished by dealing one potent blow to deplete most—or all—of their stamina in one go, then proceed with punishing them in their exhausted state.
The First Berserker: Khazan Will Switch Things Up With Fortitude-Based Enemies
The First Berserker: Khazan will also feature fortitude-based enemies, a special breed of monster without a stamina gauge. The only way to force them into a state of exhaustion is to deplete their fortitude through attacks. While this makes them more challenging to approach than stamina-based enemies, they are balanced by the virtue of fortitude not replenishing over time. As a result, fortitude-based monsters will reward patience, precise movement, and surgical attacks even more so than regular mobs.
Once an enemy enters a state of exhaustion, one particularly devastating course of action is to use a so-called Brutal Attack to maximize damage. While dancing around an enemy and managing stamina to have just enough for a Brutal Attack at the right time is easier said than done, mastering this basic approach should prove useful in overcoming all of The First Berserker: Khazan's many bosses.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 81 /100 Critics Rec: 83%
- Released
- March 27, 2025
- Developer(s)
- Neople
- Publisher(s)
- Nexon
