The First Berserker: Khazan
In this article, we will be talking about an exclusive interview we had with a few devs about The First Berserker: Khazan, a highly anticipated upcoming ARPG being developed by Neople and published by Nexon.
To give a brief summary, The First Berserker: Khazan can be best described as a hack-and-slash ARPG, with heavy emphasis on a theme of dark fantasy and dark, brooding atmospheres, decayed settings, veiled over a story of betrayal. You play as Khazan, a general who alongside Archmage Ozma felled the mighty Berserk Dragon Hismar and his brood. However, Khazan is falsely accused of treason and is exiled as an outcast by the land he swore to protect. Now, he is imbued by dark powers and aims to exact revenge as The First Berserker.
A really cool aspect of the game is how it seems to have taken a lot of inspiration from manga masterpiece Berserk, and decided to expand on that inspiration by making a whole game surrounding the ideas and themes of the series, from the gore to the eclipse and even the massive hunk of iron we see an antagonist brandish in the trailer.
But anyways, the combat is very much hack-and-slash with Khazan having mastery over various weapons and skills in his arsenal. There also seems to be some kind of RPG aspect with equipment and perks to build Khazan into specific playstyles, but we aren’t too sure yet. It’s a really cool concept that I’m sure any dark fantasy enjoyer would be interested in. In our exclusive interview, we asked a few questions about gameplay specifics to get a feel of what to expect once the game releases. So, without further ado, let’s get into it!
How did the idea for The First Berserker: Kazhan come to be?
“Before the game was called Khazan, when it was called Project AK, the team discussed developing a single-player action game based on the DNF (Dungeon & Fighter) Universe.
The DNF Universe has a variety of characters and stories. By focusing on the most significant aspect of a hardcore action genre, the player motivation, we strived to develop characters and stories that present immersive and heartfelt moments to players during gameplay.
For context, our perspective on Khazan’s world extends beyond a single narrative. Rather than following a liner chronicle, we embrace it as a vast “multiverse” encompassing different perspectives and angles. This approach is reflected in Khazan’s development journey, as we aimed to capture the essence of the DNF Universe, or DNFU, by emphasizing its depth and breadth.“
To give some more context on the Dungeon & Fighter Universe, it originates from the 2005 Dungeon & Fighter video game developed by Neople. In the DNF universe, there exists a variety of character classes, each with unique abilities, skills, and backstories. The game is set in a richly detailed world with a backdrop of medieval fantasy, featuring different regions and realms that contribute to the game’s lore and narrative.
Khazan is set within this multiverse, but is separate from the lore of Dungeon & Fighter so you can still enjoy the story regardless, similar to how you can still enjoy a Spiderman movie without having to understand the entire marvel universe.
Could you talk a bit about world design? Is it mission based? Linear? Open World? Are areas interconnected?
“It leans towards a closed-level design. While Khazan prioritises the enjoyment derived from action, we are also preparing various elements and content to provide the pleasure of adventure and exploration.”
With that statement, it’s basically confirmed that there are things to explore and find within the world of Khazan, but we still don’t really know the scale. Based on the overall feeling I have gotten from the game just from the trailer, there could be treasure chests, maybe some lore items found in parts of the world or perhaps even secret areas within some levels. Regardless of what they do add, it’s good to know that the game is going to have more stuff on top of being a hack and slash, with other additional content to enjoy when you aren’t performing bloody massacres.
What types of weapons are there in the game? Are there two-handed weapons or shields? What distinguishes these weapons?
“DNF offers a wide selection of various weapons, armour, and other items to choose from and we are putting our efforts into improving the gameplay we pursue through these features.”
With that statement, we now know for sure that there will be some kind of build we can make for Khazan with various weapons and armour to craft the perfect killing machine playstyle. Another interesting thing we can pick from this is that they also mention that players can choose specific items for combat. It could be a stretch, but this could possibly refer to throwable items like Firebombs from Dark Souls, consumable items like a potion that buffs the player, or maybe even weapon enhancements like the Flame Grindstone from Lies of P.
Is there a stamina system or a posture system that allows you to stagger enemies or be staggered?
“While we can’t reveal the details of the combat system yet, a stamina system exists at this stage. Managing stamina is an essential element in gameplay.”
Based on the combat we saw with various parries and slashes, it’s pretty safe to say that a stamina system was expected. They couldn’t reveal any details about a possible posture system, but I think it’s very likely some kind of posture system will be in the game based on the fact that they confirmed there is a stamina system for Khazan. Whether it will be the core of combat though, is up for debate.
Are there other mechanics that help distinguish build types, like skill trees or Set bonuses from wearing pieces of an armour set?
“We are preparing various character growth elements that will make Khazan entertaining in different ways. One main representative element is the Skill Tree system, also present in the original Dungeon Fighter Online. We are putting a lot of effort into incorporating the system, which is tailored to fit Khazan in a way that captures its cutthroat essence.”
So on top of the weapons, armour and items to build Khazan, we are getting character skills which draw inspiration from their Dungeon Fighter Online series. In Dungeon Fighter Online, players earned Skill Points (SP) each time they levelled up. These points could be allocated to learn new skills or improve existing ones. You could spend points on any skills that could be acquired within your level range, and also spend skill points on a unique skill tree that each class had. A simple system which I am sure you are all familiar with.
However, there is also a specialisation system within the game which allows players to choose an advanced class, leading to a more specialised skill tree. Given that Khazan will likely not have a class, it’s possible that we will see specialisations within his skill tree that tailor him towards a specific playstyle. It could also be based off of the specialisation in DFO called “Berserker”, which uses life as a resource to execute skills dealing immense physical damage. It’s a high risk high reward class which encourages aggression and fast paced gameplay, both of which fit right into a hack-and-slash, so this could definitely be what they are basing their skills from.
Will there be multiplayer aspects to the game? Can you co-op or pvp?
“Currently, the team is not considering online synchronous content.”
Given that the game is meant to be a singleplayer experience, and likely has a preset character, its understandable that there isn’t going to be any kind of multiplayer experience. That being said, it definitely would have been cool to see a game like this with multiplayer aspects, since a cel-shaded hack and slash multiplayer must be a pretty small niche.
Do you have a rough release window? If not, when can players expect to hear about this title?
“We have entered the final polishing stage, but we are not able to disclose the exact release date at this time. We will let you know later when we have a more detailed schedule.”
Unfortunately, we couldn’t get a set release for The First Berserker: Khazan as of now. They stated that they are in the “Final polishing stage”, which is a very vague phase that could take anywhere from a year to half a decade to complete depending on the scale of the game. However, given that they released a few trailers quite recently, boasting solid gameplay and visuals, I think it’s safe to say that we can expect a release this year or in 2025.
What is the biggest thing that sets The First Berserker: Khazan apart from other games in the genre?
“The team’s main focus is to highlight the hardcore action RPG genre itself, rather than emphasize Soulslikes or other subgenres. When designing the core mechanics, we prioritized implementing a well-structured action system similar to Dungeon Fighter Online while also drawing inspiration from various elements used in action genres, including soulslike games. We aim to enhance the action experience found in Dungeon Fighter Online and showcase the unique gameplay of a hardcore action RPG genre, which will be a hallmark of Khazan.”
Their response for what sets The First Berserker: Khazan apart from other games gives me the vibe that they want to create something separate from a soulslike, and more akin to something like God of War. They will take some aspects from soulslikes to fulfill their vision, but they aren’t aiming to create another ruined world soulslike where you attack, roll away from enemies and heal with an estus flask.
They also mentioned Dungeon Fighter Online again as a reference point for the game’s action mechanics, which would imply some fast-paced, flashy combat that makes you feel like a badass. And from the trailer, it looks like they have accomplished just that with satisfyingly gorey execution attacks, quick and impactful abilities, and a wide range of weapons you can use to spice up gameplay.
Unanswered Questions
We also had some questions we asked that could not be answered at this time. We couldn’t get an answer on if there would be Character Customization for Khazan, if there are any Weapon Skills in the game, how itemisation would work with things such as item drops being random or static, and any information on what to expect in terms of enemy quantity and difficulty.
So that about wraps up our interview with the developers for The First Berserker: Khazan. The game looks like it has alot of potential to scratch that hack and slash itch, and could very well be one of the best indie games of the year if it can deliver what it advertises. What do you think about the game? Let us know in the comments below!
