The First Berserker: Khazan

Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Mar 24, 2026) · 300 reviews sampled · 1622 total reviews in window · weighted 196.2 up / 27.5 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →

• 90
  The Punished Backlog

  trust 79Apr 15, 2025

  “In the end, what is The First Berserker: Khazan? It’s a deeply rewarding and engaging experience, if challenging a boss 50 times in a row sounds fun to you. The story is a huge miss, the characters are boring, and the setting is all of the drab of Dark Souls with none of the wonder, but the peaks here are incredible, and if you can endure the journey, Khazan is an awesome, awesome experience.”

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• 85
  TheReviewGeek

  trust 79Apr 4, 2025

  “Despite a few wobbles, The First Berserker: Khazan is a lovely surprise. It's certainly not an easy game by any stretch of the imagination, nor is it a perfect Souls-like. It has some issues with boss HP and a couple of level design flaws but cleverly creative inclusions like an Easy Mode (although it's more of a "Not quite so difficult" Mode), bonus Lacrima from failed boss attempts and a lot of variety to skills and build-types makes this a very solid Souls-like. In fact, I'd go so far as to say it's the best on the market since Lies of P. This one's a very easy recommendation.”

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• 80
  GameMAG

  trust 78Apr 27, 2025

  “The First Berserker: Khazan is an interesting representative of the Soulslike genre, offering its own original ideas and a very strong plot. The game is able to break a person even on an easy difficulty level.”

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• 80
  INDIANTVCZ

  trust 78May 23, 2025

  “The First Berserker: Khazan may not look like a classic Souls-like at first glance, but the combat puts it boldly up there with the best. It's a brutal, fast-paced, and addictive brawler that rewards patience and precision. The story doesn't impress and the side content feels repetitive, but the essentials - the combat system and boss fights - work a treat. If you enjoy a challenge, like to learn from mistakes, and don't mind Korean style, you shouldn't miss this one. Khazan isn't a revolution, but it's a damn fun evolution.”

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• 80
  3DNews

  trust 78Apr 13, 2025

  “A fun and memorable soulslike that stands out thanks to its cool innovations and addictive combat system.”

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• 80
  GameFM

  trust 77Apr 6, 2025

  “The First Berserker: Khazan is an incredibly competent game. Its refined combat and challenging bosses make it a solid recommendation for Soulslike fans, although its weak narrative and repetitive environmental elements and enemies prevent it from standing out as a masterpiece. Still, it's a rewarding experience for those looking to overcome brutal obstacles in a visually stunning world, and is, in my opinion, the best Soulslike since Lies of P, disregarding FromSoftware's games. Highly recommended!”

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• 80
  RPGamer

  trust 74Mar 24, 2025

  “All in all, The First Berserker delivers an uncompromisingly tight combat experience that is further buoyed by an interesting, if somewhat unevenly paced, plot and a gorgeous presentation that is equal parts relentlessly grim and oppressive.”

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• 83
  Indie Games Devel

  trust 73Aug 21, 2026

  “Now that we’ve reached the end of The First Berserker: Khazan, what stays with us most is the feeling of facing a game that knows its own strength extremely well. Neople hasn’t built a soulslike that’s flawless on every front, but it has built an experience where combat takes on absolute centrality and, in most cases, manages to keep engagement running high. This very specialization is what makes Khazan an interesting title even beyond its ties to the Dungeon & Fighter universe. Personally, I consider the combat system the most convincing element of the entire production. The need to learn enemy movements, manage stamina, alternate attack and defense, and exploit the right openings makes every fight particularly satisfying. The game almost never hands out its victories: when players finally manage to get past a boss that took numerous attempts, the satisfaction mostly comes from knowing they’ve sharpened their own skills, not simply from picking up stronger gear. The boss fights, as a result, mark the moments where Khazan shows its potential at its best. Some fights run extremely demanding but also deeply rewarding, since they force players to genuinely understand the game’s mechanics. Facing a boss turns almost into a kind of dialogue built on movement: the opponent throws out an attack, the player learns to recognize it, responds with a parry or a dodge, and waits for the right moment to counter. It’s a system that asks for patience but pays off handsomely once mastered. I also appreciated the art direction. Cel shading isn’t just a distinctive aesthetic choice; it gives the game an immediately recognizable identity. The characters, and especially the bosses, come with real craft behind them, while attack animations help make fights spectacular. Some settings feel less memorable and lean on fairly similar tones, but the overall result still lands convincingly. The mission-based structure, on the other hand, ranks among the aspects that won me over least. On one hand, it keeps the experience focused on action and makes it easy to jump into different activities; on the other, it cuts down the sense of discovery that often ranks among the most fascinating elements of soulslikes. Players explore the game world through separate, relatively linear levels, with few moments where they truly feel lost inside one huge interconnected environment. The narrative, too, could have hit harder. Khazan’s story has an interesting premise and touches on potentially powerful subjects, but some characters and some situations don’t get the room they need to fully develop. The protagonist mostly works as a warrior and as the central figure of the action, while his more emotional side could have used more depth. Even so, the story still manages to hold enough interest to carry players through to the end. Difficulty, finally, is bound to split the audience. Personally, I see it as a positive that the game demands effort and precision, since that’s exactly what gives real value to victories. That said, some difficulty spikes come across as particularly sharp and can make the experience frustrating for players unfamiliar with the genre, especially when they reach a boss fight without having had enough chances to properly prepare for its mechanics. Either way, The First Berserker: Khazan left me with an excellent impression. It’s not a game trying to compete on every single front with the best soulslikes, but it carries a strong enough identity to stand out. Its strength lies in the precision of its combat, the quality of its boss fights, the variety of its weapons, and a recognizable art direction. I can only credit a production that shows just how well Neople has adapted to a genre completely different from what it’s known for, and I can only call this title a soulslike that looks great, plays solid, challenges players, and above all entertains, one worth recommending to anyone who puts the combat system at the center of their experience. Players looking for a massive world to explore or an extremely complex narrative might come away less satisfied. For everyone else, Khazan’s journey stands as convincing proof that even a series born mainly in the territory of online action RPGs can find a new dimension through a single-player experience built with ambition and personality.”

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• 85
  The Nerd Stash

  trust 71Apr 7, 2025

  “The First Berserker: Khazan is a brutal and punishing adventure with satisfying combat and a superb art style. While it lacks variety in some areas, the original things it brings to genre are outstanding and make this one of the best games of 2025.”

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• 86
  Pizza Fria

  trust 70Mar 28, 2025

  “Mixing the challenges of souls, some RPG layers and a story of pure revenge and violence, something evidenced by the great combats, The First Berserker: Khazan is a title that can please Elden Ring fans and also God of War fans (new or old, it doesn't matter). It is democratic, offering two difficulty levels (normal and easy), it is not as desperate as its bigger brothers and it is a title that gets straight to the point, without many twists and turns, without much storytelling.”

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• 85
  Prima Games

  trust 70Mar 24, 2025

  “The First Berserker: Khazan is a solid soulslike with a lot to like. It has a robust combat system with plenty of mechanics to master, the bosses hit hard and are satisfying to overcome and the story is entertaining with plenty of fun moments sprinkled throughout. While the exploration is a bit uneven and the level design is nothing to write home about, The First Berserker: Khazan is an impressive action game that's hard to put down.”

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• 85
  Geeks & Com

  trust 69Apr 17, 2025

  “The First Berserker: Khazan is one of the great Soulslike games of recent years. While many titles in this genre are quickly forgotten, very few manage to rise to the level of truly solid games. Thanks to its generous lifespan (a good 40 hours), the precision of its controls, its diversity and its memorable boss battles, you'll come away clearly satisfied. Yes, there are a few drawbacks: the level design is decent, but lacklustre, and the story takes a back seat. But nothing really dramatic. Apart from anything else FromSoftware has come up with, Khazan is undoubtedly the best thing to come out of Lies of P. And that's a compliment we don't pay lightly.”

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…and 100 more tracked reviews.

1. [PC] Patch Notes – July 28

   Jul 28, 2026
2. [PC/PS/XBOX] Patch Notes – Apr 1

   Apr 1, 2026
3. (Fixed) [PC/PS/XBOX] Patch Notes – March 24

   Mar 24, 2026significant · resets scoring window
4. [PC/PS/XBOX] Patch Notes – Nov 27

   Nov 27, 2025
5. (Fixed) [PC/PS/XBOX] Patch Notes – Sep 30

   Sep 30, 2025
6. [PC/PS/XBOX] Hotfix Update – August 1

   Aug 1, 2025
7. [PC/PS/XBOX] Hotfix Update – July 30

   Jul 30, 2025
8. [PC/PS/XBOX] Patch Notes – July 24

   Jul 23, 2025significant · resets scoring window
9. [PC/PS/XBOX] Hotfix Update – June 27

   Jun 27, 2025
10. [PC/PS/XBOX] Patch Notes – June 26

    Jun 26, 2025significant · resets scoring window
11. (Dev Note) The Background Behind the Difficulty Rework and the June Update

    Jun 24, 2025significant · resets scoring window
12. [PC/PS/XBOX] Hotfix Update – June 17

    Jun 17, 2025
13. (Updated) [PC/PS/XBOX] Patch Notes – June 16

    Jun 16, 2025significant · resets scoring window
14. (Dev Note) With Gratitude: On the June Update and Our Direction

    Jun 11, 2025significant · resets scoring window
15. [PC/PS/XBOX] Hotfix Update #2 – May 28

    May 28, 2025
16. [PC/PS/XBOX] Hotfix Update – May 28

    May 28, 2025
17. [PC/PS/XBOX] Patch Notes – May 27

    May 27, 2025significant · resets scoring window
18. [PC] Hotfix Update – May 17

    May 17, 2025
19. (Update) [PC/PS/XBOX] Patch Notes – May 15

    May 14, 2025significant · resets scoring window
20. (Dev Note) May Update Announcement and the Future Development Roadmap

    May 9, 2025significant · resets scoring window
21. [PC/PS/XBOX] Hotfix Update – April 29

    Apr 29, 2025
22. [PC/PS/XBOX] Patch Notes - April 22

    Apr 21, 2025significant · resets scoring window
23. (Dev Note) Khazan's Next Step: April Update Preview

    Apr 15, 2025significant · resets scoring window
24. [PC/PS/XBOX] Hotfix Update – April 9

    Apr 9, 2025
25. [PC/PS/XBOX] Patch Notes – April 4

    Apr 4, 2025significant · resets scoring window
26. (Dev Note) Upcoming Updates – Following Previous Balance Adjustments

    Apr 2, 2025significant · resets scoring window
27. (Dev Note) On Khazan’s Official Launch – First Balance Patch and Future Plans

    Mar 27, 2025significant · resets scoring window
28. [PC/PS/XBOX] Hotfix Update - March 27

    Mar 27, 2025
29. (Updated) [PC/PS/XBOX] Hotfix Update - March 24

    Mar 24, 2025
30. Hotfix Update (Ver. 480327) - January 22

    Jan 22, 2025
31. (Dev Note) First Dev Note – Notes on January 21 Hotfix Update

    Jan 21, 2025
32. Hotfix Update (Ver. 479909) - January 21

    Jan 21, 2025